We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Davian Chester. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Davian below.

Davian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on began with my comics about consent. I created a series that explores real-life situations people face but rarely discuss. Mixed signals, pressure, coercion, crossed boundaries, and the grey areas that a lot of people may have trouble navigating. I wanted to make something honest, accessible, and visual so that people could look at it and say, “Wow…that’s actually happened to me,” or “I never realized how that could make someone feel.”

The response was overwhelming. The comics went viral, especially among Black audiences. That series opened the door to something much bigger. One of the organizations I tagged in the comics-RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), reached out to me after seeing the work. That led to a collaboration using the comics to spark a much-needed conversation about drink spiking awareness.

The post went viral almost instantly, earning over 3.7M views, 145k likes, and 62k+ shares. Directing thousands of people to RAINN’s hotline and resources. The project was a success because it effectively blended storytelling, safety education, and real-life scenarios in a way that people actually wanted to share. This led to working with Shark Tank’s very own Nightcap, a company focused on preventing drink spiking. That post also highlighted the often-overlooked fact that men can be targeted with drink spiking as well. Earning 3M views as well.

This project is meaningful to me because it has shown me the real impact that comics can have. Comics can start conversations, shift behavior, and make people feel seen. For me, as someone who focuses on the Black community and underrepresented voices, bringing these topics forward in a way that resonates culturally felt like the work I was meant to do. It’s one of those moments where my purpose as a cartoonist and my purpose as an advocate came together.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Davian Chester, but most people online know me as Real Toons. I’m a cartoonfluencer from Columbus, Georgia, whose work blends culture, humor, relationships, and social issues. I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, but I really found my voice around 2019, when I realized that comics could do more than entertain; they could spark conversations, shift perspectives, and make people feel seen.

In 2019, Google didn’t create a doodle for Juneteenth. They had one for literally every single holiday. The day before Juneteenth, they had one for a falafel, lol. So I created a “Doodle” for Juneteenth, posted it on my social media, and tagged Google. It went viral! Gained national attention! It was all over the internet and even got attention from Google. I was in nonstop interviews, featured in articles, and my hometown Columbus, GA, made a billboard in my honor. It was amazing. The next year, Google started creating official Google Doodles in honor of Juneteenth. Other companies started celebrating as well. People would tell me they honestly did not know about Juneteenth until my viral doodle. Juneteenth has become increasingly mainstream, and it is now a national holiday. From that moment on, I understood the power of visual storytelling and how art can push culture forward.

Since then, I’ve built Real Toons into a brand that produces comics, illustrations, campaigns, books, and educational visuals centered around relationships, mental health, consent, race, culture, and identity. Today, I offer a diverse range of creative services for clients, including brand storytelling, social media campaigns, educational illustrations, character design, humor-based content, and visual messaging that resonates with people where they are. I’ve collaborated with organizations such as the NAACP, Alabama Institute for Social Justice, Lionsgate, The Real, BLK, RAINN, and NightCap. My comics break down complicated, sensitive subjects into simple visuals that people understand immediately. They have also been featured in The Miami Times’ Cartoon Corner since 2020.

What sets me apart is that everything I create stems from a culturally grounded and honest place. I’m not afraid to address the Black experience, double standards, consent, generational trauma, or community issues, but I present these topics in a way that feels inviting rather than heavy-handed. And when I collaborate with brands or organizations, I know how to effectively highlight their products or missions without sounding like an advertisement or a lecture. I create stories people genuinely connect with.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I grew my social media audience by consistently creating comics that felt authentic, culturally relevant, and timely. I speak directly to the experiences of our communities, relationships, identity, and everyday life in a way people weren’t seeing anywhere else. My work started going viral because it sparked conversations. For anyone just getting started, my biggest advice is to be consistent, authentic, and create content that people can genuinely connect with. Aim to be relatable, and don’t just post; engage, listen, and build a community, not just a follower count. I am extremely grateful to my fans and followers. I am working on more creative ways to connect with them and make it feel like a community.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is seeing people genuinely connect with my work, whether it makes them laugh, think, or prompts them to view a situation differently. When my art shifts someone’s perspective or helps them see themselves in a new way, that’s the real payoff. Art is meant to challenge in this way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.DavianChester.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/real_toons
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealToons
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davian-chester-3bb112a3/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@realtoons