Don’t click on Boulet’s tweeted pics – you may get a nasty shock!
Boulet, or Gilles Roussel, is a French cartoonist living in Paris who has had about 20 comic books published (some available in English). He has been publishing cartoons online at Bouletcorp.com since 2004 with more than 1,600 entries so far (and he’s also working to translate these into English).
While all of that’s impressive, it’s not Boulet’s comics that have drawn our attention. It’s this tweet.
Don't click. pic.twitter.com/O2hA89cB4S
— -Boulet- (@Bouletcorp) October 27, 2015
Don’t click, you say? Okay. Fine. I won’t. I’ll just close this window and get on with my… *click*
Blaaaggghhh!
If you don’t believe the screenshot you see above, try it for yourself. Click the tweet to open it in a separate tab and just watch what happens when you click the image.
I’ll give you a moment.
Back now and sufficiently frightened and impressed?
These emotions have been felt by many who have encountered Boulet’s spooky tweeting trick, prompting the obvious question: How?
@hysterichope @iolio_ pic.twitter.com/YPJGb8LfSi
— -Boulet- (@Bouletcorp) October 28, 2015
When not claiming magic, Boulet does offer a more comprehensive explanation whereby he creates a PNG with different transparencies depending on whether the image appears on a white background or a black background.
When Twitter images appear inline with tweets, they have a white background, but the overlay window when you click on an image has a black background, hence the transformation.
@hysterichope Here's the picture on a mid-tone background, to understand better 🙂 pic.twitter.com/VcdelTWeS0
— -Boulet- (@Bouletcorp) October 28, 2015
The technical explanation doesn’t take away from the magic, though, as Boulet’s illustrative skill is also part of why these images are so wonderful. Try these two for more fun switcheroos.
This one you SHOULD click. (It's bigger on the inside) #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/MYOC5RnQ8s
— -Boulet- (@Bouletcorp) October 27, 2015
Surtout n'éteignez pas la lumière. pic.twitter.com/ZZciIG3eb2
— -Boulet- (@Bouletcorp) October 27, 2015
Boulet isn’t the only one making these magical PNGs either, and this one from Japanese illustrator Taki was shared by Thomas Hercouët (and retweeted by Boulet).
Vous pouvez aussi voir ce que de vrais artistes en font, genre @taki_bump 🙂 (le game est haut) pic.twitter.com/yP7aqkXw6g
— Thomas Hercouët (@DrHercouet) October 27, 2015
We are in awe of your skills, Boulet. Keep sketching!
Scared computer user image via Shutterstock
Update, 29 October 10.52am: Boulet has reached out to let us know that it was in fact Taki who first introduced him to this technique, surfacing this two-year-old tweet from the Japanese illustrator that inspired him.
@siliconrepublic Thank you! 🙂 But I just used the genius idea of Taki, he did that long (2 years) before I did! 🙂 https://t.co/kBO725SgWr
— -Boulet- (@Bouletcorp) October 29, 2015