Day 29 - Final Q&A for March 2012

As the month of March comes to a close, I want to post some of the blog topics that were sent in that I didn't get to use.  Thanks to all of you that participated. The winner of the caricature will be announced on the 31st. I've reserved tomorrow for a special posting. And now, on to the questions.

Q. How does a cartoon communicate truth?

 A. In many ways a cartoon communicates truth the same way as any other image by using visual elements that we understand and relate to. But in a cartoon, the artist can also get away with doing things to those elements that wouldn't necessarily work in another style of art. Cartoons also tend to attract viewer's attention and can be very disarming to the reader as well.

Q. Which cartoon has impacted you the most?

A. I can't think of one specific cartoon to use as the answer to this question, but perhaps the comic strip Peanuts has impacted me the most. Charles Schulz invented great characters, very funny gags and jokes, and even a bit of scripture and theology. I remember trying to draw Snoopy when I was very young. The Peanuts characters were probably the first HUGE cartoon influence in my life, and I still love them to this day.

Q. Who is the biggest VIP to ever see your cartoon?

A. In the late 1980's I did a caricature of The Detroit Tiger's radio announcer, Ernie Harwell. This caricature was commissioned by Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan. The caricature was presented to Ernie at a dinner in his honor. I was invited to that dinner and saw the presentation. When the caricature was unveiled, Ernie reacted in delight and then asked where the artist was seated. I was pointed out and Ernie immediately made a beeline for me, shook my hand and thanked me. It was a moment I'll never forget. I was told that he really treasured that caricature.

Also, when I met Kirk Cameron, he told me he was a big fan of my work. That was pretty memorable too!

Q. What was the first cartoon you remember making?

A. It was probably the scribble I did on a wall in my family's house when I was just a toddler. I know it had to have been a cartoon. Sad thing about it was that it didn't make my parents laugh.

Q. What do cartoon and software have in common?

A. Both are better enjoyed when using an Apple computer, but some may debate me on that point.

Q. What is your most memorable experience (good or bad) encountered
while working at Answers in Genesis and how has it changed you?

A. Honestly, the moments that have humbled me and brought my view of myself down are the first that come to mind. I can't share details, but one episode many years ago during my time at AiG showed me that I am so much less than I thought I was. It was very hard to go through that time, but I am better for it.

Q. Things you can learn about yourself through your caricature
A. I haven't tried to caricature myself all that much. I guess maybe because I don't have a lot of facial qualities to make a REALLY good caricature. Back in 2003 I attended a caricature convention and it was 5 days of caricature artists in a large room drawing each other. I did get a few of them to draw me, but found that many didn't want to draw me because I lack a good quality caricature-able face. So that's probably the biggest thing I've learned about myself through caricature.

There were a few more questions and blog ideas submitted that I am not listing here. Perhaps I'll shed some light on those at another time. I hope you've enjoyed the blog entries this month. It's been a bit difficult to blog every day this month as things suddenly got crazy as the calendar turned into March, but it's also been a good exercise. Thanks to the blogging friend that encouraged me to get back into blogging ... once again.