Good news! Today MAD editor John Ficarra sent out an announcement to all MAD contributors to say that DC Comics would be increasing the frequency of MAD from quarterly to bimonthly, stating with issue #504. The news stand date of MAD #504 is June 15th, so we should see MAD #505 on August 15th or so, and then an issue every other month after that.

That is great news on several fronts. First, it’s two more issues of MADness every year, but as John points out in his letter it gives MAD the opportunity to do more topical and timely material. Quarterly publication really limited what MAD could jump on concerning matters of the moment. Movie parodies especially were tough because if the timing of an issue was not just right, it was pointless to do a parody of a film that would long be out of the spotlight by the time the parody hit the stands. Bimonthly still  isn’t the same as monthly, but it beats quarterly by 50%! (For all you math geniuses out there who might dispute that figure: Quarterly= 4 issues/year, Bimonthly= 6 issue/year, going from 4 to 6 issues a year is an increase of 2 issues a year, or 50% of current quarterly output.)

No new news on the revamping of the MAD website or other media projects, but progress is still being made in those areas I am told.

**I had to remove my original post on this for a while as DC did not mean it disseminated until they made their own announcement, but after they realized the cat was out of the bag they said keeping it private was “moot”, thus the replaced post… sorry about the comments that got deleted as a result.

Look for an official announcement from DC Comics and MAD Magazine soon!

Click for a closer look…

My usual reply to MAD art director Sam Viviano when he calls and asks me if I’ve ever seen the TV show he is about to assign me the parody art for is “Never seen it”. That’s because I really don’t watch much TV… but this one was different.

The few shows I do watch are usually because my kids or The Lovely Anna watch them, and thus I see them through osmosis. Even so I usually just casually catch some bits and pieces and don’t get very interested. However, “The Big Bang Theory” is one of the family’s favorite shows, and is one that I usually put on the brakes for, sit down and actually watch when I see they have it playing on the old DVR. I think it’s a very funny show, and the comic book/sci fi geek references are not lost on me. Case in point: My kids looked aghast at me the other night when I mentioned before Sheldon did that the writing on the One Ring from the Lord of the Rings was not Elvish but in the language of Mordor, but written in Elvsh script, and then recited what it said as the characters on the show did. That earned me the classic “ohmygoddadisatotalgeek” look.

So, I was thrilled to get to do the art for the parody, written by the inimitable Desmond Devlin. Here are a couple of other sneak peek images… you’ll have to buy a copy of the issue to help keep the Usual Gang of Idiots employed to see the rest:

Finally! On news stands March 16th and in comic book stores and subscriber mailboxes now!

MAD # 503 (May 2010)

• Cover (Mark Frederickson)
• The Fundalini Pages (Tom Bunk, Desmond Devlin, Evan Dorkin, J.C. Duffy, Sarah Dyer, Nate Fakes, Darren Johnson, Jeff Kruse, Barry Liebmann, Tom Richmond,  Sam Sisco,  Rick Tulka,  Sam Viviano, Richard Williams)
• The MAD Quarterly Report (Paul Coker)
  
• The Big Bomb Theory (Desmond Devlin, Tom Richmond)
• The Tiger Wood’s Mistress Mini-Golf Fun Center (Scott Maiko, Ty Templeton)
• The Darker Side of The Lighter Side (Dave Berg)
• Amish POWER SPIKE Miracle Heater (Scott Maiko, Irving Schild)
  
• Spy vs Spy (Peter Kuper)
• The Rich Rewards of a Full-Time Career as a Convenience Store Clerk (John Caldwell)
• A MAD Look at Avatar (Sergio Aragonés)
• The 9 Reasons You Can’t Get a Job (Teresa Burns Parkhurst, Kevin Pope)
  
• 7 Periods Closer to Death (Ted Rall)
• The 38 Worst Things about Late Night TV! (Desmond Devlin, Scott Maiko, Jeff Kruse, Hermann Mejia, Ward Sutton )
• MAD’s Iron Man 2 Outtakes (Uncredited)
  
• Germ Prevention Service Poster (Dick DeBartolo, Gary Hallgren)
• The Strip Club (Christopher Baldwin, Feggo, Dustin Glick, Scott Nickel, Douglas Paszkiewicz, Joey Alison Sayers)
• The MAD Vault- 1969 (Various)
• Steal These Tweets (Dave Croatto)
• MAD Fold-In (Al Jaffee)
• Drawn Out Dramas (Sergio Aragonés)

I have two reprint pieces in this issue, both in the “Fundalini Pages”, one of which is the “MADE UP” movie parody poster I did for the website back in November. The main piece I did for this issue was a parody of “The Big Bang Theory” with writer Desmond Devlin. Look for a sneak peek of that tomorrow.

