Mark Burrier - Cartoonist Survey #239

Mark Burrier is an award-winning illustrator, cartoonist and designer who was born in May of 1979. He studied illustration and drawing at Frederick Community College and Shepherd College (now Shepherd University) and was heavily influenced by the DIY independent music scene of the 80’s and 90’s. Using that DIY spirit, he has been independently self-publishing and distributing his comics for over a decade. In 2007 his comic book ‘Noose’ was nominated for an Ignatz Award in the “Outstanding Mini Comic” category. Mark’s comic work has also been published internationally and has appeared in various anthologies and magazines such as Brainbomb, The Drama, Kramers Ergo, EXPO and Studygroup 12.



Mark’s illustrations have been shown in galleries in Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Denmark, France and Tokyo. Last fall he had his first solo show of illustration work at Artique Underground in Frederick, MD.



His illustration work has earned him awards from the Society of Illustrators, the American Advertising Federation, HOW Magazine, Communication Arts, 3x3 Magazine, Print, STEP Inside Design and American Illustration. Mark has been an avid skateboarder all of his life and has been able to combine this love of skateboarding with his art. His illustrations regularly appear on skateboard decks and clothing for Coda Skateboards.



Since 2009, Mark has been creating illustrations for his drawing blog, Rare Words. The Rare Words blog is a collaborative space where readers submit words that become the creative starting point for his drawings. Each illustration is an interpretation of the word(s) and is posted with the name of the submitter. There have now been over 200 posts and last September a full color hardcover book, “Rare Words Volume 1” was published that contains 100 illustrations that appeared on the blog.

Mark lives in Frederick, Maryland with his wife. Visit Mark’s website here to see more of his work and purchase prints, postcards, books and more. You can also purchase Mark’s wares from his Etsy shop. You can follow him on his blog and twitter. Finally, check out all of the Rare Words illustrations at the Rare Words blog.



What is your favorite pen to use?

I’m actually a brush guy. A #1 Windsor-Newton Series 7.

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

Standard.

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

Computer.

What type of paper do you use?

Standard smooth bristol board.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?

Cars. Unless I’m looking at photo reference, they come out looking like a clown car.


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

A little of both. Dick Blick online. Plaza locally.

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

I wet my brush with my mouth. That’s probably not good for me, but I always do it.

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

This depends on the drawing. Sometimes metal or punk when I’m drawing skateboards. If I’m working on a comic, I tend to like instrumental work (indie rock and classical).

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

Captain America and Spectacular Spider-Man.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?

Peanuts. I’m a huge fan of Charlie Brown.

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

“How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way” and yes, I still own it.

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

I took drawing and illustration classes from Frederick Community College and Shepherd College.

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

Blessing. It’s an amazing tool for research and has leveled the playing field for the big guys vs. the little guys when it comes to getting the word out. Money is no longer the deciding factor.

Did either of your parents draw?

Not really, but my dad has a design eye.

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

My mom and dad. They still encourage me and are happy I’m pursuing my dream.

Do you keep a sketchbook?

Yes, 2 or 3.

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

I’ve been a guest speaker at some Universities, but haven’t been a formal educator. I’d like to give it a try.

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

Passion will show in your work. Nothing is worse than a talented person squandering their potential because they lack passion.

Do you collect anything and if so what?

Comics, books, art, and vintage Peanuts stuff when I find it.

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

Charlie Brown, of course.

Are you a righty or lefty?

Righty.

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

Librarian, archivist, or shelf stocker.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.

My studio is a small, cozy room on the top floor where I’m surrounded my full walls of art, full shelves of books, and skateboards. It’s a creative space for me.

Do you play any musical instruments?

I used to play trombone in middle school and took piano lessons, but I don’t play anything currently.

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

There are a million ways to create an image. No one way is right. Don’t be distracted by the success or criticism of others and draw in the way that feels the most fun to you. Good things will come.

Who is your favorite artist?

Charles Schulz.






Thanks again Mark!

Terry Moore - Cartoonist Survey #200

As 2010 draws to a close, now is a great time to reflect on the past year. One year ago my goal was to survey some professional cartoonists in hopes of getting some great advice on how a “newbie” to the industry, like me, might get started in the world of cartooning. The outcome of my venture was a bevy of surveys flooding in from world renowned cartoonists and illustrators resulting in this, my 200th Cartoonist Survey post.

