Thomastoons Cartoon Blog

A Case of Plagiarism?"Cartoonists think alike"

Recently I found a cartoon by French Cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempe which is strikingly similar to one I drew a few years back. I'm guessing that Sempe's idea came first, but then again there is no date so I can't be 100% sure.

Personally, I think Sempe's idea is slightly more elegant and profound than mine. However, although his composition is impressive, I think his version is overdrawn. Personally, I'd rather include only those bits of info which contribute to the idea. Maybe I'm just lazy.

So I ask you, "Is this plagiarism?"

Umm, I doubt it. This sort of thing happens all the time in cartooning. Truth is, we're all too busy to bother stealing from one another, and it's inevitable that this type of overlapping will occur.

Ask any cartoonist. He/she will tell you the same.

The Morgue is Full"Good News for Cartoonists"

For cartoonists, a 'morgue' is a sanctuary, a welcome place we visit often for inspiration.

Actually, morgue is a little nickname we use for our reference library of images. Quite often, we find ourselves drawing objects or certain animals for the 1st time, and so a visual reference can be a lifesaver in a crunch.

Just a few short years ago, most of us were cutting photos out of magazines and hording them in folders, but now that is soooo 20th century. Can you say Google images?
As for the term, I'd probably guesstimate that it goes back around 50 years, but I'm just pulling that figure out of my you-know-what.

FYI, here are the first 10 folders in my morgue.

18th Century Boats

Abe Lincoln

Animals

Astronauts

Aztec Pyramids

Beds

Bookstores

Boxing

Bronze Statues

Bulldozers

Rejection is my middle name."A Cartoonist reveals all"

Here is a copy of the rejection letter (found on google) used by the Saturday Evening Post. The cartoon on the right is an old one of mine that was printed a while back. To be honest, it's pretty lame.

Also, it's hard to see, but there's a skeleton sitting on the lakeshore with a fishing pole. Two guys walk by, and one says "This doesn't look like a very good spot."

It's priceless to know that my cartoon is being used to represent a rejection letter. Maybe I should get paid every time it's sent out. Wishful thinking...

Words or no words?"Cartoons and Captions"

Today's post begs yet another eternal cartoon question, "What's more effective, cartoons with or without words?"


Of course, for me the answer is "cartoons without words". I've always been a sucker for those Sergio Aragones border cartoons from Mad magazine, and my own art reflects the great influence he had on me.
Don't get me wrong, captioned cartoons are equally valid, but there's a purity and universality to the wordless variety.


Now, allow me to pontificate.
I respect cartoonists who can turn a phrase, but too often the drawing is just two guys sitting there delivering a one-liner. In many cases, one could simply exchange one gagline for another and the drawing would still work. These are the weakest of cartoons, in my humble humble, but when drawing and gagline go hand in hand it is often a thing of beauty.

Another advantage of captionless toons is that they are perfect for both intellectuals and illiterates alike.
Damn, I just pulled a groin muscle getting down from my high horse.

Good Art VS. Good Idea"A Cartoonists Perspective"

Today, my post asks the eternal cartoon question "What's more important, the idea or the drawing?"
Not quite as profound as the chicken and egg question, nor as contemplative as the tree in the forest conundrum.

In fact, this rises to the level of a no-brainer.

A quick look at Dilbert or South Park pretty much answers the question for us.
Put it this way:

GREAT IDEA+BAD ART=FUNNY
BAD IDEA+GREAT ART=NOT FUNNY

Of course, this is an over-simplification. There are limits to just how good or bad a gag cartoon should be drawn, but it's safe to say that somewhere between stickmen and Rembrandt lies the happy medium.

-Rob

New Yorker Cartoon woes"Cartoonist Rob Thomas Reveals All"

As a successful gag cartoonist, I often submit cartoons to the New Yorker.
Unfortunately, I've never been accepted, even though the great Wiley Miller once told me that my work would fit that mag like a glove (he must have been referring to OJ's glove).

OK, so a few years ago, I bought a very informative and witty book on cartooning by New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff. I enjoyed it so much that instead of a submission, I sent him my copy of his book and asked that he sign it for me.

I wrote a very sincere letter which included all of the appropriate ass-kissing (sincere, of course). Needless to say, he never returned the damn book. I'm still waiting...