q & a


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eeTeeD left a buncha questions here, and Mark Landman suggested I answer one a day, so here goes:

what motivates you to create cartoons?

Obsession. Money, fame, and glory are nice perks, but I was drawing comics when I had no conscious ambition of actually being a published cartoonist. I always loved art, and I always thought I would try to have some kind of art career, but I did not always think I had what it takes to be a comic artist.

In fact, I was sure I did NOT have what it takes the first few times I sat down and seriously tried to actually draw a publishable comic story. The first thing I tried was a Pink Panther comic. The second thing was a Harlan Ellison story. I can't remember the name of the story, but it's the one where a girl purposely bashes her head into a wall at the beginning of the story.

If I still had these two laughable attempts at cartooning, I would show them to you. But they are long gone.
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eeTeeD also invited other artists to answer, so here is the full list. Feel free to answer here, or on your own blog. But if you take them and run, please let me know so I can link to it, and eeTeeD can find you.

what motivates you to create cartoons?
what are your goals as a cartoonist?

who are some of your influences?

what are some of your favorite comic strips?

what are some of your favorite comic books?

what are some of your favorite animated cartoons?

what is your earliest published cartoon?

what do you consider your biggest accomplishment as a cartoonist?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Agreed, "obsession" definitely is the best description for me too.

Why we're so obsessed is harder to quantify, certainly most artists seem to enjoy getting praise for their work (probably a learned behavior from our youth), I know I definitely do. That's got to be a huge part of the motivation. Curiously, we've picked a bad field to get much feedback from...

There's also the joy of working on something and thinking "it's good". Nothing keeps me happier than working on a page or panel because I think it's going to be great. Usually after I finish I'm a lot more ambivalent about how good it is, but that interim optimism and pure joy of being creatively involved is just wonderful stuff, and definitely motivates me.

Ultimately, those of us who do this stuff seem to have been "bitten" by the comics bug in our impressionable youth, and once bitten, seem to be permanently infected.

eeTeeD said...

http://www.fabrica.it/flipbook/

BonzoGal said...

Countdown to Mark's appearance at the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco to promote RUNAWAY COMICS: 11 days.

Thank you.

SRBissette said...

That cinches it -- eeteed IS Phil Ai.

Josh Sager said...

what motivates you to create cartoons?
Continual rush of putting my communicaiton and drawing skills on the line. Will my next cartoon live up the the expectations of my last one. Or can I bounce back from the wretchedly horrible scribbled mess? It was supposed to be a dog, but it looks like a horse! Most of all I love the growth that I feel after every drawing. It's a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Honorable Mention:
Good Illustration, and the urge inside to share my creations with people

what are your goals as a cartoonist?
I would love to publish either a graphic novel or to be published

who are some of your influences?
BoltCity.com (Kazu Kibuishi), Derek Kirk Kim, Bill Watterson, Lynn Johnston, Chuck Jones, Todd Mcfarlane, Jeff Smith, Family, www.somethingtobedesired.com, girlfriend, and the random people I see at coffee houses.

what are some of your favorite comic strips?
For Better or Worse, Calvin and Hobbes, Copper, Mac Hall and Garfield

what are some of your favorite comic books?
Spawn, Same Difference, Mac Hall 1st edition, Bone

what are some of your favorite animated cartoons?
Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2, A Bugs Life (Anything Pixar) Duck Amuck (one of my favorites I love Chuck Jones), ohh and I always loved Duck Tales.

what is your earliest published cartoon?
It depends on what you call published. I had a comic book in the 5th grade basically ripping off superman 3 called super sager. The book caused a run of comic books to be created that year by many of my classmates. Some great characters such as Pizza Man (Ryan James) and Slomy Man (pronounced Salami Man created by yours truly. I know my spelling was bad, but it was only 5th grade) had many adventures that year.

My cartoons were seen all over AIP when I was in the student council. I used to make cartoon posters promoting certain events.

My first web comic was about me losing my internet connection and that was posted in December of 2003.

what do you consider your biggest accomplishment as a cartoonist?
Reaching and audience. I used to draw lots of things, but they were mostly inside jokes. Drawings that only a few people could understand or relate to. A singer without a voice really. Creating cartoons that people can identify with on a personal or emotion level is huge compliment. Getting to that level is my biggest accomplishment. Last January some of my comics were in a gallery show and i got a lot of positive feedback. The attendees pointed out certain comics that they could identify with and then went on to share a sibling rivalry stories of their own. At that moment I felt like I had for the first time found my drawing voice and as well as an audience who wanted to listen.

Josh

stardotstar comics

Josh Sager said...

what motivates you to create cartoons?
Continual rush of putting my communicaiton and drawing skills on the line. Will my next cartoon live up the the expectations of my last one. Or can I bounce back from the wretchedly horrible scribbled mess? It was supposed to be a dog, but it looks like a horse! Most of all I love the growth that I feel after every drawing. It's a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

Honorable Mention:
Good Illustration, and the urge inside to share my creations with people

what are your goals as a cartoonist?
I would love to publish either a graphic novel or to be published

who are some of your influences?
BoltCity.com (Kazu Kibuishi), Derek Kirk Kim, Bill Watterson, Lynn Johnston, Chuck Jones, Todd Mcfarlane, Jeff Smith, Family, www.somethingtobedesired.com, girlfriend, and the random people I see at coffee houses.

what are some of your favorite comic strips?
For Better or Worse, Calvin and Hobbes, Copper, Mac Hall and Garfield

what are some of your favorite comic books?
Spawn, Same Difference, Mac Hall 1st edition, Bone

what are some of your favorite animated cartoons?
Finding Nemo, Toy Story 2, A Bugs Life (Anything Pixar) Duck Amuck (one of my favorites I love Chuck Jones), ohh and I always loved Duck Tales.

what is your earliest published cartoon?
It depends on what you call published. I had a comic book in the 5th grade basically ripping off superman 3 called super sager. The book caused a run of comic books to be created that year by many of my classmates. Some great characters such as Pizza Man (Ryan James) and Slomy Man (pronounced Salami Man created by yours truly. I know my spelling was bad, but it was only 5th grade) had many adventures that year.

My cartoons were seen all over AIP when I was in the student council. I used to make cartoon posters promoting certain events.

My first web comic was about me losing my internet connection and that was posted in December of 2003.

what do you consider your biggest accomplishment as a cartoonist?
Reaching and audience. I used to draw lots of things, but they were mostly inside jokes. Drawings that only a few people could understand or relate to. A singer without a voice really. Creating cartoons that people can identify with on a personal or emotion level is huge compliment. Getting to that level is my biggest accomplishment. Last January some of my comics were in a gallery show and i got a lot of positive feedback. The attendees pointed out certain comics that they could identify with and then went on to share a sibling rivalry stories of their own. At that moment I felt like I had for the first time found my drawing voice and as well as an audience who wanted to listen.