The Adventures of Soy Boy & Friends

Join friends Soy Boy, T-Bone, Pot Noodle and Avo as they navigate uni life and the age of disinformation, one algorithm and creditable source at a time!

The Adventure of Soy Boy and Friends continues with a new story co-created with students, educators and violence prevention experts.

Comic two follows T-bone as he navigates the impact that never ending "algos" and "hustle" gym culture has on his body and his mind.

Through relatable storytelling, the comic explores how algorithm-driven content and influencer culture can impact and shape how we feel and how we interact with each other.

The Adventures of Soy Boy and Friends was co-designed with RMIT students, educators and violence prevention experts. It brings together young men’s lived experience to reclaim, re-write and re-define who and how they want to be.

Read the RMIT News story: RMIT Soy Boy comic takes on fitness culture, influencer pressure and the manosphere

Want to join the Soy Boy writing crew? Email us at genderjustice@rmit.edu.au

Text on blue background reads "Comic two".

Image shows Avo and T-Bone in the gym. Avo says, "T-Bone, I love this time of year. Freshers and stacys everywhere." T-Bone says, "Lay off, would you, Avo?"

Image features Avo and T-Bone in the gym. Avo says, "Why are you sounding like a Soy Boy suddenly?" T-Bone replies, "I'm just feeling a bit weird. I missed my sesh this morning. I need to catch up."

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Image shows Avo and T-Bone in the gym. Avo says, "Piece of advice, T-Bone: Don't show them s**t . Be like Kidneyconqueror. T-Bone thinks, "Kidneyconqueror? Who's that?"

Image shows Avo and T-Bone at the gym. Avo says, "Kidneyconqueror is an alpha. He can bench press like 2540, easily. Makes everyone else look like a cuck!"

Image shows Avo's phone, which is displaying a Kidneyconqueror video. It says, "We're calling it depression and anxiety, but it's lack of routine, too much sugar, no hustle. You're not digging deep enough. You're eating crap, betraying yourself. You've got a failure mindset!"

Image shows Avo and T-Bone at the gym. T-Bone stares at himself in the mirror while Avo is on how phone. T-Bone thinks, "What's wrong with me?"

Image shows Kidneyconqueror on a white background. Text in white background reads, "Your hand and your heart, these are your weapons! #spartanfix"" "Make fire, make fury, fight back. Lift weights. #hustlelife" "Don't you want to be an evolved male? #greekempire" "We wear rubber shoes and socks. We're no longer one with mother earth. We need to get back out brute male energy. #thereturnofmankind"

Image shows T-Bone lifting dumbbells, weighing food, running on the treadmill and standing on a set of scales to weigh himself.

Image shows T-Bone in the gym. T-Bone thinks. "That guy's huge. Is everyone looking at me?"

Image shows Soy Boy and T-Bone in the gym. Soy Boy says, "How much of that stuff are you drinking?" T-Bone replies, "What? This stuff? It's an innovative science-based non-gmo. It's good for you. Like soy milk." Soy Boy says, "You okay T-Bone? You sound stressed." T-Bone says, "Yeah, yeah - I'm fine."

Image shows T-Bone and his friend walking outside. T-Bone says, "I'm thinking about pulling out of study. I could make easy cash as an influencer. Just get on the juice and get wrecked. You know what I'm like - I thrive on good energy." His friend responds with, "What sort of good energy is that?" T-Bone says, "Like Kidneyconqueror, and all those guys. Units. Alphas."

Image shows T-Bone and his friend walking outside. T-Bone's friend says, "I thought after that whole soy milk thing you weren't listening to those guys anymore." T-Bone responds, "Yeah... I mean I just watch the tips on health and getting jacked and hustling and all that."

Image shows T-Bone and his friend sitting outside. His friend says, "My point is, we don't eat from one tree, yeah. Seriously, T-Bone - you seem not okay." Meanwhile, T-Bone thinks, "What does that even mean???"

Image shows T-Bone with his head pressed against the top of his head. He says, "It's just my brain... It's embarrassing... There's something wrong with me..." Meanwhile, he thinks, "Maybe if eat less carbs and hit protein and get on the supplements and stop skipping my lats, I'll look the way I should and my head will fix itself."

