Today for Veteran’s Day, I’m going to kick back with a fresh cup of coffee and watch my all time favorite movie, “Stand By For Action”, 1942 with Robert Taylor, Brian Donlevy, Charles Laughton, and Walter Brennan. I served on the USS Arleigh Burke for 4 years, so watching a movie about a destroyer in action with a crew of truly the greatest generation is an absolute pleasure. I’ve worn my copy of this DVD thin. Later, I’ll be joined by fellow vet Dave Ditullio for some cartoon work, followed by a libation tipped in honor of those still standing watch over us.

Here’s one of the earliest cartoons I created, heavy on cross-hatching and strictly black and white. Color hadn’t yet entered my skill set.

Like most cartoonists early on, I’d had my sights set on syndication and had submitted several concepts to the major syndicates, all of which were impersonally rejected. The work had been created with that in mind – heavy use of bold blacks, drawn to what I’d understood to be the required dimensions for reduction, etc.

After a steady stream of military deployments, I’d find myself reinventing the work when I’d return home – not really a bad thing. I started adopting a more ‘cartoony’ style, abandoning the chase for a more realistic look, which tends to be less memorable and engaging in cartooning. Part of what’s required for a successful cartoon is a distinctive, memorable look, the start of what some describe as a brand.

You can see here where I began to abandon the cross-hatching style and give the characters a rounder, softer look.

Soon, I began trying to identify traits that I considered visually funny. Among the first was glasses. I started drawing large glasses on my characters and giving them something of a dumpy look. If you look around, you’ll find physical traits that you consider humorous, and when exaggerated, make for a character that becomes memorable and fun to look at. Now, mind you, we’re not looking to do so in an effort to be mean or cruel – I’ve heard some VERY unpleasant stories from caricaturists who draw people who are paying to have their features distorted in a cartoonish way. Turns out, they didn’t like that!

Among the first cartoons where I begin adding glasses as a humorous feature.

When I went to my family home near Albany, New York, my mother has a picture of my great grandparents. I hadn’t really given the matter a great deal of thought at the time, but when I saw my great-grandmother’s glasses, I knew they’d make a great addition to my developing characters.

Among the first uses of the stereotypical “Spectickles” over-sized fifties-ish glasses.

Within a few years, I’d finally landed where I suspect my “Spectickles” characters will remain in appearance. I sought feedback from family, friends, cartoonist colleagues, and the buying market to better tweak my characters, resulting in what you see now. But, as you’ve read, the process took time, a great deal of thought and consideration, and the acquisition of new skills to get where I wanted to go.

I continue to work in new mediums, create new characters and cartoons, and utilize different tools as the mood strikes. All of which are an essential part of developing as an artist and cartoonist. And most importantly, to me anyway, all of which has been enormously enjoyable and rewarding.

I’m elated with the results of the “Success In Comics” seminar I attended in Annapolis, Maryland, where I not only met with some fantastically talented cartoonists and industry icons, but I was presented with a couple potential opportunities – something I hadn’t considered prior to attending. If you are a cartoonist, I can’t recommend the seminar enough, given by comic marketing genius Bill Kellogg and exceptionally talented and successful Chad Carpenter, the warped mind behind “Tundra”.

While I sway back and forth between gag cartooning for business magazines and licensing, my recent push has been solely on licensing. As a matter of fact, there are two very exciting prospects that I’m very much looking forward to, should they come to fruition. I may be taking a trip to Manhattan very soon to meet with executives from a company who have taken to my “Spectickles” cartoon characters and want to see more. Additionally, I had the extraordinary good fortune to meet with one of the major syndicate art directors, and we may be meeting in the late spring or early summer to discuss putting “Spectickles” in daily newspaper syndication. Nothing is ever definite till the ink is dry on the contracts and you’re slurping back champagne paid for with that first royalty check, but it’s a very solid start.

Hallmark UK introduced the “Spectickles” line of greeting cards at the Spring Fair in Birmingham, England this past February, which is a major milestone for my characters. The market will determine whether or not they become a successful line, but you’ll never know unless you step into the arena. Like my grandmother used to say, ‘throw spaghetti against the wall and see what sticks’.

There are a number of other discussions that are ongoing with some excellent licensing partners and we’ll see how far they go, including a potential book deal with a popular book publishing company, a new line of greeting cards in the US and Canada, among several others. As is the case with all business, all of these things could happen, or none of them. But as long as we keep charging forward, immeasurable potential exists.

“The Secrets Of Professional Cartooning” by Ken Muse – a very good book that covers in great detail the world of the syndicated cartoonist. It has a lot of unique insight and is an enjoyable read. While it’s over thirty years old, the information may still have relevence for those seeking cartoon syndication.

“The Complete Cartoons Of The New Yorker” edited by Bob Mankoff – To my mind, New Yorker cartoonists represent the finest cartoonists in the business, now or in the past. Aspiring cartoonists would do well to study the art, the humor, and the style of the thousands of examples present within this book. I’ve worn my copy mighty thin.

“Good Grief: The Story Of Charles M. Schulz” by Rheta Grimsley Johnson – An icon to so many young cartoonists, myself included, has been Charles Schulz. His “Peanuts” characters have been read in newspapers now for generations, and have become part of the fabric of our American culture. This story of his life is a fascinating read, and an inspiration.

“Charles Addams: A Cartoonist’s Life” - by Linda H. Davis – Charles Addams lived the life of a cartoonist at a time when the financial rewards and acclaim were in abundance. A very enjoyable read, and a glimpse at the world of a cartoonist at its apex.

“Artist’s & Graphic Designer’s Market” is a necessary annual purchase for the working cartoonist and artist. It is filled with many, but certainly not all, current markets, their needs, contact information, rights sought, and pay.

There are many more books piled in the shelves of my cartooning library, but this is a healthy start. I’ll update more soon!

An important aspect that I believe is sometimes (it certainly has with me) been neglected, is taking the time to stay healthy. Recently, my wife and I have been going to the track for a jog, sometimes we’ll knock out a P90X workout, or I’ll get on the rowing machine and row my carcass for what seems like a trans-Atlantic crossing. But after the heart rate retuns to normal, and a hot shower has soothed fatigued muscles, it seems the quality of my work improves. I’m no doctor, but that’s the result I’m getting, and I’d recommend it for my fellow creatives. As cartoonists, we can sometimes get stuck in a very non-physical, sedentary rut, sitting at a desk all day trying to come up with the next gem of a gag, and we neglect other things.

Being a cartoonist is a gift for which I can’t help but feel enormously grateful. I love all aspects of the writing, the art, and even the business. That said, there’s also more to life, and it’s every bit as important as our chosen vocation. End of sermon – get back to work!

Charles Schultz Interview With Charlie Rose