Cartoonist George Trosley aka Troz was born in 1947. After graduating from the Hussian School of Commercial Art in Philadelphia, PA he worked doing commercial jobs at several art studios in Philadelphia. He found this type of work boring so in 1973 he set out on his own and became a full-time freelance cartoonist. George had always been fascinated with cars so it is no surprise that he was hired by CARtoons magazine as a regular contributor. While drawing for CARtoons he created the comic strip Krass & Bernie which ran continuously from 1975 until 1991 when CARtoons stopped being published. The characters Krass & Bernie were two motorheads that were interested in two things, cars and girls. Another popular feature that George drew for CARtoons was his "How To Draw Cars" instructional series. I fondly remember spending many hours in my early teen years drawing from George’s pages. In May of 2005 Krass & Bernie returned to the printed page and appears monthly in Car Craft magazine. For years his work has appeared in Hustler, as well as in Hot Rod, Saturday Evening Post, National Enquirer, StreetTrucks and many more. George has two children and lives with his wife Susan in Ridley Park, PA. Visit his website where you can see more of his work and buy books and CDs of both Krass & Bernie and his “How to Draw Cartoon Cars” series.
What is your favorite pen to use?
Alvin Penstix.
Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
Standard #2 ½ Pencil on tracing paper then lightboarded with ink on to good paper.
Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
By hand.
If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
Dyes, Markers and Colored Pencils.
What type of paper do you use?
Ledger Bond.
What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
Crowd scenes.
Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
Both.
Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
None.
Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
Yes…Rock & Roll…Adult Contemporary Jazz.
Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
Yes…all of them…Superman, The Flash, Bat Man, Disney Stuff…
What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Poor Arnold’s Almanac then, The Phantom now.
What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Still have it. The Magic of Believing. Still have it.
Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
Hussian School of Commercial Art…4 years.
Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
Both, of course.
Did either of your parents draw?
My father won the entire “Draw Me” Contest and the entire mail order course. I still have it. He was extremely talented but worked in industry all his life.
Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
Both parents…family.
Do you keep a sketchbook?
Used to…no time now because I’m always at my drawing board…drawing.
Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
A bit…yes, it’s rewarding.
Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
Passion is needed to fuel the talent.
Do you collect anything and if so what?
Car Magazines…Mad Magazine.
If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
Bernie of Krass & Bernie.
Are you a righty or lefty?
Right handed.
If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
Behind the scenes in Movies/TV.
In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
Upstairs loft style area of our home with a balcony overlooking a lake…very cozy…much too nice for me.
Do you play any musical instruments?
Drums…a bit of bottleneck Guitar.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Be sure you wanna’ do this…it’s tough.
Who is your favorite artist?
Mort Drucker for cartooning…Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt for drawing.
Thanks again George.
Up next is Maine cartoonist Jeff Pert.
What is your favorite pen to use?
Alvin Penstix.
Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
Standard #2 ½ Pencil on tracing paper then lightboarded with ink on to good paper.
Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
By hand.
If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
Dyes, Markers and Colored Pencils.
What type of paper do you use?
Ledger Bond.
What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
Crowd scenes.
Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
Both.
Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
None.
Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
Yes…Rock & Roll…Adult Contemporary Jazz.
Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
Yes…all of them…Superman, The Flash, Bat Man, Disney Stuff…
What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Poor Arnold’s Almanac then, The Phantom now.
What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Still have it. The Magic of Believing. Still have it.
Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
Hussian School of Commercial Art…4 years.
Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
Both, of course.
Did either of your parents draw?
My father won the entire “Draw Me” Contest and the entire mail order course. I still have it. He was extremely talented but worked in industry all his life.
Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
Both parents…family.
Do you keep a sketchbook?
Used to…no time now because I’m always at my drawing board…drawing.
Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
A bit…yes, it’s rewarding.
Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
Passion is needed to fuel the talent.
Do you collect anything and if so what?
Car Magazines…Mad Magazine.
If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
Bernie of Krass & Bernie.
Are you a righty or lefty?
Right handed.
If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
Behind the scenes in Movies/TV.
In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
Upstairs loft style area of our home with a balcony overlooking a lake…very cozy…much too nice for me.
Do you play any musical instruments?
Drums…a bit of bottleneck Guitar.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Be sure you wanna’ do this…it’s tough.
Who is your favorite artist?
Mort Drucker for cartooning…Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt for drawing.
Thanks again George.
Up next is Maine cartoonist Jeff Pert.
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2 comments:
FINALLY! A cartoonist who doesn't hate drawing cars!
I, too, spent a lotta time following his "How-to's" back in the day. A shame none of it ever rubbed off...
Trosley's Hustler cartoons were a RIOT!
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