Bored Panda reached out to Vaughan Tomlinson with some questions!
When asked about his creative process, Tomlinson shared, "The first step in creating a cartoon is also the hardest, and that is coming up with an idea. A single-panel cartoon should obviously be funny, but it also needs to be simple. There’s no lead-up to the joke. The cartoon is the punchline and, without any context, a reader should be able to understand what is going on. I keep a notebook on me so that if an idea happens to come to me, I can do a quick sketch before I forget. I usually go through my sketches later and find that many of them are either unfunny or difficult to decipher. If there are any that aren't awful, I do a digital version using a drawing tablet."
Regarding his choice of one-panel comics, the artist said, "As a kid growing up in the 90s, I absolutely loved The Far Side by Gary Larson. In a single image, he was able to make hilarious and often insightful statements on humanity, nature, and philosophy. I always loved the quick-fire nature of his cartoons. You get to the joke straight away, and if one isn't that great (or if you don't really get the joke), you move on to the next. I enjoy variety and I also enjoy the challenge of creating a little world with only one line and one picture."
When asked about how he interacts with his fanbase, Vaughan noted, "Something I have learned is that just because I find a cartoon funny, it doesn’t mean other people will. So, I’m always curious about what other people like about my cartoons and I try to do more of that. I enjoy posting cartoons on social media because I get an instant response. I know if people find it funny straight away. And I also know if it’s confusing or easy to misinterpret. With magazines and newspapers, I often have to wait weeks to hear back (if at all). On social media, I get illuminating comments and questions, such as 'who’s meant to be talking?', 'what’s the joke meant to be?', or '… the goose’s necktie is far too high…'."
We also took the time to discuss his inspirations, and Tomlinson revealed to Bored Panda quite a few interesting things.
"I find inspiration everywhere. Ideas usually come to me when I least expect it. I’m particularly inspired by New York City. You can’t go out and not see something strange or funny. I’ll be walking around and see or hear something that gives me an idea, or at least gets me thinking. Examples could be someone trying to walk a cat on a leash, runners angrily running around people, or a chicken on the subway being ignored by everyone.