This has been a very rewarding, fun and informative journey, and I’ve formed some great friendships along the way. With working a demanding full-time “white collar” job and spending much of my free time on the survey blog, I have yet to begin my trek into the professional cartooning realm. With that being said, I’ll be taking a respite from the regular survey posts to focus on that original goal of becoming a cartoonist myself. I’m now armed with all the tips and advice needed to begin that next step, and I hope you all have enjoyed and benefited from the ride as well. This is by no means the end of the surveys, so please be sure to check back periodically for future updates on your fellow cartoonists…one day which will hopefully include the noted cartoonist David Paccia.

And now Cartoonist Survey #200 Terry Moore...








Terry Moore is an award winning comic book creator, author and artist. While trying to break into the syndicated comic strip market, he came up with the idea for his comic book series, Strangers In Paradise. After Terry observed the influx of small press publishers in early the 1990’s, he began researching the comic book industry and started drawing the first issue of Strangers In Paradise. He submitted his work to multiple publishers and signed with Antarctic Press to do a three issue mini-series. Antarctic Press published the first issue of Strangers In Paradise (SIP) in November of 1993. By the next year Terry was self-publishing SIP under his own Abstract Studio imprint. SIP won an Eisner Award for Best Serialized Story in 1996 and in 2003 it won the award for Best Comic Book category from the National Cartoonists Society. Ending a 14 year run in 2007, SIP has been collected in trade paperbacks, been translated into 14 languages and even spawned a series of trading cards produced by Comic Images.

Terry’s latest comic book series ECHO, came out in March of 2008. It is the story of Julie Martin, a young female nature photographer who witnesses an explosion in the desert sky that results in her getting rained on by a radioactive atomic alloy. The metal sticks to her skin and forms a solid metal breastplate that reacts in different ways based on her thoughts. ECHO won a Harvey Award in 2009 for Best New Series. In addition to his own comic book series, Terry has written for Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane, Runaways and has also made contributions to many other publishers including Dark Horse and DC. To see more of Terry’s work visit the official Abstract Studio Comics website. Purchase individual issues of ECHO here and buy lots of Strangers In Paradise merchandise here. Follow Terry here on his blog and his Facebook page.

What is your favorite pen to use?
A Hunt 102 pen point. That's my go to pen for page art.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
Yes, I pencil first. I use a .05 Faber-Castell mechanical pencil I bought at Senneliers in Paris in 1998. I've used it to draw every comic since. It's inexpensive but it fits my hand perfectly. They don't sell them here, so if I lost it I would have to go back to Paris and get another one.

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

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
Watercolors. I would love to use inks but they're expensive!

What type of paper do you use?
Strathmore 400 smooth. I buy the 15 sheet pads and cut it down.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
Architecture. Feet. 2 people talking for 5 pages.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
Most everything I can buy at a big art store nearby, but I have to buy my Raphael brushes online.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
"Piddle around" the studio, as my wife calls it. Like a dog circling the place it will sit, I tend to take make sure that once I sit down I don't have to get up for hours.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
Yes. I have ear damage from years of headphones. I usually listen to the genre that fits my page or scene. Metal for angry scenes, love songs for sad scenes. Oddly enough, I find I don't listen to The Beatles anymore because you have to pay attention to them, and I have to stay focused on my work, not theirs.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
I read Superboy (hated Superman because he was an old dork), Batman, Spider-Man and random other things. I liked Hal Jordan when he was a test pilot because I wanted to be a jet pilot when I grew up.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Peanuts. Nothing has influenced me more.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
The Mallory Towers series by Enid Blyton. It was like Harry Potter without the magic. I still have them.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
Not really. I took a 13 week cartooning course by an old Disney alum, but nothing formal.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
It's both. I love looking for info and reference pics. I hate forums.

Did either of your parents draw?
My dad painted a little. My mother's brother could draw cartoons.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
My mother always encouraged me.

Do you keep a sketchbook?
Yes. I have many on my shelf.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
Just the one-off classes I've done at conventions. It was fun but I never draw well under those conditions.
Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
Talent is more important in drawing. Passion is more important in painting. I've seen Adam Hughes and Alex Ross draw a sketch to die for and they were not the least bit emotionally involved with it. I couldn't manage that with all the passion in world.

Do you collect anything and if so what?
Not really. I spent a year tracking down all the Tintin books. Does that count?

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
Kenny from South Park.

Are you a righty or lefty?
Right.

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

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
Small. Great windows.

