David-Wasting-Paper

Anne Gibbons - Cartoonist Survey #255

2012-01-25T18:03:00.003-05:00

Anne Gibbons is an award-winning cartoonist, illustrator and designer who is based in New York. After earning a B.A. in Sociology and a Masters in Physical Education, she spent a few years teaching Phys. Ed. She soon realized that teaching was not for her and decided to pursue a career in art. Anne began taking continuing education courses through the Art Students League, the School of Visual Arts and Parsons, where she studied under legendary cartoonist, Mort Gerberg.

Now close to 30 years later, her cartoons, illustrations and designs have appeared on just about everything including: greeting cards, newspapers, magazines, books, websites, t-shirts and more. Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Reader’s Digest, Ladies Home Journal and Redbook are just a few of the magazines that have printed her cartoons. She is a prolific creator of greeting cards and has left her mark on the greeting card industry. Recycled Paper Greetings, Marcel Schurman, Marion Heath and Pictura have all used her work. Admired by those in the cartooning community, Anne was honored by the National Cartoonists Society’s Division Award for Greeting Card category in 2000.

Anne’s humorous illustrations have also been used by many major corporations such as Lifetime Television, IBM, MasterCard, F. Schumacher and many others. Many of her cartoons have been reprinted in books, including “Crème de la Femme”, “This Could Be The Start of Something Stupid”, “When Cats Talk Back”, “Woman’s Glib: A Collection of Woman’s Humor” to name a few. As if all this weren’t enough, she has also been the Thursday cartoonist for the 'Six Chix' cartoons since 2007.

Anne lives in New York City with her husband, Ivan Braun, who is also a very creative individual. Be sure to go to Anne’s website to see more of her work, and you can learn more about the Six Chix strips here.

What is your favorite pen to use?
I love Globe Bowl Pointed mapping pens but now I "ink" on a Cintiq tablet.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
I use a 4-H pencil so I can erase easily.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
I color on the computer, using Photoshop for "Six Chix" cartoons and Illustrator for greeting cards.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
I used to use gouache, watercolors and watercolor dyes.

What type of paper do you use?
I do pencil sketches on Bienfang Graphics 360 100% rag paper and then scan in to "ink" on a Cintiq.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
Cars.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
I shop at local art supply stores in person, never big chains and never, so far, via websites.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
I try to meditate before writing and/or drawing but don't always get myself to do that.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
I listen to Internet/radio programs about hair raising issues we don't hear about on mainstream media, programs about holistic health and old time radio shows.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
I loved reading comics as kid and I remember enjoying "Bringing Up Father" and "Miss Peach” a lot.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
I guess I'd say "Tintin" but I love many comic strips for different reasons, no one true favorite.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
I didn't really have one.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
I didn't go to art school formally. I have taken continuing education classes in drawing, cartooning and illustration at Parsons School of Design, the School of Visual Arts and the Art Students League.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
Both.

Did either of your parents draw?
My father used to draw cartoon characters like Dick Tracy and Joe Palooka for fun.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
My husband, Ivan and a very good friend named Karen.

Do you keep a sketchbook?
Yes, always.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
I taught a cartooning class to children ages 7 through 12. Didn't enjoy it enough (and didn't earn enough) to do it again.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
Talent and passion are important, but having something unique to express and being disciplined about doing your best work are equally important, to my mind.

Do you collect anything and if so what?
I don't collect anything. I'm always trying to get rid of things.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
I am drawing a complete blank here.

Are you a righty or lefty?
Righty.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
Something in holistic health.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
I have a drawing board on a big wooden desk against one wall. Against the opposite wall is a table with iMAC and my Cintiq tablet on it. I swivel back and forth between them.

Do you play any musical instruments?
No.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Find your own unique style and voice.

Who is your favorite artist?
Matisse.

Thanks again Anne!

Be sure to read the answers to the Cartoonist Survey from these other Six Chix cartoonists.

Rina Piccolo (Cartoonist Survey #54)

Stephanie Piro (Cartoonist Survey #65)

Benita Epstein (Cartoonist Survey #66)

John Forcucci - Cartoonist Survey #254

2012-01-18T12:46:00.000-05:00

Cartoonist Survey #254 is John Forcucci, and his survey is brought to you with a little twist. John’s bio has been written by a guest writer, John’s good friend, and none other than Bill White, Cartoonist Survey #1.

Bill, thanks so much for putting us in touch with John and for contributing your words of wit and wisdom to the blog. Enjoy!

John Forcucci may be the best illustrator you've never heard of. I first met John when he was doing "live" caricatures around New England. There are a ton of people in New England doing caricatures at live events (including me!), but John's work stands out.

Although John is a wonderful "live" caricaturist, his studio work is even better. Most of his work is done, "behind the scenes", doing illustrations and storyboards, for companies like Hasbro. John has worked on a wide variety of properties, including, "Chuck the Truck", "Spider-Man", "Star Wars" and "Transformers".

If this wasn't enough, he has also done the covers for Todd Debonis' "Monkey King's Daughter", series of novels.

He is also an awesome bass player. He is so freakin' talented, it would be easy to hate him, but I can't. His work is too good.

See more of John's work here on his Boston Story Boards website, his personal website and his blog.

What is your favorite pen to use?
Staedtler Pigment liners (different sizes). Marvy "Ball and Brush" textile pens for drawing live caricatures.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
Most of my contract work is done start to finish in Photoshop. When doing studies, life drawing or sketchbook stuff it's col-erase pencils (blue, carmine red and black) in addition to a Tombow Mono 2B.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
All Photoshop.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
I've been playing with Copic markers, watercolor and FW inks. Also doing some painting with acrylic and oil.

What type of paper do you use?
Plate Bristol

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
Nothing really - things sometimes get uncomfortable if I'm unfamiliar with a subject so I'll hop online for reference and try to see whatever it is from different views.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
All the above - I like the convenience of having stuff shipped to the door in one big pile. That said we have a lot of local stores in Boston - it's fun to walk around and have the tactile experience.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
Grab a cup of coffee and acknowledge how grateful I am to be there.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
It depends on the task at hand – sometimes I need silence (with thumbnails, for example). When I do listen to tunes it can be anything (except atonal stuff – all my respect, just not my taste). Most often it’s the Beatles. I enjoy podcasts a bunch as well - mostly creator interviews.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
John Byrne's run on Marvel Team-up and Mike Grell's Legion of Superheroes got me hooked. Discovering "back issues" sealed the deal with all those 70’s Marvel Gil Kane covers. I lost my mind.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Calvin & Hobbes - for comic 'books' it's a toss up between 100 Bullets and New Frontier.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
Night Shift which was lost in the last move.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
I have a "degree" in art . . . but there was no training involved. Lots of self-discovery, hanging out with art-peers and trolling the web for info is a continuing process.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
That depends - it's indispensable for reference, marketing and new information . . . and can be a true "time vampire" procrastination tool.

Did either of your parents draw?
My mom a bit.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
My wife is a terrific support and a trusted critic.

Do you keep a sketchbook?
Absolutely - I recently discover how important and useful the sketchbook is thanks to Stephen Silver (Cartoonist Survey #192).

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
Only a handful of after-school programs and some storyboard lectures. I do enjoy it and hope to do more in the future.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
That's a fun debate. My 'current' belief is that there needs to be at least a spark of what folks call "talent" or an affinity for drawing. That said when you see success - passion and consistent, focused work seem to pop up again and again.

Do you collect anything and if so what?
I have an art book addiction. I'm fascinated by and collect material on illustration including the Famous Artists Course books, Loomis, Rockwell, out of print How-to texts, "Art of . . ." books and artist's sketchbooks.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
If I could pick - it would be that Ant who always get the best of the Aardvark. I think his name is Charlie.

Are you a righty or lefty?
Righty

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
I'd be playing music.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
A Cintiq and second monitor surrounded by books, knickknacks and framed comic book art. Just shy of cluttered.

Do you play any musical instruments?
Bass guitar - I played, taught, did studio sessions, etc. for a living for about 15 years.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Treat your development seriously by allocating the time necessary to practice and grow.

Who is your favorite artist?
Depends on the day! It usually comes back to Norman Rockwell. John Byrne and Gil Kane started it all. Other big inspirations have been Alex Toth, Chuck Jones, Gregory Manchess, Eduardo Risso, Rudolphe Guenoden, Stephen Silver, Glen Keane, Bill Watterson, Darwyn Cooke, Friz Freleng, Sean Gordon Murphy, Sergio Aragones, Olivier Coipel, Brian Stelfreeze, Ben Caldwell, Scott Fischer, Stuart Immonen, Leinil Yu, J.C. Leyendecker, Massimo Carnevale, Adam Hughes, Travis Charest, Albert Dorne, Mort Drucker . . . the list is endless and ever-growing!

Thank you again for participating John!

And another thanks to Bill White for the introduction to John's work.

Issue #18 of Hogan's Alley magazine out now!

2012-01-13T12:35:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, after a grueling day at work, I came home to find the latest issue (#18) of Hogan’s Alley magazine waiting for me in my mailbox. This is a great magazine, chock full of cartooning goodness that is well worth every penny of its $6.95 cover price. If you are a fan of the cartoon arts and you aren’t subscribed to Hogan’s Alley, now is the time to do it. Click here to subscribe now. There are also some really cool vintage cartooning, pop culture, and comics-related ephemera for sale here at the Hogan’s Alley Zazzle store.

In addition to Hogan’s Alley, you should also subscribe to John Read’s wonderful Stay Tooned! Magazine. Profiling professional artists from all of the major fields of cartooning, Stay Tooned! is a must read for anyone interested in cartooning.

Nate Powell - Cartoonist Survey #253

2011-12-28T19:42:00.001-05:00

Graphic novelist, writer, publisher and musician Nate Powell was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1978. He began self-publishing comics with friends Mike Lierly and Nathan Wilson when he was only 14. In 1994 he started publishing zines and also started a record label. Nate would go to punk shows and sell comics, zines, tapes and records. After graduating from North Little Rock High School in 1996 he spent a short while at George Washington University in Washington, DC. He then attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City and graduated in 2000. While at SVA he received the Outstanding Cartooning Student award and the Shakespeare & Company Books Self-Publishing Grant.

Nate used some of the grant money to self-publish his 2001 comic series “Walkie Talkie.” From 1999 to 2009, in addition to cartooning, Nate worked full-time providing support for adults with developmental disabilities. He was also an actor and skit writer for the North Little Rock sketch comedy show Fun And Games for six years between 1997 and 2002.

“Tiny Giants” is Nate’s debut anthology of work. Released in 2003 and published by Soft Skull, “Tiny Giants” contains work that spans the years 1998 to 2001. His next release was 2004’s graphic novel “It Disappears” that tells the tale about a journey of self-discovery resulting in the realization that everything eventually disappears. In 2006 “Sounds of Your Name”, another collection of his work was printed, including comics, zines and his first two books “Tiny Giants” and “It Disappears”. Nate’s collection of four autobiographical stories, “Please Release” also came out in 2006.

Nate’s next effort, “Swallow Me Whole”, spotlights the effects mental illness has on families. In 2008 “Swallow Me Whole” was awarded the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Debut. The next year it received the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Artist and the Eisner Award for Best Original Graphic Novel. “Swallow Me Whole” was also a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist for Young Adult Fiction in 2009.

“Any Empire” is his latest graphic novel. Debuting last September, “Any Empire” looks at the damage that war and violence causes middle American children by shattering their innocence. Nate recently finished illustrating Mark Long and Jim Demonakos’ semi-autobiographical tale about civil rights struggle in 1967 Texas, “The Silence of Our Friends.” He is presently drawing “The Year of the Beasts” which is written by Cecil Castellucci and is scheduled to come out in May 2012.

On top of all of the above, Nate also managed the DIY punk record label Harlan Records for 16 years and has performed with numerous bands including Universe, Divorce Chord, Soophie Nun Squad, Wait, and Boomfancy. He’s also a fill-in writer/artist for DC’s Vertigo Comics series "Sweet Tooth" (by Jeff Lemire) and was a contributor to the acclaimed fundraising anthology "What You Wish For: A Book for Darfur." He lives in Bloomington, Indiana with his wife Rachel, their two pets and their brand new baby girl, Harper. Visit Nate’s blog here where you can see much more of his work and purchase comics, books and CDs.

What is your favorite pen to use?
I do about 50/50 work in Hunt 102 crowquill and Windsor & Newton 7 Series #2 brush.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
Until a couple of months ago, I just used a regular HB pencil, but have recently rediscovered the joy of a mechanical pencil after watching my friend work with one.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
By hand.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
I color with FW Acrylic Artists Ink and a brush, directly on the line art.

