Cartoonist

For as far back as I can remember, I have wanted to be a cartoonist. In this blog post, I am going to talk about some of the cartoonists I have liked over the years and what I think it takes to be a cartoonist. There will likely be some overlap with comedians because they seem to think in much the same way as cartoonists do. You will also note that those I mention are historical to some degree. That is because I have spent little time over the last twenty or more years following them, but not for lack of appreciating them.

My first memories of cartoonists are from my younger years when I lived with Mom and my two brothers. Mom always subscribed to the local newspaper and, of course, there were always editorial comics on the cover, and many more in the weekend edition with its comics section. Some names became familiar with repeated inclusion due to syndication.

Andy Capp, by Reg Smythe, is the first cartoon character that I remember seeing on a regular basis. I remember liking the character at the time, probably because he reminded me of my own dad, who was most assuredly an alcoholic. I saw Andy more than I did my dad. 😊

Andy Capp Comic Strip by Reg Smythe – © Mahoney, Goldsmith & Garnett

Looking back, this comic was obviously from the 50’s and 60’s where drinking was always a familiar and popular topic, along with “the wife” being the brunt of much humor. It is very reminiscent of TV shows like All in the Family. Although both can be appreciated for their humor, I bet they would get bypassed by publishers and producers in this day and age. Not politically correct, I am sure.

Another that I saw regularly and always made a point of looking at, were the cartoons, or caricatures to be more precise, of Al Hirschfield.

Law & Order caricatures Jerry Orbach & Sam Waterston by Al Hirschfield – © Al Hirschfield

Al Hirschfield’s work also appeared regularly in our local paper. One thing that Hirschfield was famous for was hiding his daughter’s name, Nina, in his work right from her birth. Typically, if it appeared more than once, he would indicate the number of times it appears in his signature. Most of the time her name is hidden in amongst the character’s hair, or folds of the clothes, but this time I see it as a sign on a building in the background. There are some interesting articles about how doing this was a blessing and a curse for him as an artist. Look him up if you are curious.

As a young boy, I made the trek home for lunch from school every day. I always looked forward to watching the Flintstones.

The Flintstones – Created by William Hanna & Joseph Barbera

I have fond memories of all the Flintstone characters, especially Barnie’s wife, Betty. She was a hottie, not like Wilma, who was so hard on Fred and needed some Xanax or something to help her chill out. LOL! I always loved the crispness of the characters. This show was also a bit chauvinistic, but it was right in line with the times.

Next on my list is Mad Magazine, all the characters, including Alfred E. Newman.

Mad Magazine # 197 – March 1978 Issue – Harvey Kurtzman, Editor – William Gaines publisher – Norman Mingo is the artist known as the person who formalized the image of the Mad mascot, Alfred E. Newman.

I remember having Mad Magazine around the house and it was always great fun having a gander. I think it was my older brother, Dave, that made the magazine purchases, so that was fiscally beneficial to me. I just had a flashback of a great little store we had here in Saskatoon that specialized in magazines, would even ensure that your favorites were held for you, so you were never without the latest issue. Sadly, that store went the way of the dodo bird, like so many others have over the years. Mad magazine was on the edge of what was acceptable for the youth of my times to have and enjoy. I really have very few specific memories about it, but I do remember all the great drawings that the many varied artists created for the long-lived publication. Everyone knows of that magazine, I am sure!

I think that my all-time favorite cartoon character was/is Jim Unger’s Herman.

Herman was also a comic that appeared in the newspaper over the years. When I got older, I made a point of purchasing all the collected works in book format. Over time, even my own daughter came to appreciate the Herman comics and when she was old enough to draw and spent time with me doing so, she popped off this drawing, which became one of my favorites by her. Isn’t it as cute as can be? 👍

Herman-like Comic by Emma Cheke at 7 years old – Photo by Don Cheke

In 2005, I discovered a gal named Rozanne Wirth on the Renderosity art forum website who had started to develop a comic called Maureen Chlorine.