So what are you waiting for? Go out and buy a copy, clod!

Rather than my usual pencil drawing I thought I’d try something different for the SOTW this week. This is an ink wash study of LOST star Matthew Fox.

Okay, this might just be the ultimate toy for the Trekkie/Trekker/Total Star Trek Geek…

A WORKING phaser?!? Wow. I’m not even a very big Trek fan and I think that is on a whole ‘nother level of cool.

Legendary war cartoonist Bill Mauldin is being honored with a stamp from the United State Postal Service. The stamp gets released sometime this month. Mauldin’s cartoons, often featuring his characters Willie and Joe, were honest and supportive of the enlisted soldiers defending the country during World War II while making fun of the brass, which endeared him to millions of “regular guys”. They told real stories of the front lines and the difficulties our soldiers endured using humor, which comforted both the G.I.’s and the people back home who loved them.

I only met Mauldin once, at my first National Cartoonists Society Reubens in 1999 in San Antonio. By then he was ravaged by Alzheimer’s disease and in declining health, and he was difficult to talk to. It was obvious how much he was revered and loved by the cartoonists there, which was very moving when witnessed firsthand. I think it would have been something to have met him before his health problems robbed him of much of his identity. He passed away in 2003.

Congratulations to Bill Mauldin for the well deserved honor, and I am looking forward to getting one of these stamps.

Q: I was wondering what you could share on the importance of style in caricatures. Your work for MAD, differs greatly from say, Stephen Silver’s more cartoony style, David Cowles’ more abstract work, and Jason Seiler’s paintings. Are all styles equally in demand in publishing? Is having a unique style that sets you apart, key in getting work? Is the likeness/exaggeration often an area of contention between the artist and client?

A: One of the great things about caricature is that as an artform it can include virtually any style of drawings or rendering and still be instantly recognizable as a caricature. Whether a caricature is done by the cartoony linework of a Mort Drucker, the lavish painting of a Sebastian Kruger, the elegant lines of a Al Hirschfeld, the graphic design and color of a David Cowles or by any one of an infinite number of other techniques, the end result is still unmistakably a caricature (If you haven’t checked out my “Me Gallery“before please do, it is a great example of hundreds of different styles (and different levels of success) applied to the same subject, including all four of the luminaries I just mentioned above).

“Style”, in my definition anyway, is a combination of two things: an artist’ natural sensibilities and the technique they use to actually accomplish the finished art. The latter is basically mechanical, and within the intellectual control of the artist. It’s not too terribly hard to develop new techniques and use new mediums to come up with a replacement or secondary method of working that might appeal to a different set of clients, but to change the fundamental way in which you draw and see the world is a lot harder to do. Therefore in some ways an artist’s style is within their control, and in some ways it is not.

Artistically speaking the success or lack thereof of a given caricature is independent of style. Whether the caricature is painted, drawn, inked, wildly or mildly exaggerated, sculpted, frescoed on the ceiling of a renaissance cathedral or scrawled on a cave wall with crushed berry paste by torchlight… it’s either a good caricature or it isn’t. The style of the artist doesn’t matter a bit in that respect. Your question is mainly concerned with the commercial applications of style, and in that respect it can matter a lot.

There is certainly no one style that is commercially applicable above all others. There are obviously many illustrators that are known for their caricatures and they work in many different styles. Today the work of C.F. Payne, David Cowles and Steve Brodner are probably the most often seen and commercially successful, and their styles are all diametrically opposed. Many other illustrators are likewise successful and visible but who’s styles differ wildly. Are all styles equally in demand in publishing? Certainly not, or many more artists would be working doing many more styles of work. However, there is room for a great many styles of caricature in publishing and advertising. In fact, it could be argued that there is room for ALL styles of caricature commercially… it’s just that it’ a lot harder to find commercial applications for some styles over others.

