seethe
Explanation
The comic contrasts "Artists in Private" with "Artists in Interviews." In the top panel, an artist is shown alone at a computer, thinking in grandiose terms: "I am going to make the greatest thing ever so history will never forget my name and the great mass of people will bow before my genius as all my friends and enemies seethe with envy and CRY CRY CRY!" In the bottom panel, the same artist is shown in a podcast or radio interview, calmly saying: "For me, art is all about self-expression."
The joke exposes the gap between artists' private ambitions and their public persona. In private, the artist's inner monologue is a hilariously narcissistic power fantasy about achieving immortal fame, dominating all rivals, and making everyone weep with envy. But in public interviews, artists universally present themselves as humble, introspective souls motivated purely by the desire to express themselves. The humor lies in how universal this disparity is -- nearly every artist claims art is about "self-expression" or "the process" when interviewed, while privately many harbor fierce competitive ambitions and dreams of glory. The comic also pokes fun at the specific cliché of the artist interview, where predictable platitudes about self-expression substitute for the messy, ego-driven truth.