Mareen Chlorine Comic Strip – Created by Rozanne Wirth

I was fascinated by her creation and hoped with all my heart that she would find success with it, and that it would become as well known as so many other comics had. I remember doing an article on her and her comics when I previously produced a newsletter from 2006 – 2008. I lived, kind of vicariously, through her work. It was the closest I ever came to meeting a famous cartoonist when I contacted her for permission to include her work in my newsletter.

Before this blog post, I had only every tried to create a cartoon one time, back in 2003. I was thinking about editorial comics at that time and thought about how awesome it would be to create them.

Bush Cartoon by Don Cheke (2003)

After creating this one about then President Bush, I was too shy to post it anywhere for fear of offending anyone. Probably not going to be much of an editorial cartoonist if I am worried about hurting someone’s feelings, or worried that if I offend someone, they will come looking for me. I did create a couple other singles at the same time but felt that they weren’t blog ready. BTW, if you are an American, please don’t be offended by my cartoon. 😊 For all you TurboCAD folks that read this blog, note that I created this one in TurboCAD.

Although I used to do a lot of pencil drawing in the past, I never felt that it got any easier and so was turned off from pursuing my cartooning “career” until recently.

So, what does it take to be a cartoonist, you might be asking? Well, that is a great question! Let’s look at that closer and see what comes up.

I think that the first requirement to be a cartoonist is the ability to draw to some degree and be able to come up with a unique character. If one can’t draw freehand, then using the computer with trace aids is very acceptable, in my opinion. I’d show you my trace aids, but I’m shy…. Maybe later in the blog I will work up the courage to do so. 😊

Just recently, I started to create clip art to use in my blog posts.

Three Guys Plumbing Clip Art – Created by Don Cheke

The cartoon above was my initial stab at it. I quite enjoyed the process, although I was finding it easier to first draw on a piece of paper and scan that for insertion into my drawing program as a trace aid. At this point in time, I am using Affinity Designer as my drawing program, in case you were wondering.

The next requirement is a great sense of humor. One must be able to find humor in the most ordinary things.

Backache – Created by Don Cheke

I can’t imagine that you need an explanation for the comics. If you do, ask in the comments and I will explain. Backache was the first comic where I decided to use myself as the model. Although I am quite chubby, read fat, I intend to exaggerate aspects of myself when required, like the gut in this case.

Speaking of using oneself as the character in one’s comics, one really needs the ability to laugh at oneself. If you can’t laugh at yourself, what’s the point of life?

Fat Pig – Created by Don Cheke

Fat Pig is based on a memory of a time when I was just starting to get fat. I was walking in the mall one day and as I passed a coffee house with tables and chairs in the hall a guy I knew from the past called to me and said, “It’s hanging over your belt!” I had to ask him three times to repeat himself, as I couldn’t grasp what he was saying. Finally, he said, “Your gut, it’s hanging over your belt.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, so I just said that some things never change, meaning his ignorance, and walked away. Yes, I wondered what it might feel like to be the dick he is/was all the time I knew him in the past.

Another required skill is the ability to make a repeatable character in whatever pose is required.

Half-Miler – Created by Don Cheke

Thinking back to something like the Flintstones, it is truly amazing how one always recognizes the characters, no matter what they are doing. While I was researching for this blog post, I spent some time checking out Fred Flintstone’s hairdo. I was surprised to see how it was consistently the same. Sometimes, it just required a mirror copy. Other times, it was just a slight change to match the perspective. He must use hair product for it to remain always perfectly quaffed.

Half-Miler is my attempt to be okay with my weight, to actually embrace it. If I am going to be fat, let’s get really good at it!

Having an awareness of human nature is also critical. You want to be able to hit on topics that everyone can relate to.

New Shirts – Created by Don Cheke

New Shirts is my take on the difficulty of buying clothes when you are large. Yes, you can buy at Mr. Big & Tall, or Mr. Big & Tall, or Mr. Big & Tall, your choice. 😊

Here is one that looks at irony, and a double standard that we are all familiar with.

