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I was sitting at my computer, as usual, designing new cartoon products from older cartoons, and working on my shoes designs on another business, and my wife, whose desk is directly behind mine said, "Why don't you start your cartoons again?" I kind of looked at her funny, and then my glaze turned into a stare in front of me, out my window to the main Hot Springs Mountain. It was lush and green after a long cold winter. I had been designing products out of habit, and, because they sell sometimes, it never hurts to make a living. Plus my fans were asking for new cartoons. It boggled my mind that they had seen my entire inventory which is in the thousands.
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Lee noticed that I carry paper and pen with me on our mountain nature hikes, and, if a cartoon concept enters my head, I jot it down. This had been happening a lot lately, even though I had stopped creating new cartoons in 2007 as I was full time in college with no time for much else. She said it was a shame to have so many new concepts and not do anything with them. I looked in my day planner and there were at least a hundred or more that I had written over the past few months. March 19, 2010 was the 13th anniversary of my cartoon venture. I have over 4500 original images. Nature hikes with my wife can be very merciful to writer's block.
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My cartoon venture is a little different than the majority of cartoons one might see in the newspaper in that it is a team effort. This is more common than many think. It is estimated that 20-30% of newspaper cartoons are created by teams. Of course Disney, though animated, was always a team effort, and though he could draw, he preferred seeing his characters rendered by other artists. So do I.
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Another obstacle was that most of my team created with me as a part time gig. Most had long gone and moved on to other full-time projects. After all it had been three years since I'd created a cartoon concept and written it. I sat with the idea another week or so and finally, without even telling my wife, I started advertising for illustrators who might audition. I knew from experience I could work with three at the most and manage them and the project effectively and comfortably. There was a time when I was writing up to a hundred concepts a day when I first started the project, and working with twelve illustrators at one time. The difference is I was only forty-four then. I am now turning fifty-six. My mind still feels twenty one and that's a good thing in the world of cartooning; especially given that the majority of very good cartoons on the market are done by talented people in their twenties and thirties. Many are retired by my age. But Generation Two has just begun and I am loving it. It is like brain calisthenics.
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After a month of dealing with all types of talented and sometimes not-so-talented illustrators and reviewing portfolios, I found three new members. All are veterans from nearby to as far away to a small village in Germany. My manager (and senior illustrator) Rich is doing his Scouting thing in Ohio, and will start back with us in August. Rich has been with us for eleven years.
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I have re-connected with many old friends on Facebook, Twitter, and other Internet crevices. Most of them are grandparents retiring and such. That seems so strange to Lee (and me) as we feel like our lives are just starting. We got married on June 18th, and had already been friends and in business together for a year. She started her career 30 or so years ago in technology, evolved to writer, and is now a product designer and partner in several ventures we do together. And to top it off, we go hiking together almost every day whenever we feel like it. We know most of the animals by name, and they seem to know us too (could be our overactive imaginations).
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I am going to be completely honest here. I am well past the age that most people would think is acceptable to watch cartoons. I am a married father and have a college degree and manage a business. You would think by looking at me that my favorite television shows would be the news and professional sporting events. But boy oh boy would you be wrong. Just what is my favorite television show you might want to know...King of the Hill. I think it's awesome.
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All of that begs the question: is there a point at which you are too old to enjoy and even love cartoons? I obviously think that the answer to that question is a resounding no. No way, no how.
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Of course, there are different kinds of cartoons and different levels of fan enthusiasm. Do I consider myself too old to watch alot of what comes on on Saturday mornings? You bet I do. Those cartoons are mind numbing to say the very least. On the other end of the spectrum, there are cartoons like Sponge Bob that many people well past the age of 20 find hilarious that I just don't get. I fall into what I like to think of as a happy medium.
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For a while I was a huge "The Simpsons" fan. I had nearly every episode memorized for about 10 seasons worth of shows. But, as with most animated series where the characters never age, there is only so much of a story and then things kind of fizzle out.
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On classic show that I never seemed to get in to that alot of other adults love is Scooby Doo. I think for many people there is a powerful feeling of nostalgia watching their favorite childhood toons as an adult.
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The level of cartoon enthusiasm can range from subtle to full blown obsession. Various examples I have seen include someone whose personal checks featured their favorite character which was subtle enough to someone with a Tweety Bird tattoo which seemed a little extreme but still well within the realm of reason to a lady who literally has a "Disney Room" that is filled with every conceivable Disney character.
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As a child, I remember sitting in front of my television every Saturday morning with my sisters, anxiously waiting for Muppet Babies (1984-1992) to come on. Once the theme song began playing, we just knew that all was right with the world. In our world, we played with Gonzo and Miss Piggy as they soared into outer space; we rode rockets and walked on the moon alongside the characters. All the while making it home in time for Nanny to tuck them into bed, and our mom to make lunch.
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Another cartoon I remember fondly is the The Wonderful World of David the Gnome (1988) on Nickelodeon. In this show, we followed David and his wife, Lisa, as they traveled through the forest rescuing various animals and people, all the while outwitting trolls who were nearly twenty times their sizes. Although it didn't come on Saturday mornings, my sisters and I were fans, and still know pieces of the theme song today. "Look around you, there are many things to see, that some would say, could never be...."
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At the ripe, old, ages of 17, 20, and 21, respectively, my sisters and I still discuss the cartoons of our childhood; cartoons that we remember warmly and smile when we think about as we work on our resumes and study for exams.
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