What type of paper do you use?
Strathmore 400 Smooth Finish Bristol.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
I feel that I’m weak at drawing feet, cars, and sleeves because I’m lazy at observing them. Also, horse anatomy and babies.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
I split my orders between Dick Blick and my local shop, Pygmalion’s.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
My entire daily life is one big routine. It’s the only way to keep discipline. A typical morning (before my new baby arrived) was this: wake up at about 8, drink water and eat breakfast while checking email, reading news and Cracked.com; spend about 45 minutes gently waking my wife up at 10-minute intervals, then taking my dog on a walk through the cemetery next door. The whole ordeal takes about 2 hours.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
This last year I’ve listened a lot to Genesis, ^(Arc), La Roux, V Manuscript, Bernard Herman, Fat Shadow, Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, New Order, Please Inform The Captain This Is A Hijack, Tammar, Dreamers Of The Ghetto, Morrow, Moby, Brian Eno, Harold Budd, Anthrax, Megadeth, Neurosis, Black Sabbath, Portraits Of Past, Yes, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Antelope, and lots of 1980’s DC hardcore.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
Of course! I started reading comics when I was 3, thanks to a steady diet of Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Wonder Woman. Until I was in about fifth grade, I loved G.I.Joe, Transformers (the comics shop in Alabama even carried totally separate British versions of both series, which were awesome and brutal), and The ‘Nam. Once I actually started coming into my true self, I devoured all X-Men related books, Daredevil, the original TMNT run, Appleseed, Orion, and Akira.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Calvin & Hobbes, of course.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
Hands down, it would be "Bunnicula", and I still have my old copy at the ready.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
I got a BFA in Cartooning from School Of Visual Arts in New York City, Class of 2000.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
It’s the Internet.

Did either of your parents draw?
My dad and both of his parents are/were pretty skilled at drawing, though none of them spent too much time focusing on it. My dad’s mom, Elaine Powell, began painting in 1980 for something to focus on while recovering from cancer, and lo and behold was quite good at it. From a very early age, I have strong memories of watching Bob Ross programs, smelling oil paint, and collaborating with her on paintings, adding snakes and dinosaurs to her rural Southern landscape paintings.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
My wife Rachel Bormann is a huge support in every facet of my life, and provides crucial feedback and insight to my comics (and we’re known to crank out a few stories together like “Cakewalk”), and my best friend and collaborator Erin Tobey is a direct and constant presence with the work I do, from concept and editorial phases to art production assistance to website management. The journey would be so much harder without these two peeps!

Do you keep a sketchbook?
I have kept a sketchbook/journal fairly consistently since 1995, and have probably filled up 20 or so journals along the way. Throughout my twenties, I relied more and more on my sketchbook work to make sense of an increasingly messy and unpredictable life. As things have grounded themselves a bit more, and as projects are more long-term, I’ve virtually stopped my journal entries and simply thumbnail my books in them. I’ve never actually kept a sketchbook of life drawing, or kept in practice with it.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
I’ve done a variety of presentations and workshops in several public libraries throughout the land, and during 1999-2002 I was an art teacher at a skills center for adults with developmental disabilities in my hometown of North Little Rock, AR. Any presentations about comics had much more to do with opening up the field for folks’ specific questions—pulling back the curtain—than teaching drawing, semiotics, or the technical side of comics.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
I feel that focus is more important than either, but if I had to pick one, it would maybe be talent—which seems kinda lame. But I think that part of talent in this sense can also be the developing skill set that focus brings forth in a person’s drawing, harnessing the passion and intuition that drives you to observe and create.

Do you collect anything and if so what?
I have 2,000 records, but I don’t think I would consider those a “collection” any more than my library of books or comics—maybe the difference is that these collections are constantly used and referenced. I mean, I do put all my records in little plastic baggies and stuff, but that’s because I plan to keep using them throughout my lifetime.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
I’ll go transgender (and transspecies) on this one, as one of my cartoon heroes is Mrs. Brisby/Frisby from The Secret Of Nimh.

Are you a righty or lefty?
I follow the right hand path.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
If I couldn’t make a living drawing comics, I would still gladly be doing support work for adults with developmental disabilities, a career I had from 1999 to 2009. My brother has high-functioning autism and some other disabilities and lives a very independent, functional, highly social life. Growing up with and through him gave me a natural inclination to work and communicate well with folks with disabilities, and to see the urgency of providing advocacy for folks who our society consistently wants to sweep under the couch.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
A lifetime’s detritus, stuffed into rows and shelves as if my studio were the final shot of Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

Do you play any musical instruments?
I play bass decently, and play guitar, keyboard, and percussion most indecently. Over the years I’ve been in the bands Soophie Nun Squad (1992-2007), Gioteens (1999-2001), Boomfancy (2000-01), Wait (2005-2007), Divorce Chord (2008), and Universe (2008-2010).

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
More essential than anything else is developing and maintaining true discipline. “Draw comics every day” is a nice gesture, but it won’t cut it. After drawing comics full-time while working my job full-time for 9 years, I finally had a brief window to take a chance on full-time cartooning, but the only way I can stay afloat is working about 9 hours a day, 6 days a week, 50 weeks a year. And it’s essential to factor in several hours a day doing email/communications/media/promotion/pitch stuff on the computer. It’s a rough ride, but then again, you do get to listen to music and draw all day. It’s just that it’s ALL day.

Who is your favorite artist?
My all-time favorite mainstream comics artists are Arthur Adams and Michael Golden. These days, my very favorite cartoonist peers are Gabby Schulz, Erin Tobey, Gabriella Giandelli, Genivieve Elvrum/Castree, Dash Shaw, Becky Cloonan, Farel Dalrymple, Anders Nilsen, John Porcellino, Vanessa Davis, and Lisa Hanawalt, to name a few. It’s a great community.

Thank you very much Nate and a big congratulations on the new addition!

There's Still Time Left To Make a Child's Day...

2011-12-23T12:15:00.000-05:00

You can find a toy drop-off location in your area by going here - The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation

And this holiday season, don't forget to remember all those who have ever served.

Ernie Colon - Cartoonist Survey #252

2011-12-20T12:10:00.012-05:00

Legendary comic artist Ernesto "Ernie" Colón was born in Puerto Rico in July of 1931. During his long career, starting back in the Sliver Age of the late 1960’s, he has worked on children’s, superhero, horror and nonfiction comics. He’s worked for almost every major and minor comic publisher including, Harvey, Marvel, DC, Gold Key, Broadway Comics, Star Comics and Eclipse. Ernie got his start in the comics field as a letterer at Harvey Comics. Soon he began drawing Harvey’s best known characters such as Casper the Friendly Ghost and Richie Rich. While at Harvey he met Sid Jacobson who would become his editor, lifelong friend and creative collaborator. Unfortunately Harvey never gave its many talented artists and writers credit for their work, so the almost 15,000 pages that Ernie drew went unsigned. He left Harvey after 25 years before they closed in the early 80’s.

During the mid 1960’s and through the 1970’s, his artwork regularly appeared in Warren Publishing’s black-and-white horror-comics magazines Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella. Some of my favorites from these classic monster comic magazines that Ernie drew include; “To Save Face”, “Beyond Nefera's Tomb” and “Escape into Chaos” for Eerie; “The Mind of the Monster” and “Strange Expedition” for Creepy and “Room Full of Changes” and “The Survivor” for Vampirella.

From 1982 to 1985 Ernie was an editor for DC Comics where he penciled the historical fantasy Arak, Son of Thunder (which was written by Roy Thomas) and Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld. He worked on Marvel titles as well, including Red Sonja, Damage Control, Doom 2099 and the Bullwinkle and Rocky series for Marvel's children's imprint Star Comics. He also wrote, drew, lettered and colored 1988’s science-fiction graphic novel Ax for Marvel. In the early 1990’s, he returned to Harvey along with his friend Sid Jacobson and worked on such projects as Monster in My Pocket and Ultraman.

Recently, Ernie has been working with Sid on non-fiction work. The team produced the graphic interpretation of the 9/11 Commission’s 2005 report, “The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation” and a couple of years later they created “After 9/11: America's War on Terror.” The pair also worked together on three biographies, “Anne Frank: The Anne Frank House Authorized Graphic Biography”, “Che: A Graphic Biography” and “Vlad the Impaler.”

Just a couple of weeks ago Ernie’s book “Inner Sanctum” was released through NBM Publishing. Returning to the mystery and horror radio shows of the 1940’s, this book re-creates four of the shows stories, The Horla, Death of a Doll, The Undead and Alive in the Grave. His next project with NBM, which is still in the fact-checking phase, will be “3/5ths of a Man”, the historical account of slavery in America. Ernie has recently started blogging for NBM, which you can read here.

What is your favorite pen to use?

Ballpoint. Bic is best.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

Mech pencil, light lines. But mostly I sketch on the comp, then all the rest as well.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

All on the comp. Afraid I don't have time for hand coloring.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?

Prisma pencils and acrylics.

What type of paper do you use?

Whatever's in the closet

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

Buildings, steps definitely.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

Local stationery--they have more than enough Bics in stock.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

Turn on TCM. If a really lousy movie is on, I'm grateful so I can get to work without distraction.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

Brazilian jazz, then a motley array of decades. Rarely classical--makes me think.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

Yes. Captain Marvel was great--sense of humor--lost when the brains at DC acquired him and turned him into another snarling brute.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

Noel Sickles' and Milton Caniff's Terry and the Pirates.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

Too many. Permanent resident at the library--they still threaten to charge me rent.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

None. Self-taught--if you don't count all the art books I bought and occasionally stole.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

Me and Google are very close. Almost all my reference is from Goog. E-mails I write and receive by the hundreds--something I never did with U.S. mail. It's only a curse when one becomes a victim.

Did either of your parents draw?

No.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

My mom and Step-dad.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

I tried--many times. I only succeed in filling a few pages, then putting them up with all the other mainly empty ones.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

No, and I wouldn't. I have given talks at schools, but they were to encourage kids.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

If by passion you mean obsession--it can get you far--else how to explain the plethora of mediocrity.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

At times, ceramic pigs, little owls. But well-meaners started gifting me awful examples--some of them expensive--which was never my measure of worth, Lovely sculpting, by some anonymous artisan somewhere in the world and turned into a cheap souvenir was more my interest.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

Is Bugs taken?

Are you a righty or lefty?

Righty. Left hand is useless.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

Lordy--what wouldn't I do?

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

TV on the left, comp with a drawing board in front. Couch in back, littler box in bathroom for our devil's spawn, Phoebe.

Do you play any musical instruments?

The ukulele once. I got too good at it and quit.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

None--too many variables.

Who is your favorite artist?

Too many. But I see you interviewed Roz Chast. Would it be possible to forward a message to her? Just tell her I believe in polygamy.

As you can tell, Mr. Colon is quite the busy guy; and because of that I want to give him a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to participate.

I also want to thank my buddy Bill White (Cartoonist Survey #1) who was nice enough to contact Ernie and ask him if he would be interested in answering the Cartoonist Survey.

Keith Knight - Cartoonist Survey #251

2011-12-12T17:02:00.041-05:00

Award-winning cartoonist, writer and rapper Keith (Keef) Knight was born in August of 1966 in Malden, Massachusetts. He graduated with a degree in graphic design from Salem State College and soon after graduating moved to San Francisco. He is the creator of three popular comic strips, The K Chronicles, The Knight Life and (Th)ink. His comic work has been lauded by Maya Angelou, Spike Lee, Harvey Pekar, cartoonists Lynn Johnston, Garry Trudeau and many others.

The K Chronicles is his weekly, semi-autobiographical comic strip which combines family, politics, race and humor. The strip, which ran for years at Salon.com, has garnered numerous industry awards including the 2007 Harvey Award for Best Syndicated Strip or Panel and five Glyph Comics Awards for Best Comic Strip. The strips have been collected into multiple editions including the 500 page, “The Complete K Chronicles.” In 1996 an award-winning German film short, “Jetz kommmit ein Karton!” was released that was based on three of the K Chronicles strips. Many of the K Chronicle strips are archived here on Keith’s website.

The second of Keith’s strips, (Th)ink is the weekly single-panel editorial cartoon that covers political and social issues as well as current events. (Th)ink comics have also been collected into compilations with this year’s “Too Small to Fail: Another (Th)ink Anthology” being the most recent. Access the (Th)ink comics archive here.

His third comic strip, The Knight Life, launched in 2008 and was originally syndicated through United Features. It is now syndicated through Universal/Uclick. Much like The K Chronicles, The Knight Life, is semi-autobiographical. Junk mail, re-gifting, hoarding plastic bags, pregnancy, weirdos on the bus and hippies are just a few of the topics Keith touches on in the daily The Knight Life comic strips.

Keith’s comic art has appeared in ESPN the Magazine, L.A. Weekly, Funny Times, The Washington Post, Cracked, MAD Magazine and many other publications. His work has also been featured at many museums and galleries across the globe. He has presented at workshops and on panels with subjects covering cartooning, community-based arts, health, race and media literacy. Keith performed vocals for the 5-piece Hip-Hop/Punk/Garage band, The Marginal Prophets. The band released three CD’s and with their second one, Bohemian Rap CD, winning a California Music Award for Outstanding Rap Album in 2004.

In 2007 Keith and his family moved from the San Francisco Bay area to Los Angeles. Be sure to visit his K Chronicles website to see much more of his work and purchase books, calendars and prints. You should also stop by The Knight Life website and store. Follow Keith here on his blog.

What is your favorite pen to use?

Micron Pigmas. #.08 and .05.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

I draw with a standard pencil first.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

Photoshop…Gawd bless it.

What type of paper do you use?

300 series smooth bristol.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

I don't like having nine deadlines a week. I don't like drawing backgrounds.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

Local one that I physically go to. Graphaids in Culver City, California. Same store Sergio Aragones goes to.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

Nope. Just freaking out about deadlines.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

Nope.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

Peanuts. Doonesbury. Bloom County. Calvin and Hobbes.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

See above. Plus Tom the Dancing Bug, Hark! A Vagrant.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

I remember the art in a Disney book that I was fascinated by. It was Sleeping Beauty, and there was some creepy shit in there.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

I went to school for graphic design. Took some drawing courses. That's it.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

Both. I waste a lot of time on it. Scored a lot of gigs because of it.

Did either of your parents draw?

My dad did. Only with me. We would draw extremely elaborately detailed trees together. It was great. But he never tried to do anything with his skill.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

My great Uncle Owen. RIP.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

I have dozens of sketchbooks.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

Yes. I hope to do more teaching soon.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

Passion.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

Clutter.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

Daffy Duck.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Lefty. Hardcore lefty.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

Restaurant reviewer.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

I draw in cafes and public spaces. Generally a table in the corner with an eye on the door.

Do you play any musical instruments?

A mean tambourine. And cowbell. I was a rapper in a band.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

Perseverance.

Who is your favorite artist?

As in cartooning? I don't have one. But I like Tony Millionaire's art.

I was lucky enough to see Keith’s slideshow presentation last June when I attended the New England Chapter of the National Cartoonist Society dinner in Somerville, MA. His presentation was not only funny but also very informative. I highly recommend it to everyone. Watch this video from the Seattle Channel to see Keith in action.

Here is a scan of the inscription Keith was nice enough to add to his book I purchased at the NEC of NCS dinner.

Thanks again Keith!

Sakura Manga-Comic Pro Sketching & Inking Set Review

2011-12-07T10:10:00.024-05:00

Julia Reed at Sakura sent me a package filled with various Sakura products to review. I will be breaking down the items she sent into multiple posts. This first review of Sakura products is the Manga-Comic Pro Sketching & Inking Set. The set comes complete with a 0.7 mechanical pencil, six Pigma Microns in different nib sizes (005, 01, 02, 03, 05, 08) and a Pigma Graphic 1. For those who are as geeky as I am, the nib sizes translate as such; 005 = .20mm, 01 = .25mm, 02 = .30mm, 03 = .35mm, 05 = .45mm, 08 = .50mm and the Pigma Graphic 1 = 1.0mm.

(As always, click any of the pictures for a larger view.)

As you can see the set comes packaged in a reusable plastic case, though mine isn’t reusable anymore because I tend to open things “over zealously,” as my wife would say. I tore mine right down the middle. Don’t worry though, the normal human being who doesn’t possess my super-human strength will have no problem opening the package correctly.

Here are the pens loose (probably in search of a new case).

This is a sample of the line widths. The ink is darker than this scanned in photo appears.

Last night while watching the Bruins hockey game, I did some sketching with the Manga-Comic Pro set. The pens glide smoothly on the paper, have nice dark archival ink and don’t bleed much, even though I was using very cheap paper.

The 0.7 mechanical pencil included in the set works well, and the eraser that is on it didn’t leave any smudges.

I sketched out a cartoony version of Grant Wood’s “American Gothic.”

Next I lightly inked it.

I then painted it using my Sakura Koi watercolor set and did some final inking.

I’m already a fan of the Pigma Microns, so it is no surprise that I highly recommend Sakura’s Manga-Comic Pro Sketching & Inking Set. It would make a great addition to the art supply arsenal of anyone who already draws, and would also make an excellent starter set for someone interested in trying their hand at cartooning or sketching. This set would be a perfect gift or stocking stuffer.

Thanks again to Julia at Sakura for sending me these products.

Be sure to check back for future reviews of Sakura products as well as more product reviews of Faber-Castell, Pilot Pens and Strathmore Artist Papers. Of course there will also be more Cartoonist Surveys coming, including the next participant, Keith Knight.

Lou Brooks - Cartoonist Survey #250

2011-12-01T07:42:00.040-05:00

Lou Brooks (“the world’s oldest kid”) is a an illustrator, designer, comic artist and writer who was born in 1944. He is completely self-taught and learned to draw as a child by copying from the comics in the newspaper and by watching the Learn to Draw with Jon Gnagy TV shows. Since Lou’s dad had aspired to be a cartoonist in the 1930’s, Lou had access to all of his dad’s art supplies.

After high school, Lou held various jobs including washing dishes at Howard Johnson's, working around tractor-trailers for a trucking company outside the main gate of Pennsylvania's largest steel mill, and eventually began working nights in the ad department of The Philadelphia Bulletin. In 1967 he met his soon to be wife Clare, who was then a ballet dancer with the New York City Opera. The couple got married in August of the same year and by September they had moved to the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco, CA. While in the Haight Lou did multiple odd jobs and some freelance writing. After a year they moved back to Philadelphia where he worked for awhile as an underground disc jockey and at a rock and roll magazine interviewing musicians.

Photo Credit: Gene Anthony

By the late 70’s Lou and Clare had saved up enough money to move to New York. Lou’s comics began appearing in Playboy Magazine's "Playboy Funnies" where they continued to be published for over a decade. Now forty years later, his art and humorous writing have appeared in practically every major publication in America including The New Yorker, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, Reader’s Digest, Penthouse, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American and many others. He has also designed and illustrated multiple covers for Time and Newsweek.

He has created illustrations and authored numerous books, as well as creating advertising art for many corporations. A partial list of his advertising clients includes: Budweiser, Sony, IBM, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Verizon, Pizza Hut, Exxon, Dr. Pepper, CBS, NBC, AT&T and Nikon. His artwork has been animated for HBO, Nickelodeon and MTV. Lou even redesigned Monopoly’s “man in the top hat” for Parker Brothers in 1985.

In addition to writing and illustrating, he has done stints as a stand-up comedian and night club bouncer. When he and his wife moved to the Jersey seaside in 1994, he became the “oldest surfing geezer on the beach.” He also drove Modified Midget race cars weekly at Airport Speedway in Dover, Delaware. If that isn’t enough, Lou was also a founding member of the all cartoonist rock band “Ben Day & the Zipatones.” The band’s other members were Bill Plympton, Mark Alan Stamaty and Elwood Smith.

A member of the National Cartoonists Society, Society of Illustrators and the Graphic Artists Guild, Lou has won many awards such as Illustrator of the Year Award from Adweek Magazine and the Silver Funny Bone from the Society of Illustrators. His most recent book “Twimericks: The Book of Tongue-Twisting Limericks” was nominated for the National Cartoonists Society’s Illustrated Book of the Year Award, and this past March Lou was nominated for the NCS’s Best Magazine Illustration Award. Learn more about “Twimericks” here on the book’s official website.

Lou and his wife now live in Northern California. Be sure to visit his website where you can see much more of his work and purchase giclees, serigraphs and collectibles. Follow him on his blog and his Facebook page. Lou is also the curator of the Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies, a really cool website that features “tools of the trade that have died or have just about died a slow death.” Check out the Museum here.

What is your favorite pen to use?

Whatever I pick up. But mostly Sharpie Fine, Sakura Micron, ITOYA Fine Point, and Tombo Brush Pen (“Any tool can be the right tool.” – Red Green).

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

Yes, a very tight pencil drawing first with either Dixon Ticonderoga (very cheap at Staples) or Pentel 0.9 mechanical pencil.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

By computer, but it’s pretty complicated.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?

For paintings, Windsor & Newton acrylics on canvas or maple board.

What type of paper do you use?

For inking, Canson Aquarelle watercolor paper.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

If somebody wants something “cute,” I usually hang up. Also, in my precise style, getting hair to look exactly right can make me start cleaning my gun at the kitchen table.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

Both. Dick Blick online, or the local yokel art store.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

Definitely, breakfast with my wife while we listen without fail to an endless supply of old radio programs. Usually Vic & Sade, Jack Benny, Bob & Ray, Jean Shepherd… there are others, but you get the idea.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

Impossible to answer. Bebop Jazz, Jump Jive, ‘40s-‘50s vocalists, classical, Fats Waller, Ted Lewis, good ‘60s pop, R&B, on and on and on. A lot of Tom Waits, who happens to be our greatest living song writer.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

If you mean comic books, it was MAD all the way with some Little Lulu, Scrooge McDuck, Superman.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

I could read very well by the time I was four, and I learned on newspaper comics. Any of them from the ‘50s… Peanuts, Twin Earths, Li’l Abner, Smokey Stover, Prince Valiant, Gasoline Alley, Winnie Winkle, The Phantom, Buzz Sawyer, Steve Roper, Mary Worth, Brenda Starr. Hard to pick a favorite. In those days there were a bajillion of them. It took all day Sunday to read them and I read them all.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

A boxed set of "Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass", given to me by my Aunt Clementine. Yes, I still have it, along with a few dozen other books she had given me.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

I did one semester right out of high school at Tyler School of Fine Art in Philly. They told me that maybe I should come back some other time when I was ready. The school was running in a very classical mode at the time – how to make your own oil paints and crap like that. I hated it. I wanted to do what I saw in comics and newspapers. So, I never went back. The rest is all self-taught from Walter T. Foster books and absorbed from experience.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

I’m probably one of the oldest computer addicts alive. The Internet’s an incredibly amazing limitless thing. By now, we should all know everything about everything. But the curse that comes with it, I guess, is that it’s shortened most people’s attention span down to about six seconds tops, which is a shame.

Did either of your parents draw?

That’s a sad tale. My father wanted to be a cartoonist. I have all his sketch books and comic strips, which are beautiful. But something happened that stopped him. I never did find out what it was, but my theory on it is that he just didn’t believe a career like that was possible. He was for the most part a miserable man because of it all. He had one job all his life as a bean counter at a rail car factory. He ended up drinking pretty heavily. When I started doing well, he seemed to resent it tremendously. It surprised me and made the going pretty tough. The last time I saw him alive, we hugged and he said in a low voice: “You’re doing what I always wanted to do.” Hell of a punchline.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

Hands down, my Aunt Clementine. Besides bringing books to read, she’d take me to movies, plays, amusement parks. I remember us going to see the Ice Capades. She gave me my first phonograph along with all her classical records and always reminded me that I would be a success as an artist. Can’t ask for more than all that.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

Not very much. It comes and goes. A friend who’s a very well-known illustrator once told me that illustration had ruined her desire to draw. At times, I think I may have the same problem. It comes from being controlled by the people that hire you. Especially these days. Some illustrators seem to be comfortable with it, but it’s been a problem for me at times. End of the day, I need to get as far away from a drawing pad as I can get.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

I taught almost a semester at SVA. For me, it was a nightmare and a waste of time. I really got no satisfaction from sharing what I know with a roomful of kids that are in school because they have to be.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

You need to have both. I’d say of the two, passion is the most necessary. You can’t fake enthusiasm.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

This and that, but friends and fans have given me a lot of the good stuff. About ten years ago, illustrator Peter Hoey got me into collecting vintage movie posters. If I had to pick one thing I “collect” more than anything else, it would be books. But I don’t think you really collect books, you accumulate them. It’s been going on so long that the books are why my wife and I never think of ever moving again.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

Daffy Duck.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Lefty, which makes legible handwriting impossible. But I bat and bowl right-handed.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

Well, I used to say “writer,” but these days, I consider my writing part of my art. So, I would have to say probably something in the movie business.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

Back east at the Jersey Shore, we rented a house at the beach for a few years and I worked in the dining room. But when we bought the house we’re in now, it was the first time we went to the trouble of having a few rooms renovated into one dedicated well-lighted studio space. It looked so perfectly white and uncluttered and flawless, until we moved everything in and started using it. Now it looks like Oscar Madison’s bedroom. Wait… that’s four sentences.

Do you play any musical instruments?

I have a ukulele right here at my desk. But I’m not sure you’d describe what I do with it as “playing.”

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

Have rich parents.

Who is your favorite artist?

That’s like the music question you asked me, and giving you just one isn’t possible. I love the really quirky comic book artists from the ‘40s, like L.B. Cole or Al “Stiff Figure” Feldstein at MAD. Will Elder would be in there. Same with comic strips. Guys like Martin Branner and Ernie Bushmiller. Pulp illustrators like Norman Saunders. And Ron Turner, a sci-fi illustrator from Britain. Not many know of him over here. Some of the original underground artists, like Victor Moscoso, Robert Williams, Rick Griffin, and Crumb, of course. Sixties California car culture… Roth and Barris were geniuses. Ray Harryhausen. Tex Avery. Osamu Tezuka. Tadanori Yokoo. Lichtenstein. I’m afraid the list would take a few days to put together.

