explodingdog is the name of a website run by Sam Brown, pseudonym of Adam Culbert.[1] From 2000 to 2015, viewers e-mailed Brown short phrases for inspiration and he illustrated certain ones. The drawings are usually rendered digitally and are known for their simplistic style, and their poignant and sometimes unexpected take on the phrases on which they are based. Sam Brown has published limited-run print books of his explodingdog illustrations. He also sells merchandise with explodingdog illustrations and prints of the daily drawings to help offset costs.
Like many artists, Sam Brown uses many recurring themes and visual motifs in his explodingdog work.
A short list of visual motifs:
A short list of recurring themes:
Over the years, there have been a number of different artistic projects inspired by explodingdog. These sites usually utilize the same "submitted by random people, and selected for inspiration" concept that explodingdog pioneered.[citation needed]