Yungblud Reveals How 'Joker' Inspired His Graphic Novel

Yungblud is one of the music industry's most compelling outsiders, so it's no wonder he feels a kindred spirit in one of the greatest comic book misfits of all time.

In an interview with Z2 Comics about The Twisted Tales of the Ritalin Club 2: Weird Times at Quarry Bank University, the second installment in the musician's Twisted Tales graphic novel series (out in November), the "Weird!" singer opened up about how Todd Phillips' Oscar-winning 2019 film, Joker, inspired him.

"I remember being on tour in Chicago and we saw Joker. Joker just came out on 35 mm film. It kind of reawakened a character I’d been obsessed with my whole life," Yungblud shared about the infamous and iconic DC Comics supervillain, portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix in the film.

"What was so amazing about that movie is it depicted him right. It depicted him as this outsider," the artist continued. "Everyone always sided with the Waynes. What I understood from the comics books was, 'Why would you side with the Waynes when all they care about is the rich, the upper class and they forget about the other people?'"

Yungblud added that the "whole ethos" of Joker — "I am different and why can't I be accepted?" — is something he connected with and in turn inspired how he approached his own comic.

"It awoke that character that I had [been] obsessed with and [I] was quite upset that films prior to that had always kind of not explained why he became truly evil," the artist said.

According to Z2, Weird Times at Quarry Bank University chronicles Yungblud and his "super-powered friends ... as students at Quarry Bank University. At first, it seems like university life is all drugs, sex and relationship drama. But when a new foe with a familiar face arrives from the Manga Dimension, the Ritalin Club find themselves caught in a trip that may cost them their very lives."

Yungblud's Twisted Tales of the Ritalin Club graphic novel was released in 2019.