Ali shared with us what specific elements she finds the most effective in creating humor in her cartoons: “I find it helpful to read/watch/absorb as much humor as I can, in all its forms, to see what's been done and how it influences what's now being created. I'm also naturally shy, so in social settings, I can sit back and listen to the interactions around me and mentally pan for gold. I've also been lucky to be surrounded by funny people (friends, co-workers, husband, kids) that I can spar with and bounce ideas off of.”
When asked to tell us more about her influences in the world of comedy and humor, Solomon responded: “The New Yorker cartoonist community is so supportive and encouraging, especially the female cartoonists who paved the way, established their own unique voices, and created countless opportunities to nurture and showcase other fellow comic artists (Roz Chast, Liza Donnelