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So You Want To Be a Cartoonist? On Being a Comic Strip Artist Advice from Mort Walker, creator of Beetle Bailey,
Hi and Lois, and seven other comic strips. Submitting Your Work How to submit a comic strip to a newspaper syndicate, and what to expect when you do. References A list of books about cartooning that will help you get started.
Becoming a comic strip creator requires a variety of talents. Imagine it as producing a little play each day where you must be the casting director, the set designer and the author of the dialogue. A little art ability is needed, but a talent for writing is more important. You must be able to capsulize an event in as few words as possible but still communicate your idea to be understood by millions of people of many nationalities around the world. In addition, you must be able to observe human nature and happenings and put them in a humorous light so readers can see themselves in those situations and be amused. Strong self-motivated work habits are essential to meet daily deadlines. Since there are so few schools that teach cartooning you will probably have to teach yourself. The best way to learn is by copying your favorite cartoonist. After studying his technique of composition, lettering and figure drawing, put the master's work aside and set out on your own. You will inevitably develop your own style. Remember, the most important part of creating a winning comic strip is to develop a main character with an identifying personality that will have wide appeal. The best way to do this is to put yourself or someone you know into the role. Being a comic strip artist is one of the most satisfying careers there is and one of the only careers where you are completely in control. I hope to see you in the funny papers! Mort Walker
SUBMITTING YOUR WORK Syndicates sell and distribute the work of newspaper cartoonists to newspapers, with the revenue split between the cartoonist and the syndicate. Cartooning is an extremely competitive business. To get an idea of just how tough it is to become a successful cartoonist, consider the following. King Features, the world's largest syndicate, receives more than 6,000 submissions each year. Of these, two or three might be launched as new features. Perhaps two-thirds of the features introduced by syndicates each year fail to find an audience within five years and are discontinued. But each year, some prove talented enough to buck the odds. Each syndicate has different submission requirements, but you can get an idea of what is required by looking at King Features' submission guidelines, reprinted here. You'll find the names of most syndicates in the copyright notices of your favorite features in your local newspaper. The address for each syndicate, along with a list of the features they distribute, can be found in a special directory issue published by the magazine Editor & Publisher each year. You can purchase a copy of the syndicate directory by writing to: Editor & Publisher Each syndicate is always on the lookout for the next big hit, so don't be afraid to try! Submission Guidelines - King Features is always happy to look at new comic features for possible syndication. We believe in the art of cartooning and place great importance on looking at new material. Without exception, every comic strip or panel idea submitted to us is carefully considered. In order to help you present your work in the best possible light and to help us respond to it more quickly, the editors have put together the following questions and answers. How many cartoons should I submit? What size should I draw my comics?
You can draw larger or smaller than that, as long as your cartoons are in proportion to those sizes. What format should I use to submit my cartoons?
What else should I include in the package of cartoons that I send?
To Whom should I send my comic feature to? Jay Kennedy May I send my comic samples by fax or e-mail?
I am unfamiliar with syndication. Please explain what a cartoon syndicate does? In short, a syndicate is responsible for bringing the cartoons from the cartoonist to the public. What do you look for in a submission? First, we look for a uniqueness that reflects the cartoonist's own individual slant on the world and humor. If we see that unique slant, we look to see if the cartoonist is turning his or her attention to events that other people can relate to. Secondly, we very carefully study a cartoonist's writing ability. Good writing helps weak art, better than good art helps weak writing. Good art is also important. It is what first attracts readers to a comic strip. We look to see that your art is drawn clearly and with visual impact. We want our comics to be noticed on a page. Finally, we look for your ability to sustain a high level of quality material. We want comics that readers will enjoy for years and years. Do I need to copyright my cartoons before sending them?
What are my chances of getting syndicated by King Features? If I am a better writer than an artist (or vice versa), will the syndicate match me up with a partner? How long should I expect to wait before receiving a reply?
If my comic isn't accepted for syndication, will you still critique my work? What are the terms of payment if my work is accepted?
Can you give me any tips to improve my chances of success? Another key to success is to read a lot. Read all sorts of things -- fiction, magazines and newspapers. Humor is based on real life. The more you know about life the more you have to write humorously about.
What books or magazines do you recommend to help me with my goal of becoming a professional cartoonist? Cartooning - The Art and the Business , by Mort Gerberg, published by William Morrow in 1989, gives an excellent overview of the different careers in cartooning. Cartooning PROfiles magazine (P.O. Box 325, Fairfield, CT 06430) is a highly informative publication of particular interest if your goal is to become a syndicated newspaper cartoonist. The Comics Buyer's Guide (700 E. State St., Iola, IA 54990) is a thick weekly newspaper primarily devoted to comic book cartooning, but it does have some coverage of newspaper comics. It is a particularly useful publication for those interested in trading, buying or selling old comic strips and art. Comics and Sequential Art by Will Eisner, distributed by Eclipse Books (P.O. Box 1099, Forestville, CA 95436), is primarily concerned with the creation of comic books and other longer forms of cartooning, but its technical insights into composition, lettering, anatomy, shading and pacing are useful to all cartoonists. What are some of the common mistakes made by aspiring cartoonists? In many cases, aspiring cartoonists develop too narrow a premise. Syndicated comics are meant to last for decades. A cartoon about a character who always falls asleep at the wrong time or talks about just one topic day after day, will quickly get repetitive and boring. Develop characters and situations that will allow you many avenues for humor in the future. Very few aspiring caroonists pay enough attention to their lettering. The words need to be lettered neatly enough, and large enough, that readers can read them without difficulty. Newspapers usually print comic strips about 6-1/2 inches wide. They usually print single-panel caroons 3-1/8 inches wide. Have your local copy shop reduce a few of your cartoons to printed size and see if your lettering is still legible when reduced. There shouldn't be too much writing, either. People prefer reading shorter, quicker-paced comics. Many aspiring cartoonists don't use waterproof drawing ink to finish their drawings. Pencils, ballpoint pens, and most felt-tip pens don't reproduce well enough for syndication. Aspiring cartoonists should learn how to use pens and/or brushes with waterproof drawing ink. Finally, many aspiring cartoonists develop comics that are too similar to already successful strips. Newspaper editors aren't going to duplicate a comic that they already print.
Has King Features Syndicate Merged with North America Syndicate? Since your work is reviewed by the editors of all these syndicates, you need send only one copy of your proposed comic features for consideration by King Features, Cowles, and North America Syndicates. Blackbeard, Bill and David Crain. The Comic Strip Century. Northampton, MA: Kitchen Sink Press, Inc. 1995. Canemaker, John. Winsor McCay: His Life and Art. New York: Abbeville Press. 1987. Goulart, Ron. The Encyclopedia of American Comics. New York: Facts on File. 1990. Harvey, Robert C. The Art of the Funnies: An Aesthetic History. Jackson, MS: The University Press of Mississippi. 1994. Horn, Maurice. The World Encyclopedia of Comics. New York: Avon Books. 1976. McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. Northampton, MA: Tundra Publishing. 1993. McConnell, Patrick, Karen O'Connell and Georgia Riley de Havenon. Krazy Kat: The Comic Art of George Herriman. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 1986. Nordling, Lee. Your Career in the Comics. Andrews and McMeel. 1995. O'Sullivan, Judith. The Great American Comic Strip: One Hundred Years of Comic Art. Boston: Little, Brown. 1990. Robbins, Trina. A Century of Women Cartoonists. Northampton, MA: Kitchen Sink Press, Inc. 1993. Solomon, Charles. The History of Animation . New York: Wings Books, 1989, 1994. Walker, Mort. The Lexicon of Comicana. Boca Raton, FL: Comicana Books for The Museum of Cartoon Art. 1980. Walker, Mort. Backstage at the Strips. New York: Mason/Charter. 1975. |
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