Thanks again Lou. I really appreciate that you took the time to participate!

Who Will Be Cartoonist Survey #250?

2011-11-29T09:32:00.007-05:00

Soon I will be posting the 250th Cartoonist Survey. Who will it be? Here is a hint...

Happy Thanksgiving from David Wasting Paper

2011-11-23T11:00:00.001-05:00

I wanted to take a minute and wish the readers of David Wasting Paper a Happy Thanksgiving! I fondly remember going to my grandmother's house when I was little to watch the Macy's Day Parade because she had a color TV and we didn't (yes, I am that old). My favorite part of the parade was the cartoon character balloons. Here are a few photos that I hope will bring back some happy memories.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and remember to give thanks for our troops whose hard work and sacrifice, both here and abroad, allow us the freedom to gather with our loved ones for the holidays.

The New Yorker Cartoons of the Year 2011

2011-11-22T15:27:00.008-05:00

The 2011 issue of The New Yorker Cartoons of the Year is now available wherever fine magazines are sold. I was lucky enough to spot it at my local grocery store. The magazine, which has a cover price of $10.99, features over 250 cartoons from more than 50 cartoonists.

Five of those cartoonist were nice enough to participate in the Cartoonist Survey. Read their answers by clicking on the links below.

Drew Dernavich (Cartoonist Survey #56)

Kim Warp (Cartoonist Survey #75)

Mick Stevens (Cartoonist Survey #64)

P.S. Mueller (Cartoonist Survey #62)

Roz Chast (Cartoonist Survey #249)

Blog Archive

2011-11-21T09:10:00.015-05:00

Did you know that all of the Cartoonist Surveys are archived on this blog? Did you also know that there is an easy way to find a specific cartoonist's answers without scrolling through hundreds of pages?

After speaking with my brother-in-law, who is not blog savvy, I realized that not everyone knows how to search through the content of David Wasting Paper. He complained that he had to keep clicking on"Older Posts" at the bottom of each page. What he didn't know is that on the right-hand side of the page is a section called, "Blog Archive" that makes it easy to find any of the Cartoonist Surveys.

Clicking on any of the black arrows under "Blog Archive" expands and contracts the information for that specific year and or month. Below are a couple screen shots as examples.

Happy searching!

Roz Chast - Cartoonist Survey #249

2011-11-17T14:31:00.029-05:00

Cartoonist and writer Rosalind "Roz" Chast was born in November of 1954. She grew up in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York where she attended Midwood High School. Once she graduated from high school she went to Kirkland College where she learned a lot of art related “stuff” such as etching, lithography, silk screening and film development. After two years at Kirkland she transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design where she studied painting and graphic design. She earned a BFA from RISD in June of 1977 and moved back to New York.

Back in New York, Roz started showing her portfolio around and landed a few illustration jobs before deciding to give cartooning a go. She sold some cartoons to Christopher Street magazine and the Village Voice, but the pay wasn’t very good. In April of 1978 she learned that drop-off day for cartoon submissions at The New Yorker was Wednesdays, so she decided to leave a package of her cartoons. When she went back the next week to pick up her drawings, there was a note with them from the magazine’s art director, Lee Lorenz, asking her to see him. Much to her surprise, Lee ended up buying one of her drawings and told her to submit more work every week. Less than a year later she was under contract as a staff cartoonist for The New Yorker.

Now, over thirty years later, Roz has contributed hundreds of cartoons to The New Yorker, as well as full-color spread illustrations and covers. Her cartoons and editorial illustrations have also been published in over fifty other magazines and journals including Mother Jones, Town & Country, Redbook, the Harvard Business Review and Scientific American. She has illustrated and written many children’s books including Steve Martin’s “The Alphabet from A to Y, with Bonus Letter, Z” and her own “Marco” series of books.

There have been numerous compilations of her work printed including the 400 page “Theories of Everything: Selected, Collected, and Health-Inspected Cartoons” which includes most of her cartoons from 1978 to 2006. Her most recent release, “What I Hate; From A to Z” is a funny, alphabetical look at her fears and anxieties. Another edition of her “Marco” children’s books, “Marco Goes to School” is scheduled to come out next July.

Roz has received many awards and accolades including the Museum of Cartoon and Comic Art Festival Award in 2004 and honorary doctorates from Pratt Institute, Lesley University/Art Institute of Boston and most recently Dartmouth College. She and her husband, humor writer Bill Franzen, live in Ridgefield, Connecticut and they have two children, a son and a daughter. Visit Roz’s website to see more of her work, including her pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs), and to check for dates of upcoming lectures and book signings.

What is your favorite pen to use?

Rapidograph.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

I sketch in pencil first for finished drawings, but not generally for roughs. Mechanical pencil.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

By hand.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?

Watercolor.

What type of paper do you use?

Bristol vellum 2 ply.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

Things like "the woods." Also, large crowd scenes.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

Websites.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

Not really.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

I listen to music only when I'm doing color. All genres except marching bands and country.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

Charles Addams. Also loved Nancy. Also, MAD magazine-- Don Martin, Dave Berg, etc.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

Don Martin

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

Merck Manual. Yes.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

I graduated from R.I.S.D. Also, in high school, I went to the Art Students League for figure drawing in NYC on Saturdays.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

Both.

Did either of your parents draw?

My mother "doodled" a little. But not really.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

I had a couple of wonderful teachers in high school.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

Yes.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

No, I've never taught.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

50/50. I know, wussy answer.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

To some extent, old New Yorker artist cartoon books. I used to collect more things, but I've become less interested in "stuff" since clearing out my parents' apartment after they died.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

I hope I would be the brave little toaster and not that blanket who was always in a panic.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Lefty.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

Surgeon.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

My studio is in the corner of the house. It's a good temperature and quiet and dim, except for the light on my desk.

Do you play any musical instruments?

Not really.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

If you have no other options, give it your all and hope for the best.

Who is your favorite artist?

Charles Addams

Thanks again for your time Roz!

Faber-Castell PITT Artists Brush Pens Review - Set of 12 Colors

2011-11-13T19:32:00.036-05:00

In between surveys, I’m trying to complete reviews on all the amazing complimentary art supplies that I have received from various vendors. This review is part two in the series on Faber-Castell PITT products sent to me by Lisa Brophy. You can read the first review here.

(As always, click any of the pictures for a larger view.)

This is the 12-color set of Faber-Castell PITT Artist Brush Pens. These brush pens are filled with odorless, waterproof, permanent and lightfast India ink. They have durable nibs that give you the ability to get different thickness lines.

They come packaged in a sturdy case. The 12-color set includes; Middle Purple Pink, Pink Carmine, Orange Glaze, Cadmium Yellow, Dark Phthalo Green, Leaf Green, Phthalo Blue, Indanthrene Blue, Purple Violet, Cold Grey, Caput Mortuum and Black. There are a total of 48 colors in the PITT Artist Brush Pen line.

The caps go on with a satisfying click, so they won’t dry out quickly.

A sample of the colors.

Here’s a Marvel character totem pole I drew to color with the brush pens.

As you can see the colors are very vibrant. I usually do my non-digital coloring with either watercolor or colored pencils, but I really like these brush pens and see myself using them a lot. My only complaint and it’s more of a “want to have”, is that this set does not come with a peach or flesh colored pen. I ended up using a colored pencil for a couple of the faces above.

Overall, I feel that the Faber-Castell PITT Artist Brush Pens would make a great addition to anyone’s art supply arsenal. They are fairly priced, easy to use, comfortable in the hand and lay down a lot of color.

Thanks again to Lisa Brody at Faber-Castell for sending me these fine Faber-Castell products to review. Click here to see the entire line of Faber-Castell art and graphic products.

Watch this demonstration on tips and techniques for using the Faber-Castell PITT Artist Brush Pens.

And, check out this video of Chicago artist, Don Colley as he draws from life using Faber-Castell PITT Pens.

Thanks again Lisa for sending out the pens to review!

I also highly recommend the two books I used in the backgrounds for a couple of the above photos. First is Tom Richmond's "The Mad Art of CARICATURE!" It is simply one of the best books I've ever read on caricaturing. You can order your very own signed copy by going to Tom's Deadline Demon Publishing website.

The second book is "Mail Order Mysteries" by Kirk Demarais. Filled with great photos and write-ups about those novelties that were sold in vintage comic book ads. You can order Kirk's book by clicking on the Amazon link below.

Check back soon for more Cartoonist Surveys and art supply reviews including Sakura, Strathmore Artist papers and Pilot.

Paolo Rivera - Cartoonist Survey #248

2011-11-09T17:34:00.039-05:00

Painter, sculptor and comic book artist Paolo Rivera was born in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1981. He moved to Rhode Island, after graduating from Mainland High School (Daytona Beach) in 1999, to study at the Rhode Island School of Design. While at RISD, he studied under comic book artist and writer, David Mazzucchelli and spent his junior year studying in Rome. By his senior year, he was creating covers and pin-ups for writer Jim Krueger. He had previously met Jim at a MegaCon in Orlando, FL while he was in high school and had shown him his artwork. Paolo graduated from RISD with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2003.

He has been working almost exclusively for Marvel Comics since 2002. His first painted cover for Marvel was 2003’s Iron Man #63. Since then he has painted covers and interiors for most of the Marvel Universe characters including, Captain America, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Spider-Man, Silver Surfer, The Twelve, Hawkeye and more. One of the best known projects Paolo has worked on was the Mythos series of Marvel origin stories. This six issue series of one-shots written by Paul Jenkins and featuring beautiful paintings by Paolo, ran from 2006 to 2008. The Mythos stories were collected into a hardcover edition in 2008.

Paolo’s most recent work includes the re-launch of Daredevil, which he has been working on with writer Mark Waid and artist Marcos Martin. Though he started out primarily as a painter, he now regularly does penciling, inking and coloring as well. See much more of Paolo’s work at his The Self-Absorbing Man blog. Many of his posts discuss his process in drawing, painting and sculpting including my favorites, the Wacky Reference Wednesdays. To purchase Paolo’s original artwork click here.

What is your favorite pen to use?

I'm more of a brush guy. Winsor & Newton Series 7 #6 (#2 for small stuff)

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

Right now, I'm using a Pilot .7mm blue pencil, followed by a Uni Kuru Toga .5mm pencil with 2B lead, and a 2mm lead holder with B or 2B lead, sanded to a chisel tip.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

Both. I paint when I can, but for most of my sequential work, I color in Photoshop. Lately, though, I've been working with colorist Javier Rodriguez.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?

Watercolor, gouache, and Acryla Gouache, usually Holbein, and mostly with a Silver Brush "Black Velvet" #12.

What type of paper do you use?

Marvel board for all my pencils, Strathmore 500 Series 3-ply bristol, vellum surface for fully rendered paintings.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

I love everything in moderation. Things only get to me if I have to draw the same intricate subject from many different angles, over the course of many pages.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

It's a mix. Wherever I can find good deals. I use to live nearby a great store, but I moved this year.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

I like doing warm-up sketches, but that doesn't happen often enough. Lately, I've been trying to sculpt digitally with Sculptris when I can.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

I often do, mostly I just hit "Quick Mix" on Pandora and go from there. Pretty much everything and anything. Somewhere between alternative rock and rap.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

I did, but it was an eclectic mix. I grew up mostly on cartoons, so Ninja Turtles, X-Men, The Tick, and Batman were my favorites. Once I was old enough to work and drive, I could go to the comic store. Mostly, I would buy anything by Alex Ross and Joe Madureira.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

I was a big fan of X-Force by Peter Milligan with Mike and Laura Allred. That was probable the last time I bought every issue of something.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

Amazing Spider-Man #33. I had that one book and I read it over and over again. Don't know what happened to it, but I do have a copy in a Marvel Essentials collection.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

I went to the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating in 2003 with a BFA in Illustration.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

It's a lot like life: it depends where you go.

Did either of your parents draw?

Both. My Dad actually inks me on Daredevil now. His day job is painting custom motorcycles.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

My parents, without a doubt. Professionally, I'd have to say Jim Krueger and Joe Quesada.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

Sorta. Not really.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

Not officially. I've given a handful of lectures and demos over the years. Most definitely. I might do it on a regular basis some day.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

I feel like they're one in the same. If not, they're so inextricably intertwined that separating them serves no purpose. Each feeds the other.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

The last thing I actually collected were a lot of Ninja Turtles toys.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

The Tick.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Righty, though in certain situations I'll do primitive drawings of my right hand with my left.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

Let's hope it never comes to that.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

Metal drawing board at an angle. All my tools have magnets on them. 27" iMac to the right. If I'm painting, a Sta-Wet Palette on a turntable to my left.

This video is from Mike Furth's wonderful, The Comic Archive website. Head over to The Comic Archive now for much more on comic creators and their methods.

Do you play any musical instruments?

I wish.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

Can I give two? Find a balance between passion and practicality. And if you want to be a professional, compare yourself to nothing less than the best in that field.

