Tag: how-to

Things I Wish I’d Known Starting Out

andertoons5 Comments

Mike Lynch’s recent blogs on submitting and whatnot got me commenting that I wished there’d been this sort of information easily available when I was starting out 10 years ago.

So, for the record, here’s some tips for those of you just beginning:

  • There is no standard gag cartoon size – don’t even think about it.
  • Get a Mac – save yourself the headaches.
  • Do what you think is funny – OK, you gotta do business cartoons for HBR, and you can’t always be bashing management (AKA the readers), but don’t try to figure out a market’s formula or slant. Make yourself laugh and let the markets fall where they may.
  • Good writing carries bad art – work on your drawing, but, above all, work on your writing. Good writing is so much rarer then good draftsmanship.
  • The Artists Market books are a waste of time – that is unless you’re looking to do lots of glass-making themed cartoons and be paid in copies.
  • Cartoon editors aren’t what you think – often they’re committees, or interns, or, I dunno, whomever. But, in general, cartoons aren’t top priority, and there’s nobody with the sign “Cartoon Editor” on their posh corner office door. Also, cartoon editors change all the time, so get used to it. A good cartoon editor is rare; love them while you can.

There. A little post Columbus Day realism for ya! Enjoy!

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Today’s Writing

andertoons3 Comments

One of the tricks I use when writing is to scan the newspaper for catch phrases and/or idioms I can twist around for gags.

Today, went quicker than most (about a half hour for four gags), and I thought with the extra time I’d show you how it went:

Writing1



I just sorta scribble down words and phrases as I find them, and then go back to the paper for more.  As I’m reading and scribbling, stuff ferments a little and ideas start coming:

  • "Job Security" is one I’ve done a lot with, so no surprise that there’s nothing there today.
  • "Sexual Tension" for some reason brought out the Sidney Harris is me.  I thought it would be funny to have sexual tension as part of some sort of complicated formula.  A little later I thought of the male and female symbols, and it all sort of fell together.
  • "Legal Maneuvers" brought the Heimlich maneuver to mind, and although it took a little to whittle down the caption, I think it worked out nicely.
  • "High Profile" wrote itself, and I have no idea why my sketch of a man in profile includes a ponytail.
  • "Track Record" was percolating for a bit with a man interviewing in track shoes, but it never really materialized.
  • "Boxed Wines" went nowhere fast.
  • "Hall Czar" came from a headline about a "Telecom Czar."  "War Czar" is abuzz right now, so I thought taking it down to a kid’s level would be a good way to poke some fun.  It ended up a little more political and topical than I like to get, but it is what it is.

Here are the gags rewritten for further marinating in the ol’ idea box:

Writing2

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Practical Cartoon Advice

andertoons12 Comments

Hanging CatOK, there’s all sorts of articles, blog entries and whatnot out there to advise and inspire people who want to draw cartoons. And for the most part, they’re all pretty much the same.

  • Draw a lot
  • Read a lot of cartoons
  • Don’t give up

And, you know, it’s all good advice, but I think you could change a few words, add a few thousand more, and you’d have pretty much every self-help book clogging your local Barnes and Noble.

So, I’m going to give some real practical advice that other cartoonists aren’t going to tell you. It’s not pretty, but it’s all good to know:

  • Don’t Ask For Help – Stop emailing other cartoonists and asking for advice. Even if you get good advice, it may not be the advice you really need. The best thing you can do is try, fail, and try again until you get it right.
  • Get a Mac – I know, you know your way around a PC, and Macs are expensive and all that, but it’s worth it. Time is going to be short at first, and you need to be writing and drawing, not worrying about viruses and blue screens of death.
  • Don’t Quit Your Day Job – At least not for a good while. I know you hate it, and it’s crushing your soul, but you need the bread. Draw and write in the mornings before work, at lunch, and at night. When no one’s looking at work, you can work on your…
  • Blog – Websites take some time and money to get set up. Blogs don’t require a lot of programming know-how to get running. It’s a good way to build an online presence on the cheap.
  • Don’t Send Cartoons About Wolves in Traps Gnawing Off their Own Legs to the ASPCA – Been there, done that.
  • Writing Carries Bad Art – There’s no secret here, you need to be funny. No one buys a cartoon because that horse really really looks like a horse. Actively work on writing funnier. You can do it in your head while appearing to read that memo at work. See a pattern here?
  • It’s Not Like it Was in the Old Days – Plenty of guys are gonna tell you how bad the markets are now, and you used to be able to feed a family of 15 off of one cartoon sale to Collier’s, blah blah blah blah… The markets are there.
  • You’re Going to Fail – A lot. Like any sales gig it’s mostly about numbers. Suck it up, draw more cartoons, and mail them out.

There you have it; real, honest, and most importantly, usable advice, None of that mamby pamby “something that sparks inside of you and ignites a fire in your belly that you know is there” crap.

Be funny, draw fast, and be professional.

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