Tom Gauld always wanted to draw comics, but it took him a while to realize he could write them too. He initially believed one had to study literature to be a writer. In art school, he met Simone Lia, and they encouraged each other to create their first cartoons, which they self-published in a book called "First." They started with silly little jokes and have since progressed to writing graphic novels and picture books, although Gauld still enjoys making silly little jokes.
When asked about the evolution of his style, Tom explained that he began as an illustrator and had to learn to be a cartoonist and incorporate words over time. "I think my images have become simpler and cleaner as I've become more interested in telling stories than making pictures. Though of course making an attractive image is important too.
The most important influence was probably having a weekly cartooning job at the Guardian (and later at New Scientist) which forced me to constanly make new work to a strict deadline."
We asked Gauld if any of his comics or illustrations are especially important to him. He said he’s fond of his children's book, "The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess." "It was a new departure for me to make a book for children and I found it very hard but, in the end, rewarding. Also, it began as a story I invented for my own children then became something we worked on together as a family."
To understand more about the life of a cartoonist, we asked Gauld about common misconceptions people might have regarding their work. "I think there is an idea that being a cartoonist is such delightful fun that I sit all day at my desk chuckling with laughter. I certainly enjoy my job, but the positive moments as a creator are usually more like the satisfaction of solving a puzzle, than the laughter and joy I feel as the reader of a good cartoon.