Who is your favorite artist?

It changes, day to day. Today, it's a brawl between Milton Caniff, Alex Toth, and H.J. Ward.

Thank you very much Paolo!

Bill Hinds - Cartoonist Survey #247

2011-11-04T13:21:00.036-04:00

Award-winning cartoonist Bill Hinds was born in April of 1950 in Houston, Texas. He attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX where he was the cartoonist for the school newspaper, The Pine Log. While at S.F.A. he won a couple of journalism awards for his cartooning and also did some freelance for the Houston Post. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, he got married and joined the Air Force Reserve. He spent some time in active duty before being hired as a cartoonist by the Houston Chronicle. Bill was introduced to Jeff Millar, who at the time was the film critic for the Chronicle, by the Chronicle’s political cartoonist Clyde (C.P. Houston) Peterson. Jeff wanted to create a new kind of comic strip so when he and Bill got together they created the sports themed cartoon ‘Tank McNamara’.

Debuting in 1974, Bill and Jeff’s strip takes a sardonic look at sports through the eyes of ex-NFL defensive lineman turned local television sports reporter, Tank McNamara. The writing is done by Jeff and the drawing duties are handled by Bill. The strip, which has now been running for over 35 years and appears in over 300 newspapers, was named Sports Cartoon of the Year by the National Cartoonists Society in 1987. Bill and Jeff also collaborated on the comic strip ‘Second Chances’ which ran from 1996 through 2000 and featured Tank McNamara’s neighbors Nick and Kate.

Bill created, writes, and draws the cartoon feature ‘Buzz Beamer’ for Sports Illustrated for Kids. Since the magazine’s inception in 1989, ‘Buzz Beamer’ has been its most popular feature. When SI Kids went online, he began creating ‘Buzz Beamer’ animated shorts for the SIKids.com website. These cartoons run from 30 seconds to a minute and often feature the voices of Bill’s children. The ‘Buzz Beamer’ shorts are archived at Buzz’s Laugh Locker and are searchable by sport. In 2001 Bill won the National Cartoonists Society's New Media division award for his work on the Buzz animations.

‘Cleats’ is another of Bill’s comics strips. Launched in 2001, it follows a group of young kids who are on a soccer team together. It ran in over 75 newspapers at its peak. Last October Bill decided to end the strip, stating that he wanted to focus on other projects. About 30 newspapers are now running ‘Cleats’ in reruns and it can also be seen here at GoComics.

Bill lives in Spring, Texas with his wife Lisa and their three children. Be sure to visit his page at The Cartoonist Studio where you can learn more about him including his “A Day in the Life” write-up where he discusses his cartooning process. And if ‘Tank McNamara’ isn’t in your local paper, you can still read it by going to GoComics.

What is your favorite pen to use?

Copic Brush pen.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

Yes, standard.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

Computer.

What type of paper do you use?

32lb. Laser paper.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

Doors through which dialogue comes. Stadium stands full of people. Football players lined up in a scrimmage line.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

I do both.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

No. Who has time for a ritual?

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

I listen to old time radio shows. Mystery and detective stuff.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

Comic books? I liked the Marvel comics. I have the comic book Amazing Fantasy No.15. Not a reissue, the real thing. I also have a fascination with off-brand stuff. The more obscure the better. I actually preferred magazines to comic books. MAD magazine was the best. I also enjoyed CarToons and SurfToons and Creepy magazines.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

Besides the ones I get paid for? I like Monty. As a kid I enjoyed B.C. and Dennis the Menace. I like all the comic strips done by my friends. They know who they are.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

"My Father's Dragon". Yes I do.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

Uh–I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

Blessing.

Did either of your parents draw?

My mother was a bit of an artist.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

My mother and my brother.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

No.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

No.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

Talent, although I don't think that choice comes up often. I suspect passion without talent would be either frustrating or annoying.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

I collect toothpick dispensers. I'll never understand why there are so many different kinds.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

Mugsy, of Rocky and Mugsy, the Warner Bros. cartoon gangsters.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Righty, although I am left footed.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

I would want to be a comedy writer.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

I draw comic strips, a magazine cartoon feature and Flash animation.

Do you play any musical instruments?

No, but I'm a roadie for my son's heavy metal band.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

Diversify.

Who is your favorite artist?

Can't say. I have thousands of favorites, and their styles and genres vary so much it would make no sense to try and pinpoint one or two.

Below is Bill's contribution to the Team Cul de Sac fundraising project which benefits Parkinson's Disease research. To Learn more about Team Cul de Sac visit the Team Cul de Sac blog.

Thanks again Bill!

Evan Dorkin - Cartoonist Survey #246

2011-10-31T16:21:00.040-04:00

Evan Dorkin is a multi-Eisner Award winning cartoonist, artist and writer who was born in April of 1965. He started drawing at a young age, copying ‘Peanuts’ characters from the newspaper. He is mostly self-taught aside from a couple of artist’s anatomy classes and an animation drawing class while he was attending film school at New York University. Evan is probably best known for his alternative comic 'Milk and Cheese', the adventures of an anthropomorphic milk carton and wedge of cheese. Both characters were created and drawn on cocktail napkins while he was under the influence of adult beverages in the wee hours of the morning back in the mid-80s.

He continued to draw the characters and the first ‘Milk and Cheese’ strip ran in the final issue of Greed Magazine in 1988. ‘Milk and Cheese’ strips continued to be printed in various magazines and comics until the early 90s when Slave Labor Graphics started collecting them and printing them in ‘Milk and Cheese’ comic books. Numerous issues of the comics were released including a trade paperback that collected the first four issues in 1994.

In addition to ‘Milk and Cheese’ comics, he created the anthology comics ‘Dork!’ The ‘Dork!’ comics consist of random comics and strips that are a mix of new material and reprints from other sources. Other early comics works by Evan include ‘Pirate Corp$’ and ‘Hectic Planet’. He has also worked for the major comic companies including; ‘The Goon’ and ‘Predator’ for Dark Horse, ‘World’s Funnest Comics’ and MAD Magazine for DC and a ‘Thing’ miniseries, ‘Agent X’, and ‘Bill and Ted’ comics for Marvel. Lately he’s been writing and drawing for Bongo’s ‘Simpsons’ comics including the recent ‘Bart Simpson’ #63 for which he wrote and drew a 10-page story that was colored by his wife, Sarah Dyer.

Evan and Sarah have written for television and animation. Together they worked on Cartoon Network’s “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” for seven years, writing scripts for more than a dozen shows. Evan and his wife have written and designed costumes for the children’s show “Yo Gabba Gabba!” including the show’s Super Martian Robot Girl segments. The writing team of Dorkin and Dyer also wrote some episodes of “Superman: The Animated Series”, “Batman Beyond” and “Batman: The Animated Series.”

Evan teamed up with comic book writer and illustrator Jill Thompson for the supernatural pet epic ‘Beasts of Burden’ for Dark Horse Press. ‘Beasts of Burden’ features a heroic gang of dogs and a cat who protect the town of Burden Hill from evil forces such as canine zombies, cannibal frogs and a secret rat society. The ‘Beasts of Burden’ comics were collected into a hardcover edition last July. Speaking of hardcover editions, this coming January Dark Horse Comics will be releasing a deluxe hardcover edition of ‘Milk and Cheese’ that will contain almost every strip from 1989 to 2010.

To learn more about Evan and see more of his work, visit his and Sarah’s The House of Fun website and his blog. You can also purchase original artwork by Evan here.

What is your favorite pen to use?

These days it's a Hunt 22 nib.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

I pencil everything out pretty tightly because I'm a very hesitant inker, I can't draw in ink, at least not to my satisfaction. I use standard pencils, 2H, 2B, 3B, 4B, sometimes plain old Ticonderoga #2's.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

Any color comics I do are colored on the computer by my wife and partner, Sarah Dyer. I can't use Photoshop; I'm not very handy with a computer.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?

If I color a piece or a commission drawing I use colored pencils and/or markers.

What type of paper do you use?

Strathmore bristol board, usually a 400 or 500 series. I switch around a lot and sometimes buy sheets of bristol when I can afford it because the pads vary in quality and I can't seem to find anything I'm satisfied with. Paper, as with art supplies and manufactured goods in general, seems to be declining more and more in quality every year. For a long time I was able to work with a cache of Marvel and DC board that I managed to acquire (editors and publishers were much more generous with paper back in the 1990's), I really got used to that paper and haven't found anything I've liked as much since the sad day my stash ran out.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

Animals, cars, people, buildings, nature, computer keyboards, furniture...anything with a deadline. I could make a long list of things I don't enjoy drawing because to a large degree I don't actually enjoy drawing. I find it difficult and am always fighting the page and what I'm trying to draw. I'm compelled to draw because I do enjoy telling stories in comics form, but most of the time I find the actual act of drawing stressful. I don't think I draw anything particularly well, sometimes I find myself hitching even when drawing my own characters, even characters I've drawn for many years. I enjoy having drawn more than drawing, if you get me. The same goes for writing, as well. I like working out the material in my head and in my notebook, executing the material is usually an exercise in anxiety. Sometimes the work flows and it feels organic and 'right" like it did back when I was young and didn't know how bad my work was, when I just did it and had fun.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

Both, but the local art supply stores where I live are terrible and unreliable. I only go there if I need something basic that they will most likely have, although they can surprise you. No kneaded erasers, or 3B pencils, or Rapidograph ink, I've been stymied plenty of times going local.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

I worry.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

I listen to all sorts of music, usually I just listen to WFMU.org, a free-form radio station whose various deejays play pretty much anything and everything you can name -- punk, power pop, new wave, hip-hop, doo-wop, garage, electronic, hillbilly, country, western swing, big-bands, standards, black metal, soundtracks, classical, experimental, the list goes on. I like all sorts of genres and sometimes pick what I'm listening to based on what I'm working on. Sunday nights at 8 pm I listen to the Big Broadcast on WFUV.org, a four-hour show of mostly 20's and 30's big band music I enjoy working to. I also often like to draw while listening to old radio shows, all kinds, but usually horror and crime stuff, as well as some comedy shows. Years ago I used to only work with the television on, Jack Kirby-style, but I stopped and don't even know if I could do it again if I had to. It was good company but too distracting.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

I followed newspaper strips, Tintin reprints in Children's Digest magazine and Marvel Comics. My sister read Harvey and Archie comics and when I was done with my Marvel comics I'd read those, as well. My favorites were Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four and The Avengers. The Tintin translations made a lasting impression. Of my sister's comics I liked anything with Spooky the Ghost and Hot Stuff.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

Growing up it was Peanuts, my favorite current strip is Cul De Sac. I like a lot of old strips, Barnaby, Wash Tubbs and Captain Easy, Terry and the Pirates, Dick Tracy, Gasoline Alley, Prince Valiant, King Aroo, The Little King, The list goes on and on.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

“The Curious Clubhouse”, if I had to pick one. I have a copy of it although it's not the one I had as a kid. I still have my kidhood copy of “Alice in Wonderland”, that was a cherished book. It's always hard for me to pick a favorite anything.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

I took two artist's anatomy courses at New York University, where I also took an animation drawing class. That's pretty much it. I'm largely self-taught and had a bad teacher in myself. It's a reason I believe I've always been at least ten years behind where I should be as far as my craft goes.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

Both.

Did either of your parents draw?

No.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

My wife, Sarah.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

I keep several but I only sporadically work in them. I get discouraged because drawing doesn't really come easily for me, and I'm often disappointed by the results. I also don't have a lot of spare time to draw stuff that isn't for a concrete project. I tend to use my sketchbooks like notebooks, pragmatically working out ideas, dialogue, character designs, and images for a project.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

I've spoken to classes and groups about making comics, but I've never formally taught anyone anything. I could never teach an actual drawing class, I don't have a good enough grasp of the fundamentals, I know about as much about draftsmanship as I do quantum mechanics. I do enjoy giving talks about comics and cartooning, I don't know if I could actually teach a class, though. The talks I've done have gone over pretty well, but I don't know if I could translate that into a sustained course that students can take anything away from.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

For me it's the latter, even if the passion is tempered these days. I have a modicum of talent, there are legions of people out there who draw better than I do, but the energy and honesty and personality I try to bring to my comics helps set them apart. I think. I hope. Passion will come across on the page even if the chops aren't always there, passion can overcome some wobbly drawing and staging. I don't believe in dismissing craft, but I'd rather listen to a compelling, messy punk band than a group of technically-proficient musicians who bring nothing to their music but immaculate playing. That being said, true talent plus real passion is ideal, I'd think. Something to aspire to.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

I used to collect a lot of things, too many things, I'm in the process of getting rid of a lot of stuff. These days I really only collect comics, almost exclusively comics with a spine, a lot of strip and old comic reprints, some manga collections, pretty much everything Tezuka-related. I get most of them for free or trade. If I had to pay for the bulk of the comics I pick up, I wouldn't be picking them up.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

What a weird question. Felix the Cat? The original, grumpy version of the character, not the television version.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Righty. Politically, I lean left.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

Stand-up comedy or professional wrestler, something miserable like that where you're putting yourself out there and entertaining people and the actual business is miserable and there's an element of personal self-destruction involved. Like comics, only with an audience, and a lot more substance abuse.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

A pretty nice, large room with a cheap drawing table up against one wall in-between two windows overlooking the street. The table has a battered old lightbox on it, a lamp that's almost twenty years old and not working properly, and it's covered with comic pages, layouts and reference for a strip I'm working on.

