Brian Fies said, "The Combination of words and images is more powerful than either one standing alone". Several recent essays have explored the (long-standing) question of cartoonists as 'writers'.
I like to say I'm a cartoonist because it seems to bring joy to whoever asked. Usually they've never met one before.
What I hate is the follow up question, along the lines of "would I have I seen your work anywhere?".
I usually say something like, "Remember newspapers? I'm still in those," though I'm considering, "Have you used an image generating AI? I helped train them."
This has always been such a fascinating question, IMO. And what's weird (and kind of unfair) is that a cartoon absolutely needs to be well-written to be any good, but the drawing doesn't necessarily have to be. See XKCD, for example. I'm not sure why that is, except that maybe our brains are better at filling in the holes left by a piece of art than they are by a piece of writing.
That said, I'm guessing anyone who claims that cartoonists "aren't writers" has probably never tried to actually draw one.
Cartoonists are definitely also writers. I have always called myself a writer first, but lately I've been thinking that distinction is incorrect. I think trying to adhere to a label has the potential to stymy one's progress—I had shelved cartooning multiple times over the years by thinking it was distracting me from my words, but recently started to put more effort into projects like my webcomic, CHAI COFFEESHOP (Insta, X, Webtoons, and I've put a couple up on Substack) and other long-form works I'll be rolling out soon In addition, look at these three great examples of writer-cartoonists: Allie Brosh (HYPERBOLE AND A HALF - who, in an interview, called herself a writer first); Tom Gauld (whose site indicates he is a cartoonist and illustrator, but his work is complex and extremely well written) ; and of course the great Margaret Atwood, who also happens to be a cartoonist. I know people bristle at the term 'storyteller', but maybe that's a succinct way of describing us hyphenates instead of trying to define ourselves with a jumble of labels? Food for thought...
I will be saying I'm a taxidermist from now on 😂✊ When I say I'm one I've had some strange reactions from people. Some are gushing like, "wow that must be such a fun job!!" Inside I'm like, yeah...'fun'. Or a small snigger and a condescending look over their glass, "hmmm you're a cartoonist". With emphasis on the cartoonist. So inside my mind I'm always musing what I am. But hey, I'm much happier being in this line of work than the millions of previous jobs I've had in my life. Some near enough killed me and some near enough killed others 😃
Ha! Nice. I can say the same about some of my previous jobs before going full time with cartooning.
My A/B test on peoples' reaction when you say "Cartoonist" vs. "Artist" is a good litmus test for the cultural reverence for fine art vs. cartoons. Sometimes they assume you work for DC/Marvel as a comic artist. (But even then; they aren't aware that there are pencil, inkers, colourists etc.) They may smile and say "That sounds like a fun job!" when you say "Cartoonist", but when you leave it at "Artist" they make a different assessment of you, professionally-- despite 'Artist' being a perfectly true answer.
(Note: I may be biased as I'm only really testing this on New Yorkers.)
I used to work in local government in London. Not the worst job but not what I'd trained for. I was Issuing licences for skips, cranes and scaffolding... I absolutely loathed telling people what I did. Now when I tell people about my tooning work (and I know all work has its elements of shite) I just use it as a gathering info exercise of people for my future cartoons 😄 Always building my internal morgue files to use for a later date.
This is really interesting. I've always considered myself a writer with a hobby (doodling and sketching), it's only recently that I've been referring to myself as a writer/cartoonist. I definitely think that cartoonists are writers, just with a handy visual weapon up their sleeves, and its a shame the term cartoonist is just seen as a novelty when it actually takes expertise to get it right, much like any form of art. I don't think about itbtoo much though, I just have fun expressing myself and enjoy amusing people 😊☀️
I make comics not because comics are my favorite art form, because I have not yet been willing to choose between writing and drawing. They are each such different ways of thinking and imagining; for me writing is more cerebral, and drawing accesses the subconscious more directly. So I don't think of myself as a cartoonist, but as a writer and visual artist.
