Bored Panda got in touch with Leigh Rubin to ask him more about his creative process and himself. We got curious about how his journey as an artist started. Leigh replied that he has always loved to draw. "As far back as kindergarten, I knew I wanted to become an artist. During high school and into college I did some sculpture, pastels, papier mache and of course, pen and ink."
The artist shared that many of his cartoons are pop culture-inspired. "We live in a pop culture world. Once a movie is made about a historical event it immediately becomes part of our collective pop culture. All of this collective pop culture brings us together. Whether it’s in motion pictures, books, songs, cartoon characters, or even advertising and commercials. There is so much material there from which to draw inspiration.
Growing up I loved (and still do) all of the old Warner Bros. and MGM cartoons. My dad read every comic in the paper and I know that had a major influence."
"I love the constant daily challenge of creation. To be sure, some days are easier than others, but to be able to bring a smile or laugh to so many people every day is incredibly gratifying. Of course, it’s especially fun to have multiple layers in a cartoon. If a person has to think for a bit to get the joke I think it provides a much more rewarding experience. It allows the reader to experience an 'AHA!' moment. I believe it’s important to allow the reader to contribute some of their imagination to get the joke."
Leigh has done a number of environmentally-themed cartoons. The artist shared that while he doesn't specifically do editorial cartoons, he does enjoy some social commentary. "I’ll happily leave the editorializing to the editorial cartoonists. That’s what they do best, but there’s no reason I can’t have a bit of fun with serious subjects. There’s humor in everything and I figure it’s my job to find it."
The artist also shared that he has been working with a good friend and "special effects wizard", Ryan Johnson, for some time on a TV program called “Drawing Inspiration” which focuses on going behind the scenes with other creatives in a wide variety of disciplines to discover what inspires them. "There are also bits of animation in the mix. It’s been a very fun adventure. After watching the original pilot, my niece described it as 'Dirty Jobs (the wonderful show featuring Mike Rowe) for the creative set.'"
"Drawing Inspiration as it celebrates a number of the many ways people think and creatively solve problems, both big and small, and how humor often plays a big part!"
Leigh is also working on a book that will be published next year titled “Think Like a Cartoonist”, to be published by RIT Press.
"In addition to the daily cartoons, I have had the honor of serving as the Cartoonist-in-Residence for the Rochester Institute of Technology for the last four years. It’s a joy interacting with such incredibly creative and talented students."
