Bloggasm

Patricia Storms is a freelance illustrator and cartoonist residing in Toronto, Canada. She specializes in humorous illustration for both adults and children. Her illustrated blog, BookLust, is a light-hearted labour of love which focuses on her many passions: books, cartoons, art and stuff.

Simon Owens: As someone who enjoys both books and cartoons, do you think it harder to provide in-depth criticism on cartoons? What criteria do you use if you’re going to analyze a particular cartoon (for instance, a political cartoon published in a newspaper)?

Patricia Storms: I don’t personally think it’s hard to provide in-depth criticism of cartoons – they are basically just another form of art, like painting, music or sculpture. In fact, I find it even more enjoyable critiquing cartoons, because I am assessing two forms of art (writing and drawing) which bond together as one creative element. The difficulty in critiquing cartoons lies in the limitations of those who see cartoons as hack work, or the lowest art form available. I hear that from time to time, but thankfully less often these days, thanks to, in part, the rise in popularity of graphic novels. The respect of graphic novelists is slowly seeping into other forms of cartooning, like comic strips and one-panel magazine gags and humour illustration in general, I think.

The criteria I would use to critique a cartoon, would be first, is it funny? (That is, of course, if the cartoon in question is supposed to be funny. Political cartoons, for example, are not necessarily always supposed to be funny, but if effective, are insightful, and elicit a strong feeling from the reader, be it agreement or anger). If the cartoon is funny, I’ll also be wondering if it was the most effective way to communicate the humour. Is the humour too obvious? Could the writing (if there is any; remember some cartoons are completely wordless, but of course still communicate ideas) have been pared down some more? I find that the more terse the writing, the better the cartoon. Is the idea new, fresh, original? A funny cartoon is of little use if it’s something that’s been done before, especially if it’s been done better. The art for a cartoon is important, too, though the writing, in the end is most important. There’s an old saying in the cartoonist world, “Good writing can carry bad art, but good art can’t carry bad writing.” I think most people would agree with this, and popular comic strips such as Dilbert and Pearls Before Swine certainly can attest to this adage. What’s important in the drawing of a cartoon (or comic strip, or graphic novel, etc.) is that the drawing style should match with the writing. Heavy, detailed illustrations don’t always work well with certain gags, especially if they are short and snappy. In fact, as I get older, I am less and less drawn to detailed cartoon work. There is a lot to be said for the quick, energetic brush strokes which can really capture an expression or mood.

Simon Owens: How does a freelance cartoonist compare to being a freelance writer? How do you go about getting into the freelance cartoonist business?

Patricia Storms: It’s hard for me to compare, since I’m not a freelance writer, but I’ll try. In a lot of ways, I think they may be similar. Freelance writers have to pitch ideas to magazines and newspapers before they get the job, and in a sense, this is sort of spec work, I think, since you are presenting an idea (mind you, I assume it’s in a rough format at this point) to an editor before you have even been paid. In some situations, cartooning is very similar. I occasionally do magazine gag cartoons (though sadly not as often, since I find it isn’t as lucrative as freelance illustration work), and when I do, I send off a batch of already finished cartoons to an editor, with the hope that they will pick up at least one of them. In my mind, that’s a form of spec work, since I am not guaranteed payment even though I’ve done the work. Freelance writers, if they are lucky, can be syndicated, just like cartoonists, and just like cartoonists, if they are lucky, a freelance writer can land a regular gig in a publication. And both jobs, I think, can be very stressful, demeaning, frustrating, heart-crushing….but when you get that amazing job, there are no words on earth to describe the feeling of utter elation. Of course, that feeling never lasts. And then you have to face the blank page once more, as the bill collector is beating down your door.