Do you play any musical instruments?
Yes. Been playing guitar since 13.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Spend more time drawing than anything else. The more you draw, the faster you get to your own look.

Who is your favorite artist?
Adam Hughes.


Thanks again for your time Terry.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who has participated and stopped by for a visit. Also a special thank you goes out to my wife Patti who has suffered through proof-reading 200 biographies.

Vanessa Davis - Cartoonist Survey #171

Illustrator and cartoonist Vanessa Davis has been drawing since she was a little kid. Originally from West Palm Beach, Florida she now lives in Santa Rosa, California. She studied art at Washington University in St. Louis, Maryland Institute College of Art and the University of Florida. Vanessa started out in the comics business by self-publishing and selling her comics at small press fairs and conventions. Her autobio comics are drawn from her daily diary and are beautifully illustrated and colored with watercolors. In 2005 Buenaventura Press published her first collection of comics, Spaniel Rage and just this week her second book, Make Me a Woman, was released by Drawn and Quarterly. Some of the comics from Make Me a Woman were serialized over at Tablet Magazine (“a daily online magazine of Jewish news, ideas, and culture”). Her comics have also appeared in numerous anthologies including Best American Comics, Kramers Ergot, Pappercutter, Stuck in the Middle and Ivan Brunetti’s An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons and True Stories. Be sure to check out Vanessa’s website for more of her work. You should also take a listen to this recent podcast with her on the Ink Panthers Show with Mike Dawson and Alex Robinson (Cartoonist Survey #169).

What is your favorite pen to use?
I like using these big Maritime nibs, or manga nibs that my boyfriend orders from New York Central Art Supply. I still haven't figured out my favorite nib.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
I use a mechanical pencil and B or 2B lead.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
I usually color with watercolors but am starting to branch out and have been using the lasso-and-paintbucket technique a lot lately.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
I use Winsor and Newton pan watercolors, tempera cakes, and a Series 7 sable brush.

What type of paper do you use?
I like the Arches Aquarelle watercolor blocks, the hot press. Though they're very expensive.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
Any time I don't really know what the subject looks like, I hate drawing it.

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
I go to two local independent shops and then sometimes get stuff at/from New York Central Art Supply.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
Many hours of devoted procrastination. Also I have a hard time drawing when housework is undone.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
Tons of eurotrash pop music and the Savage Love podcast when I need to marathon it.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
I read Archie a lot and I loved all the old comics in there because of the fashion.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Probably Peanuts. Also I tried to make myself like LuAnn for a while, but I hated her hair.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
I loved The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches by Alice Low, and it's still at my mom's house. But they re-illustrated it and it's horrible now.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
I went to an arts magnet middle- and high school in West Palm Beach, and then I studied art in college, at Washington University in St. Louis, Maryland Institute College of Art, and University of Florida (I transferred a lot). I also took lots of summer classes and programs within those years as well.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
I like it!

Did either of your parents draw?
My dad drew and was a professional photographer, and my mom always liked art. She'd wanted to be a fashion designer but when she was young a teacher told her she couldn't ever be one because she didn't draw well enough.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
Definitely my parents. And teachers. And friends. Pretty much everyone, I'm lucky.

Do you keep a sketchbook?
Yes! I don't draw in it as much as I should.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
I've spoken in a couple of classes here and there and really liked it. Hopefully I will get to teach someday.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
Discipline is the most important. A billion people are talented, talent is no big whoop.

Do you collect anything and if so what?
I collect cardigans, antique postcards, and weird syrups, liqueurs, and extracts. I also have a lot of scarves that I never wear.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?I'd want to be Krtek, but who knows.

Are you a righty or lefty?
Righty. I'm starting to get tendinitis in my left hand and that makes no sense to me. But it's probably from typing.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
I'd love to be a lawyer or doctor or some other very well-paid and passionate executive.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
It's in my living room; it's cluttered and very insufficient.

Do you play any musical instruments?
Absolutely not, and I'm offended by the question. (Not really.)

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Be good at computer stuff.

Who is your favorite artist?
I love Alice Neel, David Hockney, Pierre Bonnard, Kevin Blechdom, Jaime Hernandez, Lynda Barry and about a million others I am blanking on, and who probably illuminate what I'm into and about even better than these ones I just listed.


Thank you for your time Vanessa.

Up next is cartoonist Lars Martinson.

