[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lozdwU4WxXE]
Here is a video of one of my favorite cartoonists talking about his work. Gerhard was the background artist for the comic book Cerebus. This talk, from the Ye Bookes of Cerebus gallery show, is an amazing view into this very reclusive artist’s work.
What’s going on here? Perhaps one friend comforting another friend in a time of need? Or maybe, just maybe, an enemy stabbing his nemesis in the chest with an ice pick. The two look very similar from a distance.
Being both a cheap bastard and a cartoonist, my big purchase of the week was Introduction to Cartooning by R Taylor. Total cost: $3.
Normally I’m not one to really go for the “Learn To Draw See It’s So Easy Even I Can Do It” books, but this one seemed a little unique. For one thing, look at the author …
APPLESAUCE. That’s a cartoonist. Smoking a pipe, he looks like he has a half drank bottle of whiskey sitting next to his inkwell.
But what does Mr. Taylor have to say about cartooning?
“The best way to judge an art class is to look at the work being done by the student. If their work looks something like the sketch I have made in A, hang up your hat. If it looks anything lke B or C, say you’’re just browsing around and want to think it over——then go home and forget it. And try again, elsewhere.” Had Mr. Taylor given me this advice while I was still in school, I would have avoided many unesessary headaches. It’s true that nearly all art schools are lost when it comes to the education of a cartoonist.
More constructive advice:
“Unscrupulous people have made money out of books based upon trick theories … but their books are exactly nothing more than catchpenny frauds. You can’t draw by trick methods.”
I’m certain that I’ve never heard the unique phrase “catchpenny fraud” before, but think that it would look excellent on a tombstone. Thank you, Mr. Taylor.
“I grant that once a cartoonist is established … it is much easier for him to sell his drawings. There is only one way in which to arrive at such a blissful state and that is to go through the period of arriving … something which takes courage and determination. The easily discouraged, the weak, the self-sympathizers can’t do it. Only the strong survive.”
One of my newest short stories, Routine, has been chosen to be included on the Top Shelf Comix web-site.
Sometimes I make drawings like this. However, I would never write a story that has a character that looks quite this crazy and cartoony. This is what happens when there is a desire to simply make lines.
This is a Halloween poster I made. It’s for the Stevens Square Center for Arts big bash at the end of October. I’ll be there.
Well here’s my setup from the convention this weekend. The show itself went very well, and I was fortunate enough to sit next to some friends of mine who also happen to be fantastic cartoonists …
This is Daniel Boyd accepting money from a happy customer. Dan’s a dude. This was his first convention.
Here’s Sam Hiti scoffing at the offer of money. Sam is the creator of the well known End Times book, and a dude in his own right.
Unfortunatelly, King Mini was unable to accept this money since he was only able to attend on Saturday. Had this photo been taken a day earlier, pictured would have been some of the best comics and posters in the Twin Cities.
Well, let’s start out easy with a drawing.