Why Cartoons?
Why not, that's what I say. Why not...but, well... I cannot help but be drawn (literally) to art. And to create. Pencil in hand. Scratching out shapes, erasing, refining. I just...love it. The whole process. And cartoons - a love affair. Stretching way back to some of my first fond memories, as a child (see below on Murray Ball).
It started when I was young. At my Grandparents house. My Grandad had these receipt books which had this transfer paper. Which, when you placed it underneath the page you were to write on....it would magically copy the marks you made and transfer them to the next page. For a five year old - mind blowing!!!
I was never really great at school. Average were most of my school grades. But I always did well in the arts. I loved it.
Fast forward to my mid twenties where I reconnected not only to my art, but started to wonder, could I do this as a career? It was during this time that I found a correspondence course that offered a Diploma in cartooning. I was sold. It is funny, but even as I write this now, this course was still one of the best decisions I had made in regards to my education. Even now the Diploma certificate is mounted in a picture frame. Which is saying a lot, as other courses I have completed are just stored away, in a box, somewhere.
Fast forward another year or so, Sonya, my wife and I, did a graphic design course. Two years in the making. And at the end of it, I had fairly much done a concept art portfolio. I went out into the big wide world, met with working designers and also applied for design work. Of which all these experiences revealed that graphic design was not the path for me. So I took that Graphic diploma, put it in a box out in the garage. And said good bye to graphic design.
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| Proud achievement |
First fond memory: a letter from Murray Ball (at primary school)
Back in primary school, maybe around 6-7 years of age, a friend and I decided to write a letter to Murray Ball. Murray Ball is an iconic New Zealand cartoonist, best known for drawing a syndicated cartoon strip called Footrot Flats, which is awesome!!!!
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| Footrol Flats, number 1 |
I will admit the details are a little hazy but it went something like this. After sending the letter off to Murray Ball, we got a response. From thee Murray Ball... on an official Footrol Flat letter head. To say that both my friend and I were blowing away was an understatement. As for the contents of the letter from Murray Ball, it was an encouragement to keep up our drawings and best wishes for the future. And it had a small drawing of dog on it - awesome.
Unbeknownst to me, this single event would shape my love for cartooning, inspire me to draw like my art heroes (and Murray Ball of course), and actually discover a passion.
As a side note, both at home and between both sets of my grandparents, it was common to have cartoon books lying around. This exposure to these books helped me to discover the joy of art which has lasted me a lifetime. And a love for books, reading and cultivating the imagination too.
So thank you Murray Ball. You are a legend.
So why cartoons?
I always marvel at how someone comes into their happy place (enjoyment), by way of passions/gifts.
This joy is not something you can manufacture or force (whether by your own efforts, or the efforts of others). And if you are fortunate enough to not only discover what makes you happy, but nurture it throughout your life, you are blessed indeed.
I often need to remind myself that creativity, the joy of it, is a truly high order of spirituality. It nourishes you. Sustains and keeps you of sane mind. There has been countless times when I have felt down and restless, only to be re-focused and fulfilled after a session of drawing. Reading too.
So why cartoons? Why this particular art form? I can only answer it through a magical lens - that it chose me. I didn't go initially looking for it. And I didn't try to force it. I just found myself, scribbling at first, then doodling. And from there, marveling at these magical beings called cartoon characters - how they occupied a world that was funny, sad and everything else - so human, yet so zany, crazy and loveable.
So in a nutshell, I love, cartoons.
A little collection of cartoony stuff I own
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