A Very Sad Day for the World of Cartooning!

It’s with a very heavy heart that I share with you that my friend Bill White passed away this past Saturday. Bill was one of the funniest, most talented individuals I knew!

Bill studied animation at The Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art under former Disney animator Milt Neil. As a penciler, inker and writer he contributed artwork and stories to many comic book publishers including Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Archie Comics, Walt Disney Publishing and Harvey Famous Entertainment. The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby Doo, Donald Duck, Roger Rabbit, Casper and Richie Rich are just a handful of characters he illustrated.

In addition to illustrating other people’s characters, Bill had a comic book that featured his own characters, Kaptain Keen and Kompany. Having a six issue run Kaptain Keen and Kompany was optioned for a television show in 1986. In the animation field, Bill worked for Spumco ('Ren & Stimpy'), DIC Productions ('Inspector Gadget') and Walt Disney Feature Animation.

Bill was also an exceptional caricature artist and was a guest lecturer at all of the cartooning classes I took over the years. More than any of the above, Bill was one of the funniest, nicest, giving people I knew. He shared his love of all things cartooning with me, including recommending books and introducing me to some of the legends in the field such as Ernie Colon. He was also the very first cartoonist to participate in my Cartoonist Surveys.

Words can’t express how much Bill influenced me and what a giant hole his loss has left. I’m really going to miss “geeking out” with Bill about some cool new action figure or Star Wars toy.

Please keep Bill’s wife Sharon (a.k.a. PW…Perfect Wife) and his entire family in your thoughts and prayers as they struggle with their loss. May their memories of Billy’s love and laughter bring them comfort and smiles in the years to come.

Here are a couple of Bill’s originals that he drew for his blog and gave to me…they will be treasured even more now.

Even though he said he didn't, I still say he used me as a model for the Batman!

Upcoming Books I'm Looking Forward To

Here are a few comics related books I'm looking forward to being released. All are available for pre-order with some pretty good discounts.

Stephen Silver - Cartoonist Survey #192

Cartoonist and character designer Stephen Silver was born in August of 1972 in London, England. He got his professional start drawing caricatures at amusement parks in 1992. A year later he started his own illustration business and caricature concession company called Silvertoons. He spent a year doing graphic design for the clothing company “No Fear” before being hired as a character designer by Warner Brothers in 1997 and has worked in the animation industry ever since. Stephen has worked as a character designer for Nickelodeon Animation, Sony Feature Animation and Disney Television Animation. He has designed characters for animated series such as “The Fairly OddParents”, "Kim Possible", "Danny Phantom" and Kevin Smith's "Clerks: The Animated Series”. In 2000 he won the Golden Nosey award as caricaturist of the year from the National Caricaturist Network, and in 2007 he received the National Cartoonists Society's Television Animation award for his designs on Disney's “Kim Possible”. Stephen is also the artist and author of five self-published books on sketching, life drawing and caricaturing. You can purchase them here at his Silvertoons store.

If you would like to learn more about the art of character design you can take Stephen’s class over at Schoolism.com. If you are in California he teaches a character design course at CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) in Valencia and a quick gesture figure class at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts. Learn more about Stephen by checking out his website and following him on his blog.

What is your favorite pen to use?
Mars Staedtler graphic 3000 duo.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
Col-erase blue or red.

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

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
Marker, watercolor and colored pencil, sometimes acrylic paint.

What type of paper do you use?
Anything that feels right or is thick enough, sometimes a Via felt 80lb.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
Buildings, cars and robots.

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

Are there any rituals that you do before starting to draw?
Take a deep breath and hope for the best.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
Sometimes, mainly Beatles radio on iTunes.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
I did not.

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
The Lockhorns.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
Didn't like to read as a child, so I don't have one. Cartooning books are what I collected.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
The only serious art class I really took was one in San Diego with a guy by the name of Jeff Watts.

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

Did either of your parents draw?
No.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
Both my parents.

Do you keep a sketchbook?
Yes.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?Yes I have and still do. I teach currently a character design course at Schoolism.com.