First, thanks very much for the mentions! I'd elaborate: I've worked as both a writer writer (newspaper reporter, freelance journalist, science writer) and as a cartoonist writer, and in my mind they are absolutely the same thing. Writers and cartoonists are solving the same problems with different tools. Both are exercises in organizing and delivering information as clearly and economically as possible. You write just the right word, draw just the right line, to say exactly what you want to say.
If anybody asks, I tell people I'm a writer. Sometimes I write with only words, sometimes I write with words plus drawings. The process feels identical in my head.
In response to Dana Jeri Maier, my take is that you don't have to be a great artist to be a great cartoonist. Cartooning is storytelling. If you can make people laugh, think or cry with stick figures or scribbles, in my opinion you're a great cartoonist.
Adopting the title “Scribbley Dibbley”, thanks! It’s much more fun than “a writer who draws” which is all just dibbling about with scribbling anyhow. Thanks for sharing this piece.
I write and draw, okay not either that well, but I'm trying. So ya, same same. But I'm not sure cartoonists have all the tools. Typewriters, mmm. Libraries, definitely different. I'm also interested in the question are cartoons capital A Art. E.g. https://open.substack.com/pub/toonsday/p/where-art-thou-capital-a-art
Interesting! I write and illustrate, and I'm learning comics-making. But I wouldn't call myself a cartoonist. It's a specific skillset that takes a while to hone, and I'm not there yet. Cartoonists are definitely both writers and artists, IMO. Basically experts in brevity, levity, and visual storytelling.
Also, back in the day, cartoonists submitted drawings to the New Yorker and left it to the smartpants editors to caption them. That should tell us something. Or paint a picture. :~
I think it was the other way around; There were 'gag men' who submitted the ideas, and the editors would assign the artists to draw them up. It wasn't until later that the 'singer-songwriter' version of cartoonists came into their own, and the same person often filled both roles.
I like to say I'm a cartoonist because it seems to bring joy to whoever asked. Usually they've never met one before.
What I hate is the follow up question, along the lines of "would I have I seen your work anywhere?".
I usually say something like, "Remember newspapers? I'm still in those," though I'm considering, "Have you used an image generating AI? I helped train them."
This has always been such a fascinating question, IMO. And what's weird (and kind of unfair) is that a cartoon absolutely needs to be well-written to be any good, but the drawing doesn't necessarily have to be. See XKCD, for example. I'm not sure why that is, except that maybe our brains are better at filling in the holes left by a piece of art than they are by a piece of writing.
That said, I'm guessing anyone who claims that cartoonists "aren't writers" has probably never tried to actually draw one.
Cartoonists are definitely also writers. I have always called myself a writer first, but lately I've been thinking that distinction is incorrect. I think trying to adhere to a label has the potential to stymy one's progress—I had shelved cartooning multiple times over the years by thinking it was distracting me from my words, but recently started to put more effort into projects like my webcomic, CHAI COFFEESHOP (Insta, X, Webtoons, and I've put a couple up on Substack) and other long-form works I'll be rolling out soon In addition, look at these three great examples of writer-cartoonists: Allie Brosh (HYPERBOLE AND A HALF - who, in an interview, called herself a writer first); Tom Gauld (whose site indicates he is a cartoonist and illustrator, but his work is complex and extremely well written) ; and of course the great Margaret Atwood, who also happens to be a cartoonist. I know people bristle at the term 'storyteller', but maybe that's a succinct way of describing us hyphenates instead of trying to define ourselves with a jumble of labels? Food for thought...
I will be saying I'm a taxidermist from now on 😂✊ When I say I'm one I've had some strange reactions from people. Some are gushing like, "wow that must be such a fun job!!" Inside I'm like, yeah...'fun'. Or a small snigger and a condescending look over their glass, "hmmm you're a cartoonist". With emphasis on the cartoonist. So inside my mind I'm always musing what I am. But hey, I'm much happier being in this line of work than the millions of previous jobs I've had in my life. Some near enough killed me and some near enough killed others 😃
Ha! Nice. I can say the same about some of my previous jobs before going full time with cartooning.