Art Gallery – Created by Don Cheke

Denise and I took a trip to Las Vegas for a ten-day vacation one year.

Fatties – Created by Don Cheke

One of the funniest things we saw while there was a bumper sticker that said, “Sluts are people too.” We found that quite hilarious, and, of course, developed a greater respect for sluts because of it. 😊 I thought that maybe I could get viewers of this cartoon to feel the same for fatties. Is it working!?

As I was writing this blog post, I noticed that it was also becoming a treatise on being fat. I decided to go with it, as it is a topic that is close to my heart. Have you ever heard of a stand-up comic named John Pinette? He also suffered from obesity and had some priceless jokes to go along with it. Check him out if you get the chance, although it will have to be reruns, since he is dead, probably due to a heart attack, if you get my meaning.

One of the things I hate the most in the world is the word “bariatric.” It is a branch of medicine that deals with the causes, prevention, and treatment of obesity. Obesity is another word I hate, but that is a topic for another day.

Bariatric Ambulance – Created by Don Cheke

So, one day I was at the local exhibition (fair) and while there I encountered a huge truck, that looked like a cross between an ambulance and a firetruck. I was curious so I approached the fellow manning the vehicle and interacting with the crowd. I asked him what on earth the vehicle was used for and he said bariatric response, rescue, and transport. Meanwhile, I am standing there thinking, oh crap, he’s probably thinking to himself – yeah for people just like you, tubby. I didn’t stay to chat any further, as you can imagine.

Even somber events require some lightheartedness at times.

Cremation – Created by Don Cheke

In all seriousness, one of the things I have asked my wife to do for me, if I should die before her, is that she gets me cremated before anyone gets a chance to see me at the service if there is to be one. When my grandmother died when I was a young man in pretty good shape, I was one of the pall bearers for her funeral. She was no lightweight either, but certainly not as large as me. Even though there were six of us carrying her and her casket, I remember the struggle it was to keep upright while hauling it in and out of the church. I didn’t ever want someone to have to carry me like that. The tag line for the joke is my way to make light of it all. Denise too, has an ornament on her bookshelf that says, “Cremation, my last chance for a smokin’ hot body.” Too funny!

So, we are nearing the end of the blog post. I am showing my trace aid model, hoping that you see the beauty in me, and not the pudge. I have actually developed a bit of wisdom using myself as the character by starting this cartoon series. I thought I would either learn to love myself and enjoy the comic process or I would develop a greater hate for the weight I carry. You can imagine that I have come out on a more positive note since I am showing the true me, in all my glory! Note that I created the comic me, with a bigger head to suit my size. I always thought that my real pinhead was too small for my body size, so, like Botox or plastic surgery, I have fixed that.

Nice to Meet You – Created by Don Cheke

Let’s wrap up with one more. No, I didn’t pose for this one! I winged it. 😊

Team Canada – Created by Don Cheke

Team Canada pokes fun at Speedo-like swimsuits that men have been teased about over the years. Nope, I can’t imagine myself in one of them, let alone getting mostly naked in front of anyone. Avert the eyes! 😊 There is a story about averting the eyes that a teacher my wife knew, who was also a nun, used to tell. It was about a time when she was in the convent and when she and other nuns were out and about, the Mother Superior would tell them to avert the eyes, if they encountered a man in their travels. For the sake of fun, this same nun said that when it was just the young nuns, Mother Superior no where near, one of them would always say, “Alert the eyes, alert the eyes” when some attractive fellow was in the vicinity. Just goes to show that young nuns have minds of their own. Some probably even smoke! LOL!

Please refrain from commenting on weight loss or offering advice in an email or in the comments, as they will be ignored. If you want to commiserate, I am okay with that – misery loves company, as they say. 😊

I hope that you enjoyed this blog post as much as I did creating it. I think you can expect more comics in future blog posts when appropriate.

Donald B. Cheke – April 22, 2024