Jesse Reklaw - Cartoonist Survey #164

Cartoonist and painter Jesse Reklaw was born in Berkeley, California in 1971. He received a BA from Santa Cruz and a Master’s Degree in computer science at Yale University. While working towards a Ph.D. in artificial intelligence at Yale, he started self-publishing his dream-themed comic series Concave Up. Jesse was also self-syndicating his weekly strip, Slow Wave at the same time. Once Slow Wave started to take off he decided that he couldn’t do both computer science and art, so he left Yale to be a full-time cartoonist. Slow Wave is “a collective dream diary authored by people from around the world." People email their dreams to Jesse who then breaks them down into a few sentences and creates a four panel comic out of them. A new strip is uploaded every Saturday. The Slow Wave strips have been published in alternative newspapers and on the web since 1995 and have been collected in two anthologies; ‘Dreamtoons’ and ‘The Night of Your Life’.

His work also appears in self-published minicomics and small-press anthologies. You can purchase many of these comics at Global Hobo, a small press comics distributor that Jesse co-operates. In 2008 he won the Ignatz Award for Outstanding Minicomic for his Bluefuzz the Hero. In addition to drawing comics he also teaches and is currently at the Independent Publishing Resource Center in Portland, Oregon. Visit Jesse’s Slow Wave website here and then head over to Global Hobo to buy some hand-made and hard-to-find comics.

What is your favorite pen to use?
Speedball A-5 nib.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
Yes, I use a 0.7mm HB lead in a mechanical pencil.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
Both. I prefer watercolor, but it can be more time-consuming (or at least it's easier to do a quick job on the computer and not have it look too sloppy/unfinished).

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
My watercolor palette is ultramarine, burnt sienna, yellow ochre, alizarin, and sap green. Occasionally I'll use cerulean, viridian, cadmium red & cadmium yellow.

What type of paper do you use?
Usually 2-ply smooth Bristol for pen + ink; for watercolor I use hot press (Fabriano). I've had trouble with Bristol lately -- used to just use the Strathmore 200 series, but that has been progressively worse over the years (and it never was that great). Lately I've been using basic Utrecht 2-ply with the vellum finish, which isn't too bad. I have enjoyed 1-ply smooth Bristol (cut down from parent sheets) in the past, because it's so easy to see through with a lightbox; but it can get expensive. Sometimes I watercolor on crappy Canson student-grade watercolor paper if I'm doing something with bold monochrome washes. It really depends on the project and how much I can afford to invest in it. For example, if I'm doing quick commercial work I'll just ink on copy paper.

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

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?My partner and I often do a Dick Blick order together if we have a lot of supplies to refresh at one time. Otherwise I just pick things up at the closest art store. I like to go to Asian stationary stores too (like Kinokuniya or Uwajimaya) to get Sakura stuff. The gel pens are cheaper there, and a lot of places don't carry their nibs or erasers for some reason, which is too bad since that Sakura white eraser is the best.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
Get a beverage. Getting up to pee reminds me to take breaks.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
Must have music to draw. Rock n roll.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
I started when I was 8 with DC stuff, went on to Marvel, then independents. Nothing I remember that well now, or enjoy anymore. Except maybe memories of my What If...? collection.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Lately I've been liking Dinosaur Comics, but obviously not for the art. Underworld is always original. I also enjoy The City, Troubletown, Maakies, Tom the Dancing Bug, and other alternative weeklies; but I don't seek them out if they're not in a paper I'm reading or something.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
I liked those wordless Mercer Mayer tiny books "A Boy, A Dog, and A Frog" or something like that? I think I have one or two of those tucked away somewhere.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
BA from UC Santa Cruz 1995. My focus was figurative acrylic painting, but sometimes I found a cool teacher who would let me do comics for class.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
Both? I guess I'm not very religious.

Did either of your parents draw?
I have some goofy acid drawings my dad made. Mom got into art after the divorce, but I don't remember her exercising her creativity when I was a kid.

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

Do you keep a sketchbook?
Just disorganized scribbles and notes, nothing fancy.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
I currently teach comics at the Independent Publishing Resource Center (iprc.org) in Portland, Oregon. It's a pretty powerful feeling to communicate with people and feel like you're helping them. But it doesn't always happen.

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
If you want to make a career out of it, passion. If not, I guess it doesn't matter.

Do you collect anything and if so what?
Ailments.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
I'd be some weird background character in a Felix the Cat cartoon that isn't in-betweened very well because there was never a solid model sheet.

