FullBleed

For Mort Cohen (http://www.mortoons.com), what started as some childhood doodles blossomed into a part-time career as a cartoonist. To kick off the New Year, we asked Mort to tell the story of how he turned his passion into a lifelong profession.

Why comics?

As a kid, I followed newspaper comics religiously. Additionally, I enjoyed magazines that contained cartoons—I still do. During these formative years, my favorite cartoonists included the great Al Capp, Rube Goldberg, Virgil Partch, and Milton Caniff, among a host of others. You may or may not be familiar with these names, but I assure you that each was an accomplished artist in addition to being a great cartoonist. With them as my guide, I doodled copiously through high school and college, which explains why I graduated magma cum average.

When did comics become more than just doodling?

My actual cartooning skills weren’t revealed and honed until after I was commissioned into the U.S. Army. All it took was a simple error: During a map-reading exercise, an instructor’s mistake caused my class of more than a hundred lieutenants to become lost. Bingo! My cartooning career was begun. From there, I generally drew about daily situations or just vented my frustrations at the “Army way,” and posted my oblique views on the first available bulletin board. These little tidbits–with a great deal of luck and a good friend–eventually landed me a position at a real newspaper.

My first published work, a panel called “Lieutenant Frisby,” appeared in the Mountaineer newspaper, a civilian publication at Fort Carson, Colo. Although no remuneration was involved, the experience of being published on a regular basis and knowing that an entire military post was reading my drawings became a defining moment for me in my cartooning career. Unfortunately, it was to be short-lived; as is the nature of the Army, I was required to move on after just a year, and I left one of the best positions I ever had, even though it was only part-time. The experience I gained there was worth more than any monetary compensation I could have received. In a short time, I learned about formatting, meeting publication deadlines, and the significance of the editing process–all through practical application. I continued to draw at each unit to which I was assigned, posting my cartoons wherever I could, and I eventually drew caricatures that were presented as gifts to departing personnel.

Lessons learned?

Early in my cartooning career I learned that every cartoon produces one of three reactions: amusement, displeasure, or indifference. Of the three, I least prefer indifference. That indicates to me the cartoon lacks spirit and character. Displeasure, however, has its own problems that can cause a cartoonist considerable trouble, particularly when it’s the boss that’s displeasured; I know–I’ve been there.

Drawing cartoons is a ton of fun. Getting them published is another story. Submitting cartoons for publication, especially syndication, is so complicated and time-consuming that books have been devoted to the subject. Additionally, there are so many exceptionally talented cartoonists that competition is intense and marketing is especially important. Rejection is an integral part of the business, requiring determination and persistence. Unfortunately, I’m a lazy dolt and I’ve never felt proficient in the area of marketing, so I haven’t pursued it to the level it deserves. This is why so few people are familiar with my work. I’m also self-taught and have had to learn the basics of drawing on the fly, so to speak. For this reason, I’ve hesitated to promote my work to any great degree and have even held back at competing for work with short deadlines and very exacting requirements. I prefer to rely on referrals–people coming to me and describing in broad terms what they would like me to cartoon. I still manage to get published but certainly not in the volume I would like–my bad. I’ve drawn for specialty magazines, newsletters, professional journals, and business bulletins. I’ve also done originals for framing and display in children’s rooms, game rooms, and offices.

Now?

I currently draw both general and editorial cartoons. The demand from clients falls to general humor, but I enjoy editorial cartoons for the opportunity they offer to comment on a host of social and public issues. Editorial cartoons require considerable research to keep up with what’s happening in the world politically. I generally scan through five to seven newspapers daily, both national and international, to determine what editorial writers are thinking and to glean ideas from their opinions. For either category, however, I’ve found that developing an idea is seldom easy. I try to approach it through a critical analysis of what I want to depict as it relates to what is happening around me. So, the better part of my time is spent in visualizing through notes and sketches (my earlier doodling did come in handy). Eventually a note, a passing thought, or a sketch will result in a drawing.

How has cartooning changed in your lifetime?

When I started out, cartooning was strictly a pencil and paper affair, and the product was photographed, reduced or enlarged, and mailed or delivered to a client. The personal computer and the internet have brought about cosmic changes in the way cartoons are produced from beginning-to-end. They’ve essentially transformed a slow, tedious, laborious process to a speedy, tedious, laborious process. While pencil-and-paper are still part of the process, they’re no longer essential. Many cartoonists have replaced them with the graphic tablet, drawing directly on the computer. I prefer to start the old fashioned way, so I have a physical record of my efforts. Once I have the cartoon inked, I scan it into PhotoShop, where I enhance the image with color. This allows me to have both a physical and an electronic record of my drawings, and I can rush it off to a client immediately.

Indeed, the internet has streamlined the whole process. On the other hand, this super-great transition has not been without its problems for me. I didn’t grow up with a PC–there was no such thing when I began to cartoon, so the move from a simple pencil rendering to electronic media was light years ahead of me and involved a very steep learning curve. There were very few classes, virtually none that I could afford, and the reference material was generally written by technical people with a language unto themselves. The “Dummies” books helped somewhat, but even they sometimes required an interpreter for a non-techie like me. I have to admit, though, the internet is a fantastic tool. It took me the better part of two years, however, to figure out how to apply the small portion of Photoshop that I use–and that almost drove me to drink. Ah well, whatever doesn’t kill you is said to make you a better person.

What keeps you cartooning?

People often ask what inspires me and how I get ideas. My guess is that I’m inspired by humor in general. I believe humor exists in virtually every facet of life, including the sad parts; finding it takes a keen eye, a somewhat oblique outlook, and a willingness to take the establishment to task. The creative process is also inspiring. Thinking about something funny is one thing, but developing a kernel of thought into a graphic representation that causes an emotion in others is absolutely electric. As for the idea–that little kernel of thought–I’m not sure where it comes from. Sometimes as I sit with a sketchpad, either at my drawing table or in a coffee shop, my hand will start moving as if by magic. Other times, a phrase or sentence in a magazine or newspaper will call up a cartoon. There are yet other times that I just stare at a blank pad of paper until blood runs out of my ears.

I’ve been cartooning for a rather long time now–the number of years is depressing, but the process has been the most stimulating and enjoyable I’ve ever experienced. If I had to give advice to someone entering the field, especially with little art experience, I would say definitely attend a reputable art school. There exist some people with natural art ability, but even they need to be taught the essentials of drawing. Cartoons are not just stick figures with a funny gag line; they should also be good art. I’ve learned from hard experience that it takes a lot longer to draw by guess than by knowledge. History is essential to every endeavor in which we engage, and cartooning is no exception. Anyone entering the field should study the history of cartooning to know where it came from and what it’s all about. To those who would like to draw editorial cartoons, talk to editorial cartoonists. Make your cartoons trenchant and thought provoking, insert your own point of view, and above all, make them humorous–go for the laugh.

Finally, if you’re going to cartoon at all, enjoy it. Get excited! Be bizarre (your cartoons, that is)! Above all, make people laugh!

As for me, I’ll just continue to cartoon happily along, and maybe I’ll be discovered and become famous. Oh, if anyone needs a cartoon, contact me, I’d be happy to consider it.

You can check out more of Mort’s editorial work online at http://www.mortoons.com.