Sunday, August 3, 2008

In Prospect

These are the first two cartoons I've had published in Prospect Magazine. I've been experimenting with drawing objects in grey with no outlines, and I'm pleased that Prospect picked up two of the ones that I've done that with. I'm pretty satisfied with the result. The idea is basically a steal from 50's modernist cartoons and particularly from some re-released children's books from the 50's and 60's that I've been flicking through in Gosh! comics. I like the two characters in this, an evil, skeletal boss and a grinning fool. The name Simmons is the surname of my good pal Tim, who looks nothing like the drawing.


I'm always trying to simplify my cartoons and see what I can do with limited elements. I'm not quite brave enough to go down a Charles Barsotti super-simplified route yet. Maybe I will end up as a sort of Dick Bruna of gags. Only hugely less successful.

This next one features a stalactite as a character. I love cartoons with absurd inanimate objects as the protagonists, and this is my third idea using a stalactite, the first to be published. The idea is at once original and clichéd - A stalactite on a psychiatrist's couch. I'm not that happy with the structure of the drawing, but there you go. Can't change it now.

5 comments:

Royston Robertson said...

Welcome to the world of blogging, Alex. And congratulations on the Prospect sales. Love the stalagmite (or stalagtite) gag.

alexander matthews said...

Cheers Royston, I was so glad to sell that one. Been trying for ages to get a 'talking object' cartoon in a magazine.

Matt Buck said...

Ditto to what RR said Alex. I like the stalagtite gag too. More vertical extent needed perhaps?

alexander matthews said...

I hadn't thought of the making the stalactite longer. Should have googled some for reference I suppose! Thanks for the comment, Matt.

Rod McKie said...

Very nice Alex. I like the idea and the execution.