Mailbag
November 7th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Your color work in MAD is wonderfully intense and unique. It is unlike any other digital coloring I’ve seen in comics or cartooning. Did you go to school for that or where did you learn your digital coloring techniques? A: First off, thanks for the compliments about my work. It’s incredibly gratifying when someone takes the time to say they like what I do. When one works in the solitude of a quiet studio it is always a treat when they get feedback from someone who enjoyed what you did. Thank you. Concerning my color work- in that I can say with confidence it… READ MORE
October 31st, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I see that full sized Batman in the pictures of your studio. Is that really a costume? Where did you get that awesome suit? A: I get at least one of these every year as Halloween approaches. Here is one of the pictures in question: And yes, it’s costume: That’s me!… I’m Batman. It’s an exact replica of the Val Kilmer “Panther” style suit from “Batman Forever”… complete with nipples :mad:. You can read all about how I put this together, along with lots of other pictures on this post: The Saga of the Batsuit. READ MORE
October 24th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I am a longtime fan of MAD Magazine and my favorite parts of each issue are the movie and TV parodies. I hope you’ll forgive me but I have several questions about that. I know you have been doing both types for a long time… which is your favorite to work on, a movie or a TV show, and why? Do you like doing parodies more of shows you love or hate? Finally, are we ever going to see MAD return to having at least one parody in every issue? They used to always have one movie and one TV show spoof in each… READ MORE
October 17th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I Really love your work, especially the detail you put in. Your pictures are never taken in at a glance – there is something interesting going on right into the corners. So I have a question about your attention to detail. Obviously it’s important for caricatures that the details are as accurate a depiction as necessary to make the image recognizable, but how important is it to you that the details of the less essential elements in a scene are similarly as accurate? If you draw a car in the background do you like the car to be recognizably a Toyota or a Ford… READ MORE
October 10th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: With all the work you do for the MAD parodies, have you ever contributed your own jokes/gags? Or have you ever done any written and illustrated pieces? Do you have any aspirations to write a comic strip or something like that? A: I guess that depends on what you mean by “writing”. If you mean do I put words down in a script to contribute jokes and gags, then no… I have never done that for MAD. However when asked this question I do feel confident in saying I “write” for MAD in a certain sense… meaning I do contribute a lot of humor… READ MORE
October 3rd, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Like you I use a nib (i.e. a dip pen and ink) to draw cartoons with but unlike you I don’t have deadlines to worry about. Artwork inked with a nib can take a long time to dry before you can erase any pencil lines and scan into the computer to be coloured. Do you have a number of pieces on the go at any one time or do you have to just go and do something else. I can’t imagine a client would accept, “sorry, the ink isn’t dry”! A: Inking with a dip pen does lay down a lot of ink and… READ MORE
September 26th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Now that I’m working freelance full-time, I’m wondering: what do you do when you get sick? As I’m typing this, I’m dealing with a nasty cold and although I want to spend the day in bed, there’s work to be done. What’s your experience with being sick while dealing with deadlines, Tom? I can’t imagine trying to pull an all-nighter with a puke bucket by your drawing desk! A: That reminds me of my standard answer to the question “What’s it like working at home?” My answers are: “The best thing is you get to work out of your home” and “The worst thing… READ MORE
September 19th, 2010 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: You seem to do a lot of political caricatures and humorous illustrations.¬¨‚Ć Is it a preferred subject for you, or is this just the way things work out? A: When you are known for doing caricature you inevitably get a lot of work dealing with politics and politicians… especially in an election year. It’s certainly not a preferred subject for me, but it is a subject that seems to lend itself to work for my style of illustration. I’ve done political-centric work for magazines, newspapers, products, movies, iPhone and iPad apps and even campaign materials. One thing I try hard to do in regards… READ MORE