There is no magic method to ‘get started’ in this business. Just start. Build up a portfolio, and start pounding the pavement (or these days, the internet). You gotta have a bit of a tough skin, because trust me, there will be plenty of rejection. And the rejection will probably never entirely go away. It takes time to develop a style, as well as to build relationships with art directors, editors and publishers. My career in freelance cartooning and illustration has taken a long time to develop. I started out doing it on the side while I had other full-time jobs when I was in my 20’s, and I didn’t graduate to full-time illustration until my late 30’s. I’m 43 now, and things are now just starting to gain momentum (though paranoid person that I am, I firmly believe that it can all disappear in an instant).

Simon Owens: Do you think that blogs and the internet are great ways for unknown artists and cartoonists to get their work seen? Do you have any examples of this happening?

Patricia Storms: I have stressed this over and over again to anyone who will listen to me. You wanna get exposure with your work? Start a blog. Art directors aren’t just looking at portfolio sites these days, they are looking at blogs, too. I’ve had quite a few illustration (and writing) jobs from my blog. It’s really a must, in my opinion.

Simon Owens: What are some of the key differences between drawing for children books and drawing for other forms of media–like greeting cards and newspapers?

Patricia Storms: Well, your work will be different because you are catering to a different audience. With greeting cards, there is that opportunity to delve into gritty adult humour, which obviously you are not going to be able to do if you’re working on a children’s book. Same goes for newspaper illustration, which is obviously geared towards adults. Other than that, it’s pretty much the same in the sense that you are working with an art director, and hopefully coming towards an agreement on the illustrations that need to be created. If you are lucky enough to illustrate a trade children’s book (ie, commercial – it will sell in bookstores) then you will be paid royalties, as opposed to educational children’s books, which are work-for-hire (flat payment), since the books will only sell in schools, and thus will have a shorter print run. The same is true for greeting cards. Some companies pay royalties (though there are less and less who do this), but the bigger companies (Hallmark and American Greetings) just pay a flat fee.

Simon Owens: What are some books that are coming out soon that you look foward to the most?

Patricia Storms: I’m really looking forward to reading Jonathan Franzen’s memoir, The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History. Although I tease this author mercilessly in some of my cartoons, I love his writing. He is thoughtful, insightful and so very self-absorbed. I’m very intrigued as to why he would choose now to write a personal memoir; people usually do that after they’ve lived a bit longer than 40-oddish years. Part of me wonders if it’s a way for him to ‘set the record straight’ about all the misunderstandings concerning his numerous personal gaffs over the years. Whatever he writes, though, I know it will be fascinating.

I’m also looking forward to some new short stories by Alice Munro The View from Castle Rock because this lady is the master of short stories, and I hear that this collection is supposed to be her best, and may sadly be her last, as she has intimated that she’s done with writing. I hope that’s not true. I’m also looking forward to Margaret Atwood’s latest collection of short stories Moral Disorder: and Other Stories, because this is another very talented author who is mostly known for her novels, but she can write a damn good short story. This short story collection is her first in 15 years.

And, well, um… I’m looking forward to my own collection of cartoons which will come out February 2008 by Red Rock Press. It will be a Valentine’s day gift book; just a bit of light-hearted fun, but it’s the first book which I have written and illustrated, so I’m kind of excited about that.

Simon Owens: What are the five blogs you’d recommend to supplement the reading of your own?

Patricia Storms: Oh dear, I hate questions like that, because I always feel bad about leaving certain bloggers out. But here’s a list of some of my fave blogs:

Book Puddle: Vivacious and energetic book-luster like myself. And a Canuck, just like me!

Daily Blague: Extremely erudite blogger with a passion for books, movies and music, from a Manhattan perspective.

Drawn: Excellent illustration and cartooning blog, created by talented cartoonist and designer John Martz, another great Canuck.

Kate’s Book Blog: Very intelligent book blog by talented Toronto writer named Kate.

Magnificent Octopus: A well-read and witty lady named Isabella, hailing from Montreal. Yes, I’m really showing my Canuck bias.

Written Inc: A very thoughtful and engaging blog by journalist Carmi Levy, who is based in London, Ontario. Yet another Canuck. Heh.