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

Do you collect anything and if so what?
Original art from the MAD magazine artists.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
Snow White, I don't know, the first thing that popped up.

Are you a righty or lefty?
Righty.

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

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
1970' 80's.

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?
Draw, draw draw…have passion and have fun.

Who is your favorite artist?
Mort Drucker.


Thank you Stephen.

CARtoons cartoonist George Trosley will be next.

Eddie Pittman - Cartoonist Survey #91

Eddie Pittman is an animator, character designer, illustrator and cartoonist who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Georgia State University in 1989 and worked for a while doing caricatures, sometimes working with Tom Richmond (Cartoonist Survey #89). In 1997 he started working in the animation department at Walt Disney Feature Animation in Florida where he was involved in many films including Mulan, Tarzan, Fantasia 2000, The Emperor’s New Groove and Lilo & Stitch. Eddie enjoys sharing his knowledge so he spent time teaching at the Ringling School of Design and running his own very popular drawing classes for animators in Central Florida. He also directed the very first animated full-dome movie created for planetarium dome theaters, “Legends of the Night Sky”. He now lives in Orlando with his wife and daughter, providing a variety of services including storyboard and illustration work. Recently he launched his online graphic novel, Red’s Planet. The story is about a young girl who ran away from her foster home, gets abducted by aliens and is left on a deserted planet where she encounters some diverse characters. Learn more about Eddie here at his website and catch up on Red's Planet, here.

What is your favorite pen to use?
The only time I use a pen these days is when I sketch with a fountain pen. I use a Delta fountain pen that a student of mine brought to me from a trip to Italy and I fill it with Parker's Mocha ink — which is unfortunately discontinued and I am quickly running out of. It makes a wonderful brown line with subtle thicks and thins.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
I do draw in Col-erase pencils for my rough character designs —Blue, violet, Orange, or whatever feels right at the time—then tie the drawing down in wooden HB graphite pencil. For print work I used Col-erase Light Blue.

Do you do your coloring by hand or on the computer?
These days I tend to use PhotoShop for all my coloring. It's faster and more forgiving.

If you do your coloring by hand, what do you use?
When I color by hand I prefer Prang semi-moist Watercolors. The cheap ones.

What type of paper do you use?
I sketch on regular copier bond and my comics are on Strathmore series 400 Bristol.

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

Do you buy your supplies from big chain art store catalogues/websites or a local one that you physically go to?
Our biggest art store here in Orlando just closed so I usually by online (the prices are better) but occasionally make the trek to a local store when in desperation.

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

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
I occasionally listen to movie scores but most of the time it's am radio and podcasts.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
I loved comics as a kid! Neal Adam's Batman and John Romita's Spider-Man were my favorites!

What is or was your favorite comic strip?
My favorite comic strip of all time is Walt Kelly's Pogo.

What was your favorite book as a child and do you still own a copy of it?
There was this great Wizard of Oz book that I had, but I don't remember the illustrator's name.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
I took a few drawing classes while I was attending Georgia State University many years ago. It was a strange art department with a heavy leaning towards abstract art and the head of the art department was rumored to be allergic to paint. There were only two instructors, Alan Loel and Ralph Gilbert, who I actually learned anything from. Both were amazing draftsmen and inspired me to draw from life.

Do you feel that the Internet is a blessing or a curse?
Both. It's a blessing because I spend countless hours researching my projects and being inspired by other artists; it's a curse It's a blessing because I spend countless hours researching my projects and being inspired by other artists.

Did either of your parents draw?
My father is an artist though his primary skills were as a photographer. I was always inspired by his drawings as a child.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
I have always been blessed to be surrounded by people who support my art. Currently by biggest support comes from my wife Beth and daughter, Ginny.