Do you play any musical instruments?

No.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

Persevere. Keep going. Work creates work, and improves the work.

Who is your favorite artist?

If we're talking comics, probably Jaime Hernandez. With a lot of folks just beneath him on the list, Jack Kirby, Yves Chaland, Tezuka, Will Elder....yet another long list.

Thank you very much Evan!

Monte Wolverton - Cartoonist Survey #245

2011-10-25T16:33:00.033-04:00

Monte Wolverton is an editorial cartoonist and fine artist who was born in 1948 in Vancouver, Washington. Being the son of legendary cartoonist Basil Wolverton, it wasn’t a surprise that he began drawing early in life. His dad actually built him a drawing board when he was only 7 years old. Monte graduated from Hudson’s Bay High School in 1966 and then moved to California to attend the now-defunct Ambassador College in Pasadena. After graduating from Ambassador College, he studied at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles and worked as a freelance illustrator, cartoonist and graphic designer. His first cartoons and comics where published in the magazines, CAR-toons, Creative Computing, Youth and CB Radio.

He moved back to Vancouver in the mid-70s and started Monte Wolverton Associates, an advertising and design business whose clients included the U.S. Forest Service, Peterson Publishing, First Independent Bank and others. He was recruited by the Worldwide Church of God to become design director for Plain Truth so in 1985 he relocated to Pasadena, CA. Monte was in charge of leading a group of over 20 illustrators and photographers in producing three magazines, promotional materials and other publications. In 1994 he earned an interdisciplinary Master’s degree in management and creativity studies from Goddard College in Vermont.

In 1994 he had his first humorous illustration in MAD Magazine and he soon became a regular contributor. Around the same time Monte started drawing political cartoons and posting them on his Wolvertoons website. A few small weekly newspapers began running his political cartoons and in the late 90s, his friend Daryl Cagle asked him to join his new syndicate, Cagle Cartoons. Monte became one of the most widely syndicated editorial cartoonists in the world with his cartoons appearing in over 850 newspapers worldwide.

Recently, he has also been creating fine art. These colorful works, primarily acrylic on canvas, are described by Monte as “neo-psychedelic” or “neo-surrealist.” He states that, "I try to create works that are at once fun, entertaining and mind-expanding – works that draw the viewer into a vortex of shape, color and texture.”

He and his wife Kayte moved to Battle Ground, WA last year with their two American Rat Terriers, Meg and Kirby, to be closer to their family. Speaking of American Rat Terriers, Monte is the president of the Rat Terrier Club of America. He is also a member of the National Cartoonists Society and the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Visit his Wolvertoons website and also his fine art website that features music for each piece of art created by San Francisco composer Clasher Von Sin. You should also checkout the archives of his political cartoons at Cagle Cartoons.

What is your favorite pen to use?

Tombow Zoom.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

My roughs are in pen or pencil -- whatever I can find at the time.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

Depends. My editorial cartoons are colored in Photoshop. Other illustrations may be by hand.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?

Watercolor or acrylic paints. Sometimes airbrush.

What type of paper do you use?

For cartoons I prefer Strathmore Vellum Bristol 500 series -- or 400. Altho nowadays I do most of my editorial cartoons on tracing paper.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

Can't think of anything I HATE to draw.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

Either online or Utrecht Art Supplies locally.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

Not really. Find a pen and some paper?

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

Audio books. Jazz. Bach. TV (Big Bang Theory, 2.5 Men, Burns and Allen).

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

MAD magazine (was a comic book then). Weird Tales of the Future. Any horror/sf. Tom Terrific.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

Right now? Cul de Sac. Or maybe Pearls Before Swine. Or maybe Mother Goose and Grimm. Can't think of any comic strip that I don't like/haven't liked. Even the lame ones are funny because they're lame, in the same way that Ed Wood was one of the best directors ever.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

“They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers”, by Gray Barker. It's still on my shelf along with just about any other book I have ever owned. And any book my parents and grandparents ever owned.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

Art Center College of Design -- Pasadena (altho it was in Los Angeles at the time).

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

Blessing! But nearly anything can become a curse.

Did either of your parents draw?

My dad.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

My dad. Now, my wife and daughter.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

Sometimes I have. Not right now. I sketch things on scraps of paper, scan them in and save them for future use. So, yeah, I have sort of an electronic sketchbook.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

Yes. Taught elementary-age kids drawing and cartooning -- and taught art history as part of a high school art class. Yeah -- it was fun. Especially as some of them have become pros -- or at least highly creative.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

Both equally important. Even if drawing is a problem -- one's passion can drive one to establish a style. But to make the style consistent, one must develop some kind of drafting technique.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

Have a very small collection of comic art, including some of my father's work. Have kept family antiques, books, ephemera.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

Ren Hoek. Or Stimpy. Depends on the day.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Politically lefty. Dexterously righty.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

Musician. Writer.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

Otherwise spacious studio crammed with bookshelves, paintings, Stratocasters, two dogs, Macs, audio equipment, old reel-to-reel tape deck, TV, drawing boards piled with stuff, strange sculpture and three paintings in progress on work table, chairs from studios of Basil Wolverton and Carl Barks. View of woods.

Photo credit: Steven Lane

Do you play any musical instruments?

Guitar. I have a keyboard, a vintage-spec Strat, a twelve-string Strat, a classical guitar and a horrible old bass that I got from a pawn shop. I play old Byrds songs, mostly.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

Have another (possibly related) profession to keep you going -- and then don't give up. Be original. Doggedly pursue your own vision. The world has too many knock-offs.

Who is your favorite artist?

That's hard. James Ensor, Salvador Dali, Edouard Monet, my dad, Hieronymus Bosch, Wally Wood . . .there's so many . . . Chester Gould . . .

Thanks again for your time Monte!

I'm Mad for "The Mad Art of CARICATURE"!

2011-10-20T10:24:00.013-04:00

I just received Tom Richmond's "The Mad Art of CARICATURE" book in the mail. All I can say is WOW! This book is THE book on caricaturing. I highly recommend that if you are interested in any type of drawing, cartooning or illustration that you immediately head over to his Deadline Demon Publishing and get your own copy!

Learn more about Tom and see many more examples of his fantastic artwork at his website and blog. You can also still read his answers to the Cartoonist Survey.

Scott (Scott C.) Campbell - Cartoonist Survey #244

2011-10-18T17:13:00.032-04:00

Photo credit: Love Ablan

Scott (Scott C.) Campbell is a cartoonist, illustrator, painter, video game artist and children’s book illustrator who was born in San Jose, California in December of 1973. He graduated with a BFA in Illustration focusing on comic and children's book illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco in 1992. Soon after he graduated, he started working at LucasArts as a concept artist on children’s Star Wars video games. He left LucasArts in 2000 to become an Art Director at Double Fine Productions, the independent game development studio founded by Tim Schafer. While at Double Fine Productions he has worked on such critically acclaimed games as 2005’s Psychonauts and 2009’s Brutal Legend.

In addition to his work at Double Fine, Scott has published many comics and has had his paintings appear in galleries and publications around the world. His comics work includes his Great Showdowns series, the “Igloo Head and Tree Head” series, Double Fine Action Comics and the comic anthologies Flight and Hickee (co-founded by Graham Annable, Cartoonist Survey #152). He recently illustrated the children’s book, “Zombie in Love” and his new book, “Amazing Everything: The Art of Scott C.” which has a foreword by Jack Black, has received much praise from both the comics industry and his fans.

He has been nominated for an Ignatz Award in the Best New Talent category and has received awards from the Society of Illustrators. His clients include Nickelodeon, Fantagraphics, Majesco, Vice Magazine, Simon & Schuster, New Line Cinema, Criterion and many others. Scott lives and works in New York City. Visit his website where you can purchase original artwork, books, prints, t-shirts and more. You can also follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

What is your favorite pen to use?

This Japanese Pentel brush pen. It is more of a spongy brush tip though. Not a brush tip. And it is not refillable, which depresses me, so I go through a lot of them.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

I use blue pencil to draw first. Just a normal Prismacolor col-erase.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

Depends on the comic. If it is Double Fine Action Comics or other such anthology comics, they are all in black and white. Tones done in Photoshop. But my Igloo Head and Tree Head comics are all in watercolor. Including the linework.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?

Watercolors!

What type of paper do you use?

Arches rough watercolor paper for sweet texture. Copy paper or bristol board for the black and white line comics.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

I am not a fan of drawing tall buildings with numerous windows.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

I like to go to New York Central Art Supply in my neighborhood in Manhattan. I only go online to buy my cat's tongue Princeton brushes because I can’t find those anywhere!

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

I go to a cafe in the morning and get a coffee and pastry and sit and stare out the window for awhile. Then I read my book to relax my mind. Then I close my book and begin to draw.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

I listen to whatever is playing in the cafe. If I am at home and need to think hard about something, I either do so in silence or with repetitive electronic music in the background. Or dub music.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

I love X-Men and all the X-Men sorts of titles like New Mutants, X-Factor and so forth. My brother and I collected lots and lots of comics.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

When I was much smaller, I loved Garfield and Family Circus, a bit later I loved Calvin and Hobbes and the Far Side.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

"Hop on Pop" was my favorite. Later on, my favorite was this Troll book that I cannot remember the name of. Richard Scarry was one of my absolute faves though.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

I went to the Academy of Art College in San Francisco to study illustration. Specifically, comic and children's book illustration.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

A blessing! I love it! It has opened up this immense sense of community based around all mediums of art. And it makes it easy for people to make things and get them out into the world! I love Twitter and I love Tumblr. They are great for inspiration and meeting other artists. Sure there are a whole lot of terrible comics and art on the Internet, but there are also some very inspiring things to behold.

Did either of your parents draw?

My mom is very creative. She used to oil paint. Now she makes quilts and other sorts of crafty things.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

My parents have always been the most supportive. They enrolled me in art classes at a young age and could tell that I was really enjoying myself. They are the best, my parents.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

Not really! I should! And I would like to. I usually bring stacks of copy paper out with me because it is much less stressful for me to sketch and come up with ideas on these sheets of paper. I have stacks and stacks of copy paper in my house with doodles and notes on them.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

I have! And I love it. I am excited to do more of it. I did a few workshops in London and a few in LA and SF.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

I would like to say passion because that seems to drive people to create some pretty amazing things. There are many talented people in the world. But also talent is a broad idea. Talent without meaning seems boring and stale to me though. In my mind.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

Art books. I am addicted to art books. I have too many. And cheese. I buy lots of cheese and then I eat all of the cheese.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

I have been called Shaggy for many many years.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Righty.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

An actor! Or a chef!

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

A drawing table resting against a dirty brick wall with art printouts taped all over it.

Do you play any musical instruments?

Guitar! And ukulele.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

Enjoy the process! Treat it like an adventure you are going on.

Who is your favorite artist?

Currently, it is Sam Bosma.

Thanks again Scott!

Jack Davis Wacky Players Football Cards

2011-10-17T11:37:00.021-04:00

Like a lot of geeks my age, I went through a phase of collecting sports cards. Well...that is until error cards and insert cards reached ridiculous prices in the 1990's and the market imploded. This weekend I was going through "my stuff" (as my wife likes to call it) and came across these Sunkist Fun Fruits Snacks, "Wacky Players" football cards. Why, you might ask, is a blog about cartooning talking about football cards? That would be because the art on them is done by non other than Jack Davis of MAD magazine fame. Enjoy!

Later this week, Cartoonist Survey #244 with Scott (Scott C.) Campbell.

Super President!?

2011-10-14T08:55:00.007-04:00

I found this video of President Reagan addressing the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists back in 1987 to be interesting.

Not sure who will prevail in 2012's Presidential election, but my vote is going to James Norcross!

Jason Chatfield - Cartoonist Survey #243

2011-10-06T08:01:00.032-04:00

Jason Chatfield is an Australian editorial and comic strip cartoonist and stand-up comedian who was born in Perth in 1984. He has been working as a professional cartoonist since 2003. Along with his editorial and strip cartooning, he has also created single panel gag cartoons, caricatures and book illustrations. In 2005 he was awarded the Bill Mitchell Award for up-and-coming cartoonist of the year.