A year or two ago, I had a debate with a friend of mine about the recent surge in comic book movies. I argued that it was causing a mainstream acceptance of super-heroes and that as an effect of this, would cause an uprise in comic book buying (something needed for the comic book industry, since it hit bad times in the 90s). Well, it looks like my prediction is coming true, though not at a super drastic rate: Comic book fans, industry revel in surging popularity:

Maryland-based Diamond Comic Distributors Inc. is the largest comic book wholesale retailer in the world. Last year, the company sold more than 94 million comics to stores worldwide, a 5 percent increase from 2004 and a continuation of steady growth in the last five years, said Elissa Lynch, Diamond public relations associate.

Of course many of the comic book readers are subscribers, so it’s hard to say whether or not there has been an increase in that area. And on top of that, the article doesn’t specify if there has been any increase in independent comic book publisher sales.

Related posts: Interview with Dave’s Long Box, Interview with Cartoon Brew, Interview with Nehring the Edge, Cornrow Geometry

Jerry Beck is a well known animation historian, animation exec (Nickelodeon, Disney, etc.) and a cartoon producer. He was research associate on Leonard Maltin’s OF MICE AND MAGIC: A HISTORY OF AMERICAN ANIMATED CARTOONS and has gone on to write ten books including LOONEY TUNES THE ULTIMATE VISUAL GUIDE, THE 50 GREATEST CARTOONS, OUTLAW ANIMATION and THE ANIMATED MOVIE GUIDE. He’s written for ANIMATION MAGAZINE, VARIETY, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, VIDEO BUSINESS, THE WHOLE TOON CATALOG, ANIMATION BLAST, and ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE. He has produced dozens of animated video compilations and is a consultant on the LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION series. Beck co-founded STREAMLINE PICTURES, the first company devoted to importing Japanese animation and distributing anime to North American theatres, television and home video. Among Streamline’s many titles were AKIRA, FIST OF THE NORTH STAR, and ROBOTECH. Beck is currently producing a cartoon pilot for Frederator Studios and Nickelodeon - and maintains a website www.cartoonresearch.com and a co-writes a blog www.cartoonbrew.com

Simon Owens: With the newer trends towards computer animation, do you think animated movies are improving?

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Dave Walker draws cartoons for the UK church paper ‘The Church Times’ and runs Cartoon Church, a site supplying cartoon-based resources for churches to use. He is the writer of ‘the Cartoon Blog‘ and ‘The Dullest Blog in the World’. He lives in Essex, UK.

Simon Owens: You seemed to have created an extremely niche blog by drawing cartoons for churches. Before creating the blog, did you find that there was a large demand for such a thing?

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A self-trained cartoonist and illustrator, August J. Pollak graduated in 2003 from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied animation for his BFA in Film & Television.

His weekly comic strip, XQUZYPHYR & Overboard, started and ran for four years in the NYU student-run newspaper, the Washington Square News, and continues to this day on the political news weblog xoverboard.com and elsewhere. Profound one moment and random the next, XQUZYPHYR & Overboard blends a unique sense of humor with serious social criticism.

Since October 2004, Pollak has been part of Campus Progress, a project of the Center for American Progress designed to promote progressive ideals and counter right-wing influence on college campuses.

Simon Owens: Which conservative bloggers do you think create the most spin? And if you had to pick a conservative blogger to label a worthy adversary, which blogger would that be?

August Pollak: I don’t really rank bloggers, left or right, by how much they spin. I only know that if it’s too great I simply don’t read it. I don’t read any nonsensical radical lefty blogs where every post is about Bush being a mass murderer or Hitler or anything like that. And the only conservative blogs I honestly look at on a more than casual basis are the extreme right-wing sites like FreeRepublic, if only to see what their reaction to a certain event is. I don’t consider those “adversaries” as much as people you should just keep an eye on for your own protection. Sometimes it’s humorous and sometimes it’s scary. I’m actually amazed with some bloggers like Ezra Klein and Oliver Willis who have civil exchanges and “online friendships” with conservative bloggers. Trying to be friendly with right-wing bloggers, especially the ones who came in swinging the 9/11 bat and started screaming about how I “hate America” or “don’t support the troops” is pointless to me. I have no desire to play the battered spo

SO: I love your fresh-feeling cartoon style. Do you ever use it to make political cartoons?