Commercially, the appeal/viability of a given style hinges on a number of factors:

1. The final result or effect the art director is looking for- Each project is a little different, and what the art director might need or envision on a given job will dictate the style of art he/she is looking for. A smart AD will then look for an artist who’s style fits the look they are seeking. If they want a crazy exaggerated style they’ll call artists who fit the bill.
2. The demographic and tastes of the overall target audience- This falls somewhat under the umbrella of the first factor but with a much broader context. When it comes to publications, each has a certain visual “identity” or feel to them and they won’t stray far from that identity regardless of the needs of a given project. Some magazines won’t use cartoony or whimsical artwork, but like the illustrations to be more artsy and avant garde. Others prefer a more realistic approach to their illustrations, etc. Obviously who the publication is meant to appeal to and the subject matter they cover dictate some of that visual identity… a magazine for kids will use cartoon artwork and zany, energetic styles while one for the film industry might want something more daring or cutting edge. However I have found over the years that it’s the preferences of the current art directors of a publication that define its look. I have been given jobs for magazines that I would never have thought would be interested in my cartoony style, and likewise I have seen magazines that used to use a lot of a certain style of art suddenly drop those illustrators with the hiring of a new AD, even though that new hire did nothing to change their target audience or subject matter.
3. What is “hot” at the moment- There are certain trends to illustration, and styles that are greatly in demand for a few years might find themselves suddenly out in the cold as “passé” at a later time. Some styles are timeless, but some are subject to the fickleness of current trends. For a long time many of the big entertainment magazines were using these weird scraggly line and blocky color wash style spot caricatures for their sidebars and short pieces… that caricature style has all but disappeared from the major entertainment publications. The graphic, design-like look of Cowles’ work was huge for a while but has cooled off quite a bit in the last few years. What happens when a style is “hot” is that while an artist like Cowles and maybe one or two others will define the style the saturation of it will get work for a lot of knock-off or similar but lesser known illustrators. Then when the popularity of the style cools all the ancilliary artists will stop getting that type of work and the defining artists will be given all that is left. In that way a few artists can always make a living doing a certain style independent of current trends, while those who were riding the popularity wave would struggle to find work in that same style once that wave washes out.

Some styles are timeless and just will never go away. Having a unique style is important to establish an identity as an illustrator, but unless your style is one of those timeless ones, or it appeals to a large enough base of potential clients that you will find continuous work with it, it’s hard to make a long term living as an illustrator. I know many illustrators who have developed secondary or alternate styles in order to pursue work from a different set of clients.  I have done a similar thing with my colored like technique, which I am still developing to try and break into different markets. I’ve often said here that it’s important to have a consistent and identifiable style as an illustrator so your clients know what to expect and come to you to get it, but there is nothing wrong with applying different techniques of rendering and execution to your natural way of drawing and expressing your views of the world that might appeal to other potential clients. I’ve know some illustrators who develop a radically different style of illustration and actually market themselves under a different name with that look.

The final part of your question: “is exaggeration/likeness often an area of contention between the artist and a client?” It absolutely should not be once the artist and client relationship begins. A client should understand the style of the artist they have engaged, and not be surprised by what they get nor expect them to do something that is not what they do. I’ve had a more than a few projects where the client tells me they love my work but then proceed to instruct me to do something completely different from what it is I do. That’s like hiring an Italian chef to cook a Chinese meal. If a client wants an exaggerated caricature, they need to call an artist who does that kind of work. That is why how an artist represents his work is so important… illustrators must communicate to potential clients what they and their work are all about, so the calls they get are ones looking for exactly what they offer.

Thanks to Derek Edwards for the question. If you have a question you want answered for the mailbag about cartooning, illustration, MAD Magazine, caricature or similar, e-mail me and I’ll try and answer it here!

As promised here is a glimpse of the process behind the art for MAD’s “Toyota Story” parody poster image:

The job was described to me as a fake poster for a “Toy Story” spin-off film, done in a typical Pixar look, with the gag being the toys behind the wheel of a runaway Toyota and several of them being run over and squashed. Naturally the effectiveness of the parody would rely on the artwork looking as genuinely Pixar-like as possible, so I know I had a lot of tight painting ahead of me.