Do you keep a sketchbook?
Yes I do. I don't sketch nearly as much as I would like, but I have found recently that my sketchbook is a great place to work out visual problems I face in my work.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
I have taught both cartooning and life drawing in a local community art center and at the college level. I taught a very fun figure drawing class for artists interested in careers in animation in the late nineties and many of my students landed a job at Disney Animation (I'm very proud). I have also taught for The Academy of Art University's online course and the Ringling School of Art and Design. It isn't that I enjoy teaching as much as I am passionate about learning and love to share what I have discovered with anyone who will listen.

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

Do you collect anything and if so what?
I can't afford to collect anything. Plus I've moved so many times in my life and I hate lugging all my stuff around.

If you were an animated cartoon character who do you think you would be?
Probably Grumpy, though I'd rather be Baloo or Popeye!

Are you a righty or lefty?
Righty.

If you weren't an artist what would you want to do for work?
Write or teach. Though writing isn't always easy for me, I enjoy the process of telling stories. I also have a passion for teaching (or maybe it's just hearing myself talk).

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
Cluttered.

Do you play any musical instruments?
I used to play guitar, but I sold them to pay my gas bill twenty-five years ago.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Draw everyday and seek out the best artists as your inspiration. Set your goals high or, to paraphrase Robert Browning, let your reach exceed your grasp.

Who is your favorite artist?
Today it's Walt Kelly. Ask me again tomorrow.

Thanks again for answering Eddie!

Illustrator and co-creator of the strip Baldo, Carlos Castellanos is up next.

Mark Kennedy - Cartoonist Survey #87

Mark Kennedy has been an animator and storyboard artist for close to 20 years. His work in the Animation Department at Disney includes, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Treasure Planet, Home on the Range, Chicken Little and Bolt. In addition to animating and storyboarding Mark was a writer on Chicken Little, Home on the Range, Tarzan and Hercules. He is also a voice actor, lending his voice to the character Hollywood Runt, in the film Chicken Little. Mark is presently working on Disney’s 50th animated movie, Tangled, which is loosely based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale Rapunzel. He runs one of the best blogs out there on drawing, storyboarding and animation, called Temple of the Seven Golden Camels. Mark’s site has it all as you can tell from his description; “An online repository for everything I know about storyboarding, film making, drawing and animation but mostly storyboarding, also, curses lifted, relics appraised and fishing licenses sold Tuesdays 10-2.” He started his blog back in March of 2006 and he continues to add to this wonderful resource. With over 600 followers you can tell that The Temple of Seven Golden Camels is a goldmine. I recommend starting from the earliest posts and working your way forward. You will be amazed at how much you learn. Visit Mark’s blog here and then immediately bookmark it.

What is your favorite pen to use?
Disposable Expresso extra fine point pens.

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

What type of paper do you use?
Disney story pads and Disney 16 field animation paper.

What thing(s) do you hate to draw?
I don't really hate to draw anything but I don't really like drawing cars or motorcycles.

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?
No.

Do you listen to music while you draw and if so what genre?
None.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
Carl Bark's Donald Duck/Uncle Scrooge, Tintin by Herge.

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 Tinker and Tanker, I still own it.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
3 years at California Institute of the Arts in the Character Animation School.

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

Did either of your parents draw?
No.

Who in your life is/was the most supportive of your art?
My wife, Cindy.

Do you keep a sketchbook?
Yes.

Have you ever taught cartooning/drawing and if so did you enjoy the experience?
I have taught it (at CalArts) and I didn't like it.

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

Do you collect anything and if so what?
No.

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

Are you a righty or lefty?
Righty.

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

In one or two sentences describe your drawing area.
Two large desks pushed together, so I have enough room to draw on paper and also I have room for my laptop, Cintiq tablet, Wacom tablet, and all my model sheets, pens, etc.

Do you play any musical instruments?
I used to play trumpet.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone who wants to pursue drawing as a career what would it be?
Study real life and get as much of your life's experiences into your work as you can.

Who is your favorite artist?
Quentin Blake.

Thank you Mark, for answering and for providing all of the information that you do on your blog.

Eric Reaves, cartoonist, illustrator, fine artist and fly fisherman is next.