Dumplings with Victor Van Acker: Building a “Small Problems, Big Feelings” Comic World
If you have ever read Dumplings and felt like the jokes sneak up on you, then land with a little burst of warmth, this episode explains why.
In our latest Inside the Kingdom conversation, Victor Van Acker talks through the real-life rhythms behind the strip, from teaching middle schoolers all day to keeping notebooks full of comic ideas for the long haul.
The world of Dumplings: two best friends, two pet universes
Victor describes Dumplings as a world built around two 10-year-old best friends who are opposites, plus a parallel “pet world” where the animals get their own adventures.
At the center:
- Dani, full of big plans and high energy
- Franny, her best friend and complete counterbalance
- Benny, the lovable, optimistic dog who is basically pure enthusiasm
- Mac, the cat with confidence and cat logic
- Leo, the occasional grumpy-cat wildcard
That split structure is not just fun for readers. It keeps the strip fresh for Victor too. He can spend a whole week in the pets’ world, then swap back to Dani and Franny’s school life, and it feels like a reset.
Why the strip hits: “small problems” that feel huge
One of the best themes from the episode is how Dumplings finds comedy in the scale of everyday life.
When you are ten, or when you are a dog, tiny things can become the biggest thing in the universe. That is fertile ground for humor. A cold day, a snow drift, a snack just out of reach. The stakes are small, but the reactions are big, and that is where the laughs live.
“I like when there’s some kind of problem and how they react to that… That’s good comedy right there.” ~Victor Van Acker
Benny’s secret sauce: real dog energy
Benny is a fan favorite for a reason, and Victor is honest about where that voice comes from: real life.
He talks about giving his own dog a voice around his kids, leaning into that joyful, slightly clueless optimism that dog owners know by heart. That exact energy becomes Benny’s magic.
Characters that “live with you”
If you are curious how daily strips get made without burning out, Victor’s answer is simple: the strip is always running in the background.
He keeps notebooks. He keeps sticky notes. He grabs quick lines from the classroom. He writes ideas while walking his dog, especially when the weather is miserable and the ideas are, ironically, great.
And yes, he hears the characters’ voices in his head while he writes. Sometimes he wishes he could attach an audio clip so readers would stress the exact word the way he intended.
Teaching by day, cartooning in the margins
Victor shares a lot about his day job too. He has taught across different middle school settings and subjects, and he is currently teaching in a special education classroom, covering civics, reading, and science.
He does not “assign” the strip to students, but kids notice when he is drawing on his iPad during breaks. That curiosity turns into conversations about creativity and publishing, and sometimes, inspiration.
Minimalist art style, maximum expression
If you have ever thought “this looks simple, but it is hard to do,” Victor agrees.
He is intentional about keeping backgrounds minimal so the space goes to the joke, the expressions, and readable lettering. He spends real time getting a smile or a reaction just right, even if it takes a dozen tries.
And when asked whether he sees himself more as a writer or an artist, he does not hesitate: writer.
From family doodles to a real comic strip world
One of the most meaningful parts of the episode is how personal the strip’s origin is.
Victor grew up loving comic strips, and when his kids were learning to read, comic collections became the family ritual. He started drawing his own characters for them. The world became “real,” he says, when he had to translate all those notebook ideas into fully drawn strips with staging, clarity, and clean dialogue flow.
Here is a detail fans will love: Dani is named after Victor’s daughter.
What’s next: a bigger cast (and maybe some new chaos)
Victor hints at what he wants to expand in the strip:
- Bringing in Franny’s brothers more actively (he has mentioned she has four, and wants to finally use them)
- A possible new kid character inspired by his son (name idea: Nico or Nikki)
- Occasional story sparks like pet “love interests,” and other one-off characters
And yes, the episode also includes a very funny tangent about frozen iguanas and what Benny would do if the strip ever took a Florida detour.
The feeling Victor wants readers to leave with
The goal is straightforward: a laugh, and something uplifting.
But beyond that, Victor wants readers to feel connected to the characters. The kind of connection where even a silly situation makes you genuinely feel for Benny when he has a rough week.
“I hope that they feel uplifted… I want them to connect with the characters.” ~Victor Van Acker
Read Dumplings on Comics Kingdom
If you have not yet, this is a perfect week to start. Read the daily strip, explore the archive, and settle into the rhythm of Dani’s big plans, Franny’s grounded realism, and Benny’s unstoppable optimism.
Dumplings is available now on Comics Kingdom.
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