My A/B test on peoples' reaction when you say "Cartoonist" vs. "Artist" is a good litmus test for the cultural reverence for fine art vs. cartoons. Sometimes they assume you work for DC/Marvel as a comic artist. (But even then; they aren't aware that there are pencil, inkers, colourists etc.) They may smile and say "That sounds like a fun job!" when you say "Cartoonist", but when you leave it at "Artist" they make a different assessment of you, professionally-- despite 'Artist' being a perfectly true answer.
(Note: I may be biased as I'm only really testing this on New Yorkers.)
I used to work in local government in London. Not the worst job but not what I'd trained for. I was Issuing licences for skips, cranes and scaffolding... I absolutely loathed telling people what I did. Now when I tell people about my tooning work (and I know all work has its elements of shite) I just use it as a gathering info exercise of people for my future cartoons 😄 Always building my internal morgue files to use for a later date.
Outstanding.
Oh and just to be clear, I haven't told people I'm a taxidermist yet 😃 I will though. Just to see people's reactions.
This is really interesting. I've always considered myself a writer with a hobby (doodling and sketching), it's only recently that I've been referring to myself as a writer/cartoonist. I definitely think that cartoonists are writers, just with a handy visual weapon up their sleeves, and its a shame the term cartoonist is just seen as a novelty when it actually takes expertise to get it right, much like any form of art. I don't think about itbtoo much though, I just have fun expressing myself and enjoy amusing people 😊☀️
I make comics not because comics are my favorite art form, because I have not yet been willing to choose between writing and drawing. They are each such different ways of thinking and imagining; for me writing is more cerebral, and drawing accesses the subconscious more directly. So I don't think of myself as a cartoonist, but as a writer and visual artist.
Gonna put "scribbley-dibbley" on my headstone!
First, thanks very much for the mentions! I'd elaborate: I've worked as both a writer writer (newspaper reporter, freelance journalist, science writer) and as a cartoonist writer, and in my mind they are absolutely the same thing. Writers and cartoonists are solving the same problems with different tools. Both are exercises in organizing and delivering information as clearly and economically as possible. You write just the right word, draw just the right line, to say exactly what you want to say.
If anybody asks, I tell people I'm a writer. Sometimes I write with only words, sometimes I write with words plus drawings. The process feels identical in my head.
In response to Dana Jeri Maier, my take is that you don't have to be a great artist to be a great cartoonist. Cartooning is storytelling. If you can make people laugh, think or cry with stick figures or scribbles, in my opinion you're a great cartoonist.
I’m flattered that you read the piece, Brian! 🙏
Love your perspective on this. (I hope I didn’t mangle your quote.)
Adopting the title “Scribbley Dibbley”, thanks! It’s much more fun than “a writer who draws” which is all just dibbling about with scribbling anyhow. Thanks for sharing this piece.
I write and draw, okay not either that well, but I'm trying. So ya, same same. But I'm not sure cartoonists have all the tools. Typewriters, mmm. Libraries, definitely different. I'm also interested in the question are cartoons capital A Art. E.g. https://open.substack.com/pub/toonsday/p/where-art-thou-capital-a-art
Interesting! I write and illustrate, and I'm learning comics-making. But I wouldn't call myself a cartoonist. It's a specific skillset that takes a while to hone, and I'm not there yet. Cartoonists are definitely both writers and artists, IMO. Basically experts in brevity, levity, and visual storytelling.
Also, back in the day, cartoonists submitted drawings to the New Yorker and left it to the smartpants editors to caption them. That should tell us something. Or paint a picture. :~
I think it was the other way around; There were 'gag men' who submitted the ideas, and the editors would assign the artists to draw them up. It wasn't until later that the 'singer-songwriter' version of cartoonists came into their own, and the same person often filled both roles.
Michael Maslin did a dive on this on his great blog here: https://michaelmaslin.com/ideas-for-the-pictures-gag-writer-helene-parsons-speaks/