Someone recently told me all drummers should be able to dance and all dancers should be able to drum. I pretended like I knew that saying and said “Ohhh yeah, sure, of course.” But now it’s making me think. What should all cartoonists be able to do? And who should also be able to be a cartoonist? My vote is “snackers.”
Not all cartoonists are musicians but I do feel that cartoons have a great musical quality to them. The way everything has to flow together to make a joke work, how you only have an idea for a book when you’ve recently been dumped… It’s all about rhythm timing, and heartbreak baby!
If you ask most cartoonists, they’ll say something like “I love drawing to jazz.” And that’s annoying, but it really is true. I think there is an inherent call and response between music and drawing, there can be so much inspiration in a line of music, or, at your favorite karaoke bar. Mine is Planet Rose!
OK… I’m now also wondering, maybe all cartoonists need to know how to karaoke, and all karaoke lovers should become cartoonists. Or will that flood the market?
-Hilary
There’s always one Stabby Pete in every fan club. And you should usually keep 4-6 feet away from him at all times.
The best part of any music concert is when the lead guy screams “Hello (INSERT CITY WHERE BAND IS PERFORMING). It’s just nice that they do that. I lil’ hello before they get to work singing their songs. I like to say “oh hey!” back. My hope is that maybe I can get a conversation going. Nothing deep, just a nice quick conversation about how my night is going, or what kind of music I like, or what I‘m going to do after the show. That kind of thing. So far it hasn't happened, but I figure if I keep showing up and being friendly only good things can happen.
I have a bust of Beethoven on my desk, and I like to show him my cartoons as I’m working on them. On one hand, he’s an inanimate object from HomeGoods sculpted with a permanent frown. But on the other hand, he’s the greatest composer of the 19th century (and let’s be real, probably of all time). If I can get him to laugh, or even smile, I know it’s a pretty good cartoon. He hasn’t yet, but I think I’m getting close.
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