Two years later Jason took over the writing and drawing of Ginger Meggs, Australia’s longest running comic strip. He is only the fifth cartoonist to draw Ginger Meggs in its 90 year run. Before Jason, the strip was being produced by his friend James Kemsley, who sadly passed away in December of 2007. James had emailed and asked Jason to take over the strip a week before he succumbed to the motor neuron disease he had been suffering from for over a year.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;lt&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Ginger Meggs now appears in over 120 papers in 34 countries worldwide. Its 90th anniversary was celebrated with a commemorative 1oz Silver Australian $1 coin released by The Perth Mint. Jason helped design the coin which was a huge success selling out all 3,000 coins within an hour of it being announced.

For his editorial cartooning he was awarded the "Peoples' Choice Prize" at the "Behind the Lines" political cartooning exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia in 2008. He was nominated for the Gold Stanley for Cartoonist of the Year at the Australian Cartoonists' Association Stanley Awards in 2008 and has been nominated for Comic Strip Artist of the Year by the ACA three years in a row (2008-2010). Speaking of the Australian Cartoonists’ Association, Jason was elected its President in 2010. He is also a member of the National Cartoonists Society here in the States and the International Society of Caricature Artists.

Some recent highlights of his work as a comedian include a 22-show run of the musical/stand-up comedy ManFace at the Forum Theatre for the 2011 Melbourne International Comedy Festival and a ten-show run at the Tuxedo Cat in Flinders Lane of When Melbourne Met Sydney with Sophie Miller. In addition to everything else Jason also occasionally teaches cartooning to schools and community groups. Stop by Jason’s website and follow him on his blog. Be sure and visit the Ginger Meggs website and blog for much more information about the strip's history and characters. You can read Ginger Meggs everyday here at GoComics.

What is your favorite pen to use?

If I'm honest, it's the Stylus for the Cintiq, since it can be any pen.
But when I'm drawing by hand -a Tombow N15 (or N35 for a more 'Process' black) for Live Caricaturing and an Artline 210 *(0.6) for other cartoon work. I've used a heap of brush pens from jetpens.com this year but still can't find one that lasts long enough to justify the cost.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

I use a mechanical pencil that looks like a real one. I have a fear of sharpeners.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

I have a colourist ("colorist" in the US) who lives in Queensland (North East Australia) to colour my comic strip. He sends it back to me and I do the shading and shadows and fiddle around with the colours a bit. He's excellent- I'd highly recommend him for anyone looking for a quick, professional colourist (Phil Judd). For any other work, I use Photoshop to colour.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?

I use Derwent watercolour pencils. They give a nice texture, but they also take on a whole new life with water.

What type of paper do you use?

I use Splendorgel (smooth ivory) 300 gsm.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

Cars. Cars and Mohammad. There was this one time I was asked to draw Mohammad in a car..

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

I buy from all over the place. I travel a LOT, so I pick up all sorts of stuff from art stores around the world. It kinda sucks when you run out of ink in one pen and realise you have to go to Paris to get a new one.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

I put on pants. That's my walk to work.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

If the penciling is done, I'll listen to jazz- Bill Evans and artists of that ilk are fantastic to listen to. I prefer silence when writing and inking, but while drawing if I don't feel like listening to jazz I'll pull a Tom Richmond (Cartoonist Survey #89) and re-listen to my favourite audiobooks.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

I did nothing else! I was a big Marvel fan as a kid - I spent all my pocket money (and my money as a paper boy) on Amazing Spider-Man comics and learned to draw anatomy by copying Bendis and those guys. Still collect, but now on my iPad. Which is sort of sad.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

Well I have to say Ginger Meggs don't I? -But if I had to choose another, it'd be Calvin & Hobbes. The serendipitous occurrence of a brilliant mind and a wonderful artist in the one person made Watterson a bit of a hero. I still marvel at his stuff every day.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

I read a fair bit as a kid- I started off reading the R.L.Stein series' then moved on to Tolkien and John Marsden. To date, my favourite book as a child was (believe it or not) a Ginger Meggs novel by James Kemsley, my predecessor on Ginger Meggs. I was asked to read it for a book report - I left it to the last minute and failed the book report. Then I went away an actually read it, and loved it! He published several of those.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

No - I did do a cartooning course with the Australian College of Journalism under the tutelage of Aussie press legend Max Foley. His lessons were invaluable. But somehow the college put a dollar figure on them.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

A bit of both. My opinion on that changes from week to week. My papers are dying, but my fan base are increasing online. I released an e-book and got a whole new readership last year, so I'm still feeling my way in the dark at the moment with that. Twitter is great for connecting to fans.

Did either of your parents draw?

I remember my mum designing our back yard barbecue in coloured pencil and thinking she could draw - then I realised she was tracing something from a book, so no. Neither of my parents could draw. My sister can paint quite well.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

Definitely my grandparents - they used to babysit me a lot and would give me pad after pad of paper to have me fill up with drawings. They were strict about me going over the lines in colouring-in books so I always tried to get better instead of just sticking to one skill level. They were amazing at that, without being scary.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

A couple. I carry a Moleskine in my right pocket at all times. I fill up one a month, and I have big a travel sketch book I take with me everywhere overseas. It's been to 9 countries and counting..

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

Yes- I never realised I was so inept at drawing Simpsons characters. And Anime. That's all the kids seemed to want to draw. But they're good fun. Kids don't say "I can't draw" when they're young - You say "Draw a duck" and even if it ends up looking like a baked bean, they do it with such confidence. It's awesome to watch.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

I've always felt very strongly about this; You can have all the talent in the world, but without diligence, passion, practice, and discipline, you'll get nowhere. They each rely on each other.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

I collect Ginger Meggs memorabilia. There's 90 years' worth, so there's all sorts of stuff out there. Barry Gomm in Victoria has the biggest collection in the world at the moment. I'm giving him a run for his money.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

I'm told I'm a lot like the guy from "Tangled" - I haven't seen it, but I trust the guys that tell me that. Because they worked on the film.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Righty. I know that’s uncommon for cartoonists, but it means I can do my own tax return and work out html...

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

Stand-up comedian. I do that on the side now (about 70%/30%) It's a great way to check you're still funny and not going stale in the studio writing gags.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

It's a blank, black wooden desk from IKEA, with a laptop and a Cintiq, and nothing else.

Do you play any musical instruments?

I play a 50s player Fender Stratocaster and a Washburn Acoustic Electric steel-string. I play in an all-cartoonist band called the Stanleys Steamers, and we play at the "Stanley" awards (Aussie Reubens) each year after the awards ceremony. It's a lot of fun!

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

Practice - and study artists you like. Find out what you like about other artists, and in trying to replicate it, you'll find your own style. Your style will change many times over your career, so I'm told by the best artists I know. That excites the hell out of me - it should do for you too.

Who is your favorite artist?

Jack Davis. Can't wait to get his book this year!

Thanks again Jason!

Michael Jantze - Cartoonist Survey #242

2011-09-27T12:32:00.034-04:00

(Click strips for a larger view.)

Cartoonist, filmmaker, animator, newspaper journalist and college professor, Michael Jantze was born in Middletown, New York in 1962. He grew up in Normal, Illinois and graduated with a B.A. in film studies from California State University, Northridge. While at CSUN he drew editorial cartoons and his own strip called ‘Normal State’ for the school’s newspaper. After graduating he freelanced in the film industry for a few years before taking a job as an art director. Not enjoying his job very much, Michael started concentrating on getting a comic strip syndicated. While pursuing syndication he freelanced Web Design, worked for three daily newspapers and PC World magazine.

In 1996 King Features launched his strip ‘The Norm’, which features Norman, a laid back graphic designer who has an affinity for gadgets and new technology. ‘The Norm’ ran in newspapers for nine years until Michael pulled the strip from syndication in 2004. During this time the strip was also collected in the quarterly The Norm Magazine. After pulling the strip Michael was inundated with requests from fans of ‘The Norm’ to bring it back. This outpouring inspired his wife to create a subscription-based feature on the Jantze.com website in 2005. ‘The Norm’ ran online for two years until it was retired to GoComics.com.

At the same time that ‘The Norm’ was launched, Michael was offered a job at George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic. He accepted the job and returned to California to work for ILM where he was an art director on such films as "The Mummy," "Curious George" and "The Hulk.". Michael is now Principal and CEO for his Jantze Studios which “develops character-based animation and comics for traditional and new media projects.” He also teaches animation and sequential art at the Savannah College of Art and Design, with classes ranging from Comic Book Scripting to Digital Cel Animation. A member of the National Cartoonists Society, Society of Illustrators and the Graphic Artist Guild, Michael has won many awards for his writing, design and animation. He lives in Savannah, Georgia with his wife and two children. Visit his Jantze Studios website and read archives of 'The Norm' here on GoComics.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter and watch some animation shorts on the Jantze Studios YouTube channel. Michael also has a page over at the Cartoonist Studio website that you should check out.

What is your favorite pen to use?

These days I use the Pentel Brush pen for inking.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

I use a Col-erase "Blue" pencil, but I also have some blue pencil lead (.7mm, I think) that I use when I travel, then I don't have to sharpen it.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

Mostly on the computer. But I'm looking for people with my sensibility who can do it for me.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?

Watercolors, guache, acrylics....more acrylics this past summer.

What type of paper do you use?

I'd draw on bristol more, but it makes me nervous. So I work on a printer's stock similar to the old Zellerbach Starwhite Vicksburg...60 to 80lb. And for most of my animation and film work, I'm just going through copy paper 20 lb. Nothing fancy...

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

Buildings. I don't know why anyone ever invented them...and architecture is just a Ponzi scheme!

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

I head downtown to one of the stores near the Savannah College of Art and Design. I used to mail away for the Pentel brush pens...first to Canada and then WetPaint in Minneapolis...but now they're showing up at Kroger in the checkout lane. So I get them while I'm buying alcohol and cough medicine.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

Everything on my "to do" list and the laundry and the gardening.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

Jazz.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

Comics were verboten in the Jantze household. I mostly read comics at my friends' houses. About the only time comics entered our house was on long car trips...so they weren't really IN our house. Brands were Harvey, Dell, Golden something something and a few DC. No Marvel, the stories never ended in the same issue...so I had no idea what was going on or how it ever ended. I still don't know who Spider-Man is...but I'm thinking it's either the editor guy or Aunt May.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

"Peanuts" for the longest time. Then "Doonesbury" and "Pogo" book reprints. Then "Bloom County" and then "Far Side" and "C&H".

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

Yes. I still have all my "Peanuts" Fawcett trades. Some are now signed by Sparky.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

I learned art at the public library...

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

I think it's more good than evil.

Did either of your parents draw?

Yes, there's a lot of that kind of talent in my family. My mother is an amazing interior designer and quilt-maker. My father took some art classes when he was working on his college degree and I remember how good he was at it. I always used to have him draw horses and tractors for me.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

Who cares? The only person that needs to love what an artist does is the artist himself.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

Yes.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

I'm a professor of sequential art and animation at SCAD here in Savannah.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

Passion, probably. But man, talent is an awesome shortcut.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

Old cameras and film projectors. If you have one, send it to me post-paid.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

Norm Miller.

Are you a righty or lefty?

T: Right, B: Right, D: Right.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

I wouldn't exist.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

Ridiculously clean. Two words! Nailed it! Crap, that was three phrases.

Do you play any musical instruments?

Piano, guitar and harmonica.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

Go to SCAD. It's amazing here.

Who is your favorite artist?

Woof. That's a hard one. I don't have just one, so I'm going to chicken out and not answer and pretend it's out of awesome respect.

(Watch this short video of Michael drawing Norm and Chris the Wookie.)

Thanks again for your time Michael!

We Now Pause For This Commercial Break...

2011-09-23T10:35:00.006-04:00

I had some great toys when I was a kid and when I think back I realize that even the commercials for those toys were great. Here are some favorite toys I owned those many years ago...

The Outer Space Men from Colorforms. I only had a couple of these, but my cousin had them all.

Pressman's Witch Doctor Head Shrinker Kit. These were a lot of fun to paint, but waiting the full 24 hours for them to shrink was torture.

Mattel's Creepy Crawlers. This toy combined two things every 8 year old boy needed for fun, electricity and molten hot liquid Plastigoop. I still have scars.

I owned Johnny West, his trusty horse Thunderbolt and Geronimo.

I had ZOBOR and used to line up plastic toy soldiers for him to run down.

Mine was the Fighting Knights set...knights against vikings.

Major Matt's arms and legs could be bent into all kinds of great poses until his wires broke. "He lives on the moon. We may all be there soon."

Even cereal commercials were great way back when. Quisp was definitely better!

Combining sugary sweet cereal with toys was pure marketing genius.

Mark Brewer - Cartoonist Survey #241

2011-09-20T12:21:00.021-04:00

Photo credit: Erik Johnson

Mark Brewer is an award-winning illustrator who was born in Illinois in 1971. At the age of 15 while still in junior high school, his drawings were being published in his local Connecticut newspaper, Shore Line Times. Before becoming a full-time illustrator he was a highly regarded inker, using his brush on Archie, Disney and Warner Brother’s comics books. He also assisted on many of the most well known comic strips such as 'Beetle Bailey', 'Nancy' and 'Slylock Fox'. Mark’s list of some of the people who have influenced his work includes, Bob Weber, Jerry Marcus, Orlando Busino, Guy and Brad Gilchrist, Gill Fox, Jim Borgman, George Booth, Jim Henson, and Shel Silverstein.