Here is my initial sketch:

Click for a closer look…

Based on the copy saying “…From the Makers of Cars” I went with an anthropomorphic car like from that film, which I thought made sense as it was out of control with a seeming “mind of it’s own” like the actual Toyota’s seem to become when they accelerate for no apparent reason. Since MAD was not specific about the type of Toyota I did some research on my end and found the accident that led to all this fervor happened with a Lexus, but as this was “Toyota Story” it didn’t make sense to draw anything but an actual Toyota vehicle. More research told me that lots of Toyotas as well as Lexus models were also being recalled, so I went with a Corolla thinking it was probably the most recognizable model. I really wanted to show Woody flying out of his seat… but there are no convertible Corollas (at least none being recalled), so I drew the roof flying off as if from the crazy speed. The rest was just chaotic violence and impending violence to poor Bo Peep. Off this went to MAD.

I got quite a bit of feedback and a fair amount of changes on the initial sketch. First, the idea of a living car like “Cars” was not what they had in mind… they wanted the car to be just a car. Beyond that, the consensus was that the focus was being taken away from the car itself and the Toy Story characters were too prominent and the scene too visually busy. Bo Peep, for example, needed to be less front and intrusive. The others also needed to be down sized and downplayed to make the car be the center of attention. Also they didn’t like the idea of the roof flying off the car… I’d need to make it a convertible if I wanted Woody flying off the seat like that. There were a few other minor comments as well. This necessitated another sketch:

Click for a closer look…

I switched to a Camry convertible, which I researched to find was one of the models being recalled, and did a more straightforward drawing of it. I scaled back on the Toy characters and enlarged the car a bit. Color would do the rest of that work for me. This sketch quickly was approved and I moved on to the final art.

Trying to make the characters look like the CGI Pixar characters was going to be a real challenge. I have no idea how they do all that texturing and rendering, so I was going to have to fake it. I used some simple PhotoShop texture filters like “sandstone” and “canvas” to create some textures. Others I just had to paint up the best I could.

Here’s some closeups of a few areas:

The car was especially time consuming. I could have doubled the time I spent on it and still been short of a really realistic effect, but time was short and what I had done was working well enough. When it comes to digital painting, I usually have to cut myself off at some point, because you can always keep zooming in until you are painting the grains of sand on the beach…

All in all an intense but fun project.

Click for a closer look…

Comic’s Alliance debuted the above piece I did as part of an exclusive “sneak peek” from MAD #503, so I guess I can now share it here. Actually the “Toyota Story” piece WON’T be in MAD #503, as I just completed it on Tuesday and that issue had been to the printer already by then (unless there was some delay I am not aware of).

By the way, the official news stand date for #503 is March 23rd.

“Toyota Story” should soon be available for download on MAD‘s website gallery of downloadable parody posters, and may make it into a future issue of the magazine as I did it in print resolution. These kinds of projects may become more and more common as MAD tries new ways to fill the gaps between issues of the magazine and increases it’s presence on the web… I did a similar project back in November about the Balloon Boy hoax. That would be great not only from a “me getting more MAD work” standpoint but also because it would allow MAD to become more topical than it ever has been able to be before… even when MAD was a monthly it would be typical to have two months or more from the time a project would be undertaken to it’s being on the newsstands. That’s a long time in today’s instant/24 hour a day news cycle era.

I did the art for this poster practically overnight, as the editors at MAD were hot to get the image “out” while the story was still a big thing in the press. I would have had more time to work on it but unforeseen circumstances kept me from getting started on the final painting until late on Sunday night. Hence the two sleepless nights early this week.

Tomorrow I will post a step by step of the different stages of this project and some close ups of some of the areas.

David Paccia is the author of the interesting blog “David-Wasting-Paper“, which features interviews with cartoonists in the form of a series of survey questions. There has been a great run of terrific cartoonists interviewed on David’s site, but I’m afraid that run has come to an end. Yes, David has finally scraped the bottom of the barrel and has stooped to interviewing me for his blog. Looks like he redeems himself next with my friend Rick Stomowski (Soup 2 Nutz), but in the meantime he wears the yoke of shame.

However, do not let that dissuade you from visiting David’s Wasting Paper and reading the other 88 interviews worth reading!