Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain : How to Come Up With Jokes for Cartoons and Comic Strips

162 Pages·1998·12.39 MB·English

by  Christopher Hart

DRAWING & |-=
FUNNY SIDE
THE BRAN

_HOW To COME UP JOKES
ron & ONS AND tome STRIPS
CHRISTOPHER HART

HOWTO GET YOUR WORK NOTICED...

‘AND SOLD!
DRAWING &:
FUNNY SIDE
o THE BRAIN

DRAWING &-
GTUNNY SIDE

o THE BRAIN
| Se |
scorn ck Son ay caper Har
To Isabella, Francesca, and Maria

1

CONTENTS

71) he mos: frequent question comic strip artists hear is,
“sathere do you get your ideas?" They'll respond with

7]
| | an “Aw, shucks,” and mumble something self-effacing

i but not‘ce that they don't answer your question. You
LS think they don't know how they do it? They produce
comic strip every day of their lives, but you really think it's a
mystery (0 them?

Sure.

I'l showy you exactly how to come up with jokes for cartoons
and Fow to illustrate them. I'll ever give you the keys to,
combatting writer's block. | won't tell you—as same authors
do—to take strolls along the beach, clear your mind, and try to
think up something funny, | can’t imagine being satisfied with
advice like that. If it worked, the beach would be filled with
professianal cartoonists. if we reliec merely on inspiration, we'd
all be out of work. Joke and gag writing isa craft, not an art.
What if yau called your plunber to fix a leak, but he said he
was waiting until he feit “inspired” to plumb)? This shouldn't
hapgen to you as a cartoonist; you can be tunny even when you
don’t feel funny, once you have the key.

This book js also very much about drawing, as well as writing.
Hf you want to know how to draw funny—funny enough to get
a laugh and funny enough to get published—then this book is
for you. You'll learn all the basics of cartooning, plus how to
invent humorous characters, how to draw sly expressions, how
tv design bodies ior specific personality types, haw to draw
tough hand poses with ease, when to simplify, when to
exaggerate, how to create funny animals, and much more. In
addition, as a special feature, there's an exclusive interviow:
with Wallace Collins, a highly regarded copyright atton
\who'll explain exactly how to protect your ideas.

You'll aso learn everyshing you need to know to sell your
‘own comic strip, including how to package your submissions to
rewspapers and syndicates in @ way thel immediately elevates
your work above that of the novice, In addition, you'll get the
addresses oF the top newspaper comic strip syndicates that are
looking for the next Garfielcl Hey, yours could be the one.