Category: Other

I love it when cartoonist’s have a bit of fun with themselves and the genre. Check out today’s Get Fuzzy!

This week’s Inside the Cartoonist’s Studio features not only a great gag cartoonist, but a good friend. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for Mike Lynch!

1) If you were to cast a movie entirely with cartoon characters, what movie would it be and who would star in it?

There are already so many good answers by so many good cartoonists on the Andertoons blog. Other than making a wretchedly offensive remark (the Li’l Abner cast of characters in “Shoah” was an idea — but, Mark, I’m sure you’ll edit that out), I can’t think of anything. Oh — no, wait. How about replacing Jim Varney from those “Ernest” movies and replacing him with a series of droll Charles Saxon New Yorker cartoons?

2) You’re a syndicate editor launching a new comic strip. What’s the worst possible title you can think of?

Lynch Mob. Every once in a while someone says if I had a strip, that should be the title. They’re sooo wrong.

And Dykes to Watch Out For is another one. But Ms. Bechdel seems to be doing OK without syndication.

3) A light bulb over a cartoon’s head signifies an idea, while a string of random characters denotes swearing. Invent a new cartooning icon and what it means.

Yeah, this is the tough one because so many other cartoonists have answered with so many funny remarks. I would suggest the head of Art Spiegleman (or is it “art spiegelman?”) hover over a character’s head in its cloud of omnipresent cigarette smoke whenever the strip becomes so opaquely esoteric that no on knows what’s going on — therefore: it’s art!

Thanks Mike for giving us some great answers! (The five bucks is in the mail!) Be sure to check out his website, www.heykidscomics.com and keep an eye out for him in publications everywhere!

Attention please – Mike Lynch has left the building. I repeat – Mike Lynch has left the building.

USA Today ran an article not too long ago about Berkeley Breathed’s new collection, Opus: 25 years of His Sunday Best in which the cartoonist complains to reporter Kathy Balog that “it’s hard to push the envelope anymore. If Bloom County were starting now, I could never get away with what I did then. I’m getting my hand slapped more than I ever was in the ’80s. It’s a genre that doesn’t want to get shook up.”

Is he right? Are newspapers and syndicates too worried about (gasp!) offending someone that they’ve effectively stifled the funny pages?

I’ve been thinking lately about breaking out of the normal comic strip niceties and trying to really create something more Adult Swim in tone and irreverence. Possibly even some casual swearing!

Is there room for something new and, dare I say it, adult in the comics? Whatcha think?

This week in Inside the Cartoonist’s Studio we welcome another member of the Cartoonists Named Anderson Club, editorial cartoonist Kirk Anderson!

Let’s be careful out there…

1) If you were to cast a movie entirely with cartoon characters, what movie would it be and who would star in it?

The Tazmanian Devil and Charlie Brown’s teacher in “My Dinner With Andre”

2) You’re a syndicate editor launching a new comic strip. What’s the worst possible title you can think of?

Smegma

3) A light bulb over a cartoon’s head signifies an idea, while a string of random characters denotes swearing. Invent a new cartooning icon and what it means.

When a cartoon shows somebody with their hand on a doorknob, you don’t know if they’re opening the door, or closing it, and you can’t tell from the body language. So if a banana is perched on the character’s shoulder, that could mean s/he is opening it, and if the national flag of Nepal is hovering over the character’s head, that could mean s/he is closing it.

Thanks a bunch, Kirk! Be sure to check out his outstanding editorial cartoons at Kirktoons.com!

Hey there everyone! Welcome to yet another edition of Inside the Cartoonist’s Studio!

Today we welcome Shannon Wheeler of the hilarious Too Much Coffee Man!

Time to make the donuts!

1) If you were to cast a movie entirely with cartoon characters, what movie would it be and who would star in it?

I’d pull 50’s gag strip characters, the ones that boozed it up, chased women etc… back when racism, infidelity, and domestic violence were considered funny. I’d put them in the modern world, old, suffering, trying to make peace with their lives before cashing it in.

2) You’re a syndicate editor launching a new comic strip. What’s the worst possible title you can think of?

Computer generated generic character #3

(Note – Shannon was kind enough to provide the answer above after I’d deemed a first answer too offensive. The only caveat was that I include this disclaimer. Done and done.)

3) A light bulb over a cartoon’s head signifies an idea, while a string of random characters denotes swearing. Invent a new cartooning icon and what it means.

A bucket of water = embarrassed by something that’s about to happen.

Thanks Shannon! Be sure to check out Too Much Coffee Man! Peace out!