Image shows T-Bone and his friend sitting outside. T-Bone's friend says, "It just sounds like the gym is living rent-free in your head." T-Bone replies, "Yeah, but working out is the only thing keeping me sane." His friend says, "Sure, I get that... I just saw this the other day... This guy was really focused on the gym too, but it was messing with his life."

Image shows a phone with Alex Rodriguez's article and podcast, titled 'Why are we red-flagging men and their fitness goals?" The text reads "There is more to us than what we look like, what we eat, or how much we press or how fast we run."

Image shows T-Bone and his friend sitting outside. T-Bone's friend says, "I think his point is that there's a huge difference between setting goals with our health and fitness, based on fun, performance and connection, vs. forcing ourselves into exercise regimens entirely from a place of not feeling good enough."

Image shows Soy Boy, T-Bone and Avo walking outside. Soy Boy says, "You want to go to the gym this arvo?" T-Bone replies, "Nah, let's hang, you hungry?" Avo says, "Check this out, boys. Gotta hit it later."

Image shows Soy Boy and T-Bone walking outside. Soy Boy thinks, "Should I say something?" T-Bone thinks, "F**k man, I don't want to keep thinking about this stuff." T-Bone then says, "Avo..."

Download Soy Boy comic 2 (PDF 11 MB)

Soy Boy comic two real fact finds

Adventures of Soy Boy and Friends – comic one

The Adventures of Soy Boy and Friends – comic one, launched in 2025, centred on challenging harmful stereotypes of masculinity, dispelling misinformation, and reframing vulnerability and curiosity as strengths rather than weaknesses.

Soy Boy’s real fact finds for comic one

Text on blue background reads 'Comic One'

Text on white background reads 'Soy Boy is about to start his day at uni with his favourite brew when...' Image shows Soy Boy in a coffee shop saying "Just a soy latte please"

Text on white background reads 'enter best mate T-Bone'. Image shows T-Bone and Soy Boy in a coffee shop. T-Bone says "Bro, what are you doing? Is that soy milk?! Don't drink that!!"

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Image shows T-Bone and Soy Boy in a coffee shop. Soy Boy has a distressed look on his face. T-Bone says "Hotrod YouTuber says it messes with your testosterone. Tits instead of pecs Soy Boy. Breasts!!"

Text on white background reads 'Could T-Bone be right? Soy Boy decides to do some research!' Image shows Soy Boy at a computer with head in his hand and questions marks around his head.

Text on white background reads 'Night of the dark web, lost to algorithms and hotrod's YouTube channel. Finally, Soy Boy finds something credible. Image shows Soy Boy at the computer. 3 blue exclamation marks are around his head.

Image shows a cartoon of Dr Sharayah Carter. Dr Carter says "Urban myth suggesting foods like soy affect masculinity are false. These myth are often perpetuated by societal biases, which create misleading associations between foods and gender. What truly matters is choosing foods that you enjoy and that are right for you."

Image shows the screen of Soy Boys phone. The phone is open to a message chat with T-Bone. Soy Boy is sending a YouTube video to T-Bone titled 'Debunking food myths | Dr Carter (Nutrition & Dietetics). Soy Boy messages 'check this out !'

Image shows Soy Boy and T-Bone in a coffee shop. Soy Boy says "what are you having T-Bone?' T-Bone says "I'll have the same as you". Soy Boy says to the barista "two soy lattes please'.

Text on a white background reads 'T-Bone seeks the truth' Image shows T-Bone looking at his phone and watching the YouTube video with Dr Carter.

Read Soy Boy comic one (PDF 859 KB)

About the Adventures of Soy Boy and Friends

The Adventures of Soy Boy and Friends is a creative project, codesigned by RMIT students and staff, exploring the impact of online content, disinformation and algorithm driven culture on relationships, identity and wellbeing. 

The term Soy Boy is often used in the “manosphere” as an insult to belittle men who are seen as too emotional, progressive, or not conforming to traditional masculine ideals.  

The comic was created in 2024 as part of a Man Box innovation pilot led by RMIT’s Prevention and Respect team, which evolved into an embedded alternative assessment collaboration with staff and students associated with Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media. 

Read the RMIT News story: Introducing ‘Soy Boy’: tackling online disinformation and promoting respect at uni

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

Learn more about our commitment to Indigenous cultures

The Adventures of Soy Boy & Friends