Thomastoons Cartoon Blog

Cartoonist Rob Thomas plays pianoRob performs 'Bethena' by Scott Joplin

I'm going to break blogging rule #1 - STAY ON POINT.

The following video isn't exactly cartoon related, but it does involve myself, so I'm making a rare exception.

Absurdly long Cartoon GaglinesBy Cartoonist Rob Thomas

Personally, I tend to avoid reading (and drawing) overly worded cartoons because of the letdown factor.

One possible exception are the cartoons of Gary Larson, whose prose-laden ideas nearly always culminated in a hilarious payoff at the end.

Here are a few rare examples of successful wordy cartoons I've done in the past few years.

Making Light of Serious MattersBy Cartoonist Rob Thomas

Without this:




The following cartoon would not have been possible:



Therefore, I would like to take the time to thank all of those who gave their lives in order to make the aforementioned cartoon possible. Please know that your death was not in vain.

Cartoonist Rob Thomas in action!Rob Draws a cowboy in realtime

I find myself drawing without a preliminary sketch more and more these days.

Here is an example.

St. Patties Day HumorBy Cartoonist Rob Thomas

I just love the fact that the Irish in America set aside one day each year to reinforce all of the negative stereotypes people have about them.

This is how I imagine myself as an Irishman.

Cartoonist Rob Thomas in action!Rob sketches a cartoon in realtime

I had fun with this video. The camera was mounted to a hat, so my head had to remain absolutely stationary. Needless to say, it was a b*tch to see what I was doing.

BTW, this sketch was drawn with a simple bic papermate pen. Not my usual drawing implement, but it was nearby, and I didn't want to remove the darn hat.

Cartoonist Rob Thomas in action!Rob Draws a cartoon woman in realtime

Here is a quick vid of me drawing a character. I like to keep the pen in constant motion for a free flowing line.

Celebrity Interview with Rob ThomasA Conversation with Cartoonist Jerry King

Award-winning cartoonist Jerry King is one of the most prolific, published and versatile cartoonists alive today. Cranking out a whopping 300 cartoons a month, he is able to juggle a client list that includes everything from Disney to Golf Digest to American Greetings.

Another of Jerry's great passions is boxing. Trained by famed trainer John Russell, who would also train World Heavy Weight Champion Buster Douglas, Jerry would win the golden gloves and represent his post boxing team in the Army. Fortunately for us, he decided not to go pro and plunged himself into a full-time career as a freelance cartoonist.

HERE'S A BRIEF INTERVIEW I RECENTLY HAD WITH JERRY.

Rob: Jerry, tell me a little about yourself.

Jerry: I live in Northeast Ohio. Married with 2 kids, 2 dogs and 1 bird. Fulltime, freelance cartoonist. I golf, but I suck.

Rob: Riddle me this, how and when did you get interested in cartooning?

Jerry: I started drawing before I could write. It was always cartoons.

Rob: Who were some of your earliest influences?

Jerry: I really didn't have any. There were a few cartoons I liked but nothing I really followed...until The Farside came along.

Rob: I think we can all relate to that. Tell me, what type of pen and paper do you use?

Jerry: I don't use pen or ink. I use a mechanical pencil on typing paper, then I scan in and use Photoshop.

Rob: Sneaky move. Sure looks like ink to me. Speaking of Photoshop, what are your thoughts about using the computer to color or edit your cartoons?

Jerry: The computer has made my life a lot easier! 99% of my cartoons are done in color, including the
cartoons I do for Playboy Magazine. I can't believe there are still cartoonists who won't embrace technology.
There's even cartoonists who still don't have websites.

Rob: So, what are you working on these days?

Jerry: I've been working on strips to send to the syndicates. I love rejections:O)

Rob: Any upcoming projects?

Jerry: I'm having a giant website made, offering thousands of my cartoons for sale. I'd like to start selling my
work on eBay.

Rob: Finally, in a nutshell, what is your philosophy on cartooning?

Jerry: I think the powers to be, syndicates and newspaper editors are idiots. Cartoonists think syndications is the end-all for a cartoonist, well, it's not. It's only one part of cartooning. I do cartoons for websites, newspapers, greeting card companies, magazines, newsletters, etc... But, for some reason, everyone thinks that ONLY syndicated cartoonists are REAL cartoonists. WRONG! It's the freelancer, in my opinion, who is the real cartoonist.

Rob: Not that you have an opinion. Finally, what's your most memorable experience in cartooning?

Jerry: President Bill Clinton mentioned one of my cartoons in a USA Today Article.

Rob: Thanks, Jerry.

Jerry: Can I go now?

Latest Techno Wonder from WacomBy Cartoonist Rob Thomas

Wacom has upped the ante once again with the unveiling of the new Cintiq 12wx, a new line of graphics tablet that marries the Cintiq interactive pen display with the portable goodness and size of the Intuos 3.

Click pic for larger version.



Retailing at $999, it's definitely something to consider in 2008.

Click pic for larger version.



Being a Wacom user myself, I can tell that these babies are not only miraculous time-savers, but excellent tools for drawing, coloring and editing artwork, especially cartoons.

Americas First CartoonBy Cartoonist Rob Thomas

The first cartoon published in America was a political cartoon created by Ben Franklin titled 'Join or Die'. It was first published in his Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9th, 1754 to support his plan for colonial union presented at the Albany Congress.



'Join or Die' is a woodcut showing a snake severed into 8 pieces, with each segment representing a British American colony or region. At the time, there was a superstition that a snake which had been cut into pieces would come back to life if the pieces were put together before sunset.

Also interesting it the fact that Ben Franklin also founded the Saturday Evening Post, America's oldest magazine, which is known for it's famous cartoons.