Are you a righty or lefty?
Right.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
Electrical engineer / hobo.

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
A treacherous swamp bog teeming with life.

Do you play any musical instruments?
Guitars, voice, drums, keyboards. A little of everything I guess.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Maybe that you don't choose drawing as a career, it chooses you? Or: keep at it and eventually you will succeed. Which is both the most inspiring and most disheartening advice.

Who is your favorite artist?
I can't pick favorites -- there's way too many! But have continued to be enriched by the work of Art Spiegelman.


Thank you Jesse!

Answers from cartoonist and writer Bill Holbrook are coming up next.

John Porcellino - Cartoonist Survey #154

John Porcellino was born in Chicago, in September of 1968, and has been writing and drawing comics, minicomics and graphic novels for close to 30 years. He began self-publishing comic books when he was only 14. In 1989 he started his mostly autobiographical King-Cat Comics, which is one of the longest-running minicomics. John draws his comics with simple black lines and no shading. Many of his comics have been collected in anthologies including, ‘King-Cat Collection’, ‘Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man’, ‘Perfect Example’, ‘King-Cat Classix’ and ‘Map of My Heart’. They have been reprinted in French, Spanish, German, Italian, Swedish and Korean. ‘Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man’ collected King-Cat stories about his experiences while in his 20’s as a pest control worker. It went on to win an Ignatz Award in 2005. Henry David Thoreau is one of John’s biggest inspirations so it is not a surprise that he created ‘Thoreau at Walden’, a 110 page graphic novel about his impression of Thoreau's time at the pond. Besides creating comics, he has played in indie rock bands and had his own music and comics distribution company, Spit and a Half, which he has started up again. John recently moved from Denver to Florida and will be touring the West Coast from mid-August to mid-September with King-Cat #71, his latest comic. Visit his King-Cat website and follow him on his blog. John also has a page at Drawn and Quarterly.

What is your favorite pen to use?
I use either Microns or Rapidographs merely out of the fact that I'm lazy and don't spend time experimenting with different pens. I also sometimes "ink" with black colored pencils or soft graphite pencils.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
I use a standard non-repro blue pencil to draw with.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
By hand mainly as I don't know really know how to color on the computer, but occasionally I have friends digitally color stuff for me.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
Colored pencils, watercolor, colored inks.

What type of paper do you use?
For years I used plain office-supply laser paper. I just started using the Strathmore Manga 11 x 17 sheets, cuz I can cut them down to four King-Cat sized pages each!

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
N/A

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
Local art supply shops mostly, occasionally a chain craft-type store.

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
Before starting to ink I write out the alphabet.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
No. At first I always listened to music when I drew. Then I found it too distracting so I switched to instrumental-only music. Then I switched to instrumental-only music only when inking, and now I don't listen to music at all when making comics.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
I read mostly newspaper funnies along with the occasional comic book off the newsstand. Of those, I read mainly monster/supernatural thriller types. In newspaper comics Ziggy was my favorite.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
Gasoline Alley can't be beat. Runner up: Krazy Kat. I also love Alley Oop, and wish someone would start reprinting those!

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
The Hodgepodge Book by Duncan Emrich, with pictures by Ib Ohlsson. I finally found a used copy of it back in the 90's. When I was a kid I had this book perpetually checked out of the Chicago Public Library.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
I studied art throughout my teen years and have a BFA in painting from Northern Illinois University.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
It's often a blessing and I don't know if it's ever bad enough to be a curse, but it sure can be a time waster if you're so inclined!

Did either of your parents draw?
Beyond doodles, no.

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

Do you keep a sketchbook?
I keep one but that doesn't mean I use it!

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

Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
I think passion IS a talent.

Do you collect anything and if so what?
Jack Kirby monster comics.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
Woody Woodpecker (?!).

Are you a righty or lefty?
Righty.

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

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
Usually: A mess. With a little spot cleared out in the middle for drawing. Lately: Nice and simple (I'm on the road so I just have a little drawing area with a lamp, a globe, a notebook, a stack of blank pages, and a stack of drawn pages. And two pens, a pencil, and an eraser!)

Do you play any musical instruments?
I play guitar.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Find what's inside you and bring that out.

Who is your favorite artist?
Picking one is excruciatingly hard: Henri Matisse.


Thank you very much for your time John.

Up next is cartoonist Frank Roberson.

Don't forget the Rhodia Webnotebook Giveaway ends this Sunday night at 9:00.