His humorous ink illustrations are in high demand by art directors and advertising agencies and have been published in and on the cover of numerous magazines around the world. A partial list of his clients includes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, Barron’s, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Weekly Reader, Playboy, Wine & Spirits Magazine, The American Conservative and Major League Baseball. A long-time baseball fan, Mark was lucky enough to be hired to create six illustrations for the 2009 Major League Baseball World Series Program.

In 2002 he was honored by the National Cartoonists Society with the Best Magazine Illustration Award at the Reuben Awards in Cancun, Mexico. He even had the privilege of being presented with the award from none other than MAD magazine's own award-winning cartoonist, Sergio Aragones. Mark is the current President of the Pittsburgh Society Of Illustrators. He lives in Bridgeville, PA with his two children. Visit his website to see more of his work and to sign up for his mailing list.

Want to collect some art and help children in need at the same time? Read on…

When Mark’s grandmother was a child she contracted scarlet fever and as result of this disease became permanently blind. She didn’t let her blindness stop her from living and learned to see with her hands and ears. The illustration "A Walk in the Woods" is Mark’s tribute to his grandmother's determination to overcome obstacles. He remembers “the long rope she fingered from the front door to her mailbox to avoid getting lost along the way.” Mark is selling Giclee prints of "A Walk in the Woods" and all of the proceeds benefit the Western Pennsylvania School For Blind Children.

Click here to see how you can make a difference in a child’s life by purchasing a print.

What is your favorite pen to use?

I like to use dip pens so rather than my favorite pen, I have favorite pen nibs. Right now I'm using a Telephone Pen nib #0278 F. No, you can't make calls with it but it's got some flexibility which I need when I'm drawing. I'll typically change to a different nib just to mix things up every now and then. Before the Telephone nib I was using a Hunt EF Bowl Point which you can buy here in the US.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

I draw first with a mechanical pencil size 7mm with HB lead. I've been using a Papermate Pro-Touch II for about five years now. They seem to hold up well after all that clicking I do to get more lead out of the pencil. Some days I'm more heavy handed than others. On those days it seems like all I do is break lead, click, break lead, clickity click!, break, click click click!

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

I hand color my drawings with watercolors.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?

I use a mixture of Holbein and Winsor & Newton watercolor paint. I use a lot of opaque white and some color pencils too.

What type of paper do you use?

I draw on an acid free Crescent Illustration Board #310. I usually buy it in bulk because it's less expensive.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

I don't like to draw cars. They always look like Tupperware containers with wheels. I have to work hard at getting the fenders and wheels to look just right. But not contrived and still with a little bounce in my line so it doesn't look like I struggled. When my cars stop looking like the container I put yesterdays dinner in I know I'm good to go.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

I purchase most of my supplies online although I still enjoy going to the local art store to purchase a few supplies. When I'm looking at all the supplies I still feel like a kid in a toy store. "I'll take one of everything please!" I cannot believe how many things I have purchased over the years that I do not need but convinced myself in the name of "creating" that it was OK to drop the cash.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

Not sure about rituals before I start drawing but I usually have a cup of coffee on hand in the morning and an adult beverage in each hand after I put the kids to bed in the evening.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

I listen to all kinds of music all the time. I can't really pin it down to one genre. Right now I'm listening to Adele and before that it was Dylan's old recordings. Sometimes when it looks like it wants to rain outside I'll help Mother Nature by turning on my cd's of rain storms really loud. I swear it's just like the real thing!

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

My favorite comic books were Sad Sack, Batman, Spider-Man, Casper and Richie Rich. I felt guilty later in life when I worked for Archie Comics because I never read even one Archie Comic when I was a kid. It was a secret I took into that office each time I came to pick up and drop off. They were wonderful to work for and I so appreciated them for keeping me busy for years. I always did the best job I could for them.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

I'm not sure I ever had an absolute favorite comic strip because I liked so many. Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, Moose, Trudy, Gus (from Boys Life), Beetle Bailey, the Muppets. I was 18 or 19 when I got my first day job working for Guy Gilchrist Studios. Guy and his brother Brad wrote and drew the Muppet strip! They lived about 45 min from me in Connecticut.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

My favorite book is “Where The Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein. It changed my life actually. I always wrote funny poems as a teenager and here was a man who drew and wrote his own stuff. Seemed like a powerful thing to be both artistic with drawing and writing.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

No school. It wasn't for me however I was extremely ambitious. I still am! I think you have to be if you want to keep working. Since I was a teenager I was fortunate to learn most everything from other professionals in the business who were willing to give me pointers week after week, month after month and year after year. There were different groups of cartoonists who would meet for lunch a few times each week. All I had to do was make sure I made it on time to lunch to get a lesson. Unbelievable how fortunate I was when I think about it now.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

It's a blessing of course! For most of us I would think. I used to run to the library after receiving a magazine assignment to look for reference material on what I was drawing.

Did either of your parents draw?

No although my dad remembers going to Grandma Gould's house when he was a boy. Her husband Chester created and drew the comic strip, Dick Tracy. So maybe it is in the blood.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

My mom supported me first when I was in high school. If it weren't for her support I would probably be doing something else.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

95% of the sketches I email to Art Directors for approval are done in my sketch book. the other 5% are on the backs of envelopes and napkins. Once I drew on a map and when I went back to use it another day because I was lost, well... I had to buy a new map.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

I've taught drawing classes many times in the past. The best part of teaching for me is getting out of my studio and being able to socialize. When you work alone from a studio at home it's amazing how many days can go by without ever leaving the house.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

Passion.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

I'm not a collector although I value the art I have from friends that I know collectors would like to have.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Righty for everything except when I eat. I hold the fork in my left hand.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

Not sure but I do know that I would work for myself. I've been in this business of drawing for so long now that at this point I better stick it out cause I'm not sure what else I would really be qualified to do. Yikes!

Do you play any musical instruments?

I've played guitar since I was a teenager. I get so addicted to playing sometimes that I have to make myself put it down and get back to the other creative thing that pays my bills.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

If you understand that the odds are against you from the beginning, that there are a ton of people who can outdraw you and are more creative than you'll ever be and you really don't care what I'm saying right now because you're really stubborn and have a burning desire to do it anyway... go for it! You'll probably do just fine. In my humble opinion, the difference in cartoonists/illustrators who receive work regularly and those who don't isn't talent. It's that burning desire and ambitious attitude they've always had. You can't get a credit for that in college. You're either born with it or...

Who is your favorite artist?

Shel Silverstein, Jim Henson, Ronald Searle, George Booth and Norman Rockwell to name a few.

Thanks again Mark!

Bill Amend - Cartoonist Survey #240

2011-09-14T17:17:00.030-04:00

(Click strips for larger size.)

Award-winning cartoonist Bill Amend was born in Northampton, Massachusetts in September of 1962. While in grade school he realized he had a knack for drawing cartoons and was soon creating his own comic books. He moved with his family to California in 1974 and attended high school in Burlingame where he contributed cartoons to various school publications. After high school Bill studied at Amherst College and was the editorial cartoonist for the twice-weekly college newspaper. He graduated from Amherst with honors in 1984 and received a Bachelor’s degree in Physics. He worked in the film and animation industry in San Francisco after college and in his spare time sent out cartoons trying to get syndicated. It took about three years of submissions before Universal Press Syndication offered him a contract in the fall of 1987.

On April 10, 1988 Bill’s strip, FoxTrot, debuted as a seven day a week strip. FoxTrot revolves around the daily lives of the Fox family, comprised of Roger and Andrea Fox, their three kids, Peter, Paige and Jason and Jason’s Iguana, Quincy. The strip covers a wide range of topics including nerd culture, popular consumer products and pop culture. As Bill puts it, “FoxTrot tends toward the geeky, with occasional forays into the super geeky.” When FoxTrot started in syndication it appeared in about 70 newspapers and grew to more than 1,000 newspapers worldwide at its peak. In January of 2007 Bill cut back the strip to Sundays only in order to “free up time for other things and to generally preserve what sanity I had left.” There have been well over 30 collections of FoxTrot strips published, with the most recent being last November’s “The Best of FoxTrot”.

Bill was presented with the National Cartoonists Society’s most prestigious award in May of 2007, the Reuben Award as Cartoonist of the Year for 2006. He also received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Amherst College in 2000. He presently lives in Kansas City, MO with his wife Kristin and two children. Visit the official FoxTrot website to learn more about Bill, read the strips and also purchase prints. He also has a CafePress store where you can buy FoxTrot mugs, t-shirts, sweatshirts, mouse pads and even infant onesies.

What is your favorite pen to use?

For writing I like Uni-balls. For drawing on paper I use Pigma Microns (05 mostly). I draw the strip on a Cintiq now, though.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?

I've never liked mechanical pencils. When I draw on paper, I always lightly pencil first with a 2H pencil.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?

Computer.

What type of paper do you use?

Strathmore 400 series smooth finish bristol. The 11x14 pads usually (can chop in half for dailies, or use whole for Sundays).

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

Trees in the winter.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?

Both. Depends how soon I need stuff.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?

Depends. Does procrastination count as a ritual?

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?

If I'm still fiddling with dialogue, I'll play music without words, such as movie soundtracks or classical stuff. If I'm just working on the art, I'll play whatever I'm in the mood for.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?

MAD magazine was probably my favorite source of comic entertainment as a kid.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

Calvin and Hobbes.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?

Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy World. It's out of print now, I think. I bought a copy off e-Bay to read to my kids when they were little.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?

No, I studied physics in college.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?

Huge time sink, but great way to research stuff quickly and connect with readers. Making the newspaper business a little iffy, which isn't fun for those of us who rely on it, but hopefully we'll adapt.

Did either of your parents draw?

Not often.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?

My parents were always really supportive, which was especially important during the years after college when I was mostly unemployed and trying to get syndicated.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

No.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?

I taught a one-week class over winter break once in college. Was fun, but I was pretty disorganized, so not sure how much they learned.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?

Well, with comic strips, I'd say having interesting/entertaining things to say is the most important thing. Talent is obviously important but some of us have succeeded with only a mild amount of it. Passion helps keep you going when it's 3am and stuff is due the next day or when rejection letter number 500 comes in the mail.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

Not really. My office collects clutter, but that's not intentional.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?

As a kid I always liked the smart alec types like Bugs Bunny and Top Cat. As I've grown more nerdy, I'd probably be pegged as more of a Dexter (the mad scientist, not the serial killer lol).

Are you a righty or lefty?

I'm right handed.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?

Program computers.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

Sort of a U with my traditional drawing table and supplies on one side and my computer stuff on the other. Books and papers and a sea of coffee cups in the middle.

Do you play any musical instruments?

Piano, guitar, tuba. None well.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?

Well, if it's someone wanting to do a comic strip, I would advise not focusing purely on art. Drawing is only about 30% of the job. Learn/experience lots of other things so you'll have stuff to write about.

Who is your favorite artist?

N.C. Wyeth

Thank you very much for taking the time to participate Bill!

Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens Review

2011-09-10T08:36:00.036-04:00

Lisa Brody at Faber-Castell was nice enough to send me a package filled with various PITT Artist Pens to review. I will be breaking down the different sets of the Pitt Pens she sent me into multiple posts.

This first review is of Faber-Castell's set of four Black Fineliner PITT Artist Pens. The set comes with four different sized nibs, X-superfine, Superfine, Fine and Medium. The ink in the PITT Artist Pen line is great for everything from sketching to finished inking and because they are waterproof they also work great with watercolor paint. The reusable pouch they come in makes this a great little set to have for home use or travel.

This is a sample of the line width of the X-superfine nib.

Here is the Superfine nib.

The Fine nib.

The Medium nib.

I used the Superfine sized nib to sketch out these mash-ups of Peanuts characters with superheroes.

I finished inking them using the Medium, Fine and X-superfine nibs. I then colored them with colored pencils.

This is Charlie Brown as Captain America.

Here is Lucy as Wonder Woman.

Pig-Pen as The Thing.

Linus as Batman.

Woodstock as Robin.

Sally as the Invisible Woman (Sue Storm).

And finally Snoopy as the Green Lantern.

The group inked and colored.

Overall I find the Faber-Castell PITT Black Fineliner Artist Pens to be workhorses that I use everyday. Whether it's just sitting around watching TV and sketching or working on a finished piece the PITT Artist Pens are always my first choice. The ink quality is consistent, they are reasonably priced and they last quite awhile.

Thanks again to Lisa Brody at Faber-Castell for sending me these fine products to review. Be sure to check back for future reviews of Faber-Castell products as well as more product reviews of Pilot Pens and Strathmore Artist Papers. Of course there will also be more Cartoonist Surveys. Both of the next two upcoming Cartoonist Survey participants have received awards from the National Cartoonists Society, FoxTrot's Bill Amend and illustrator Mark Brewer.