When asked about the inspiration behind his cartoons featuring cats and dogs, Scott shared heartfelt memories of his first pets: "I’ve always liked cats and dogs. My first pet was a black cat named Samantha. We got her when I was in Kindergarten and she died when I was a senior in high school. After she died, we got a Golden Retriever, named Spice, who was a big lovebug. About 20 years ago, I got a cat named Simon, and he was a big, fat lovable jerk. He was the one who inspired me to draw cat comics. And for years my memories of Spice and friends’ dogs provided good fodder for dog comics. I got a dog a couple of years ago, and he provides regular inspiration for cartoons."
Reflecting on how his artistic style has evolved over the years, Scott explained: "Over the years, my drawing style has changed quite a bit. In the early days, when I was learning Adobe Illustrator, the drawings weren’t very smooth, often a bit clunky. It took me about five years to get the hang of Illustrator and be able to draw fairly quickly with it."
Scott also highlighted the importance of coffee in his creative process, revealing: "Coffee is a big part of my creative process. It gets my brain going and helps me make connections and generate jokes. Exercise does this too (and alcohol to some degree), but coffee is essential. When I’m brainstorming, I think about what my two cats and my dog have been doing lately—their weird behaviors—and try to turn that into a comic. Or I think about what I’ve been doing over the past few days and see if there’s a way to exaggerate something to make it funny. Those are the main ways I come up with ideas."
On why his cartoons resonate so strongly with pet owners, Scott shared his thoughts: "I think it’s because a lot of cats and dogs do similar goofy and stupid stuff. They each have their own personality for sure, but there are generalities that people can relate to."
For aspiring cartoonists interested in creating pet-focused content, Scott offered this piece of advice: "My first bit of advice is, if you really love pets and animals, absolutely draw pet comics! But don’t do it just because it’s a popular topic. One aspiring cartoonist messaged me a while back saying he wanted to draw cat comics but was worried that 'the market is already flooded with cat content.' It’s true there are a lot of cat (and dog) comics, but there’s plenty of room for more. Everyone has their own unique perspective about their pets and their own brand of humor. There are so many ways to create pet content. Bring your own perspective and if the comics are cute or funny, you’ll find an audience."
