Today is National Cartoonist Day. I never thought of myself
as a cartoonist before. I wrongly associated the term previously with other
definitions. However, I write comics. I illustrate comics. I also letter
comics. I color comics. I prepare comics for the press to go to printers. I self-publish
comics.
Yet working in comics is NOT my full-time profession.
Outside my “day job” as a graphic designer (and previously teaching
college art courses as an adjunct faculty member for nearly 20 years) where I
make/made my living, working in comics was either (1) part-time paid work or (2)
a self-published/self-indulgent side hustle that bordered more on hobby because
I've been unable to make any significant income from it over the last 25 years. I did some work for DC Comics in the past. I was also an Art Director at a small press comic book publishing company called Shooting Star Comics, LLC about 20 years ago. I failed in my side-hustle financially, but
creatively I have been proud of my work over the years. I always felt I could have been a contender but just never achieved all the goals I pursued ... but I am still driven to make comics here in my mid-fifties... just as I was driven to do so as a boy, teenager, and young adult in his twenties.
I continue to make comics for the love of it, to
entertain others, bring smiles to the world, and to scratch a personal creative
itch and express myself.
Let it be known for the first time in my life… today on National
Cartoonist Day, I will finally accept and proudly embrace the notion that I am a
Cartoonist.
Looking at definitions of CARTOONIST, it reads:
“A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in BOTH
drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images).
Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that
they produce both the literary and graphic components of the work as part of
their practice. While every "cartoonist" might be considered a
"comics illustrator", "comics artist", or a "comic
book artist", not every "comics illustrator", "comics
artist", or a "comic book artist" is a "cartoonist".
The role of a cartoonist extends beyond mere illustration. Many
cartoonists craft captions, dialogue, or scripts to complement their visuals,
balancing text and imagery for maximum impact.
A cartoonist specializes in producing both the artistic and
literary components of cartoons or comics, which can be single images or
sequential illustrations that tell a story or convey a message. Their work
spans comic strips, editorial cartoons, gag cartoons, graphic novels,
storyboards, and animated media, often using humor, satire, or exaggeration to
engage audiences. Cartoonists may work in newspapers, magazines, books, digital
platforms, animation studios, or advertising, making their role versatile and
culturally influential.”
And so forth.
So, on this National Cartoonist Day, let me say this:
“I yam what I yam and I think that I yam now embracing that
I yam a Cartoonist.”