AP: http://www.xoverboard.com/cartoons/index.html Been doin’ this seven years, long before the blogging. I’ll be appearing in “Attitude 3: The New Subversive Online Cartoonists,” edited by Ted Rall and due out in June.

SO: As someone who just graduated college, how do you think the campus political scene is gearing up for the 2006 elections? Are college students going to make it out to vote?

AP: Well it’s not that recent at this point; I graduated in spring of 2003. But I currently work for an organization that focuses primarily on getting students engaged on campuses nationwide: www.campusprogress.org. From both personal and work experience, politicians shouldn’t just be focusing on the youth and campus vote, they should be actively targeting it. In the 2004 Presidential election, there was only one demographic block that went to the more progressive candidate: the youth vote.

SO: What are the five blogs everyone should be reading (besides your own)?

AP: Campus Progress’ blog

Steve Gilliard

Tom Tomorrow

Pandagon

Think Progress

Ralf Zeigermann: In the real world, where I am known as Ralf Zeigermann, I work as a freelance Art Director for several Ad Agencies in London and sometimes abroad. In the virtual world of the Worldwide Interweb, I’m running a weblog called The Cartoonist.

I started The Cartoonist in September 2002, mostly for fun, but also to publish my cartoons. It then mutated into a pure ‘Links-Blog’, and at present I simply publish everything I like - private stuff, paintings by a mate of mine, links, old German ads and whatnot. And still my cartoons of course. You may find it interesting. Or you won’t.

Simon Owens: Has running a cartoon blog made you more successful at promoting and selling your own work?

RZ: Yes and no. I started the weblog with the intention of merely publishing my cartoons in the vain hope a publisher might pick up on it and offer me a contract for a book. This of course never happened; I was very naive at the time. However, because of The Cartoonist (and because there’s a whole website built around it, which actually evolved out of the weblog), I quickly got in touch with other bloggers and I did indeed get some work out of it.

I illustrated Annie Mole’s book ‘One Stop Short of Barking‘, I worked on a few projects together with Gary Santoro, and I got bits and pieces of other work through my weblog, like the Beerwise website, which is a joint project of London Leben and The Cartoonist.

But, as I said - all of it went through fellow bloggers. I doubt that a publisher, an ad agency or an agent is ever going to approach you just because you’re running a weblog with your stuff on it. You’ll still have to walk around with your (printed) portfolio and you still will have to phone up lots of people in order to get work.

Running a (cartoon) blog is certainly not a way of becoming rich, but you’ll definitely meet interesting people.

SO: Do you see any major differences between modern American art and modern UK art?

DZ: I’m afraid I can’t answer that question. Although quite a few friends of mine all over the planet are artists or work as artists, I personally don’t know much about the art scene in either the Uk or the US. I could answer a question about the differences between modern American advertising and modern UK advertising though.

SO: How does the art community in London compare to those in other European countries?

DZ: I don’t think there’s a major difference between countries; but I think there’s a difference between towns. For example, the Berlin art community is totally different from the Hamburg art community; and so is London from Manchester.

They all have their own style and they all are very close within their boundaries, there’s not much of a networking process recognisable. Which is probably bound to change, because of the web, and because more and more ‘virtual’ networking communities.

SO: What are the five blogs everyone should be reading (besides your own)?

DZ: Apart from the above mentioned:
Paperholic
Coudal
Eye of the Goof
Harald Siepermann
Mac Essentials/IT&W (a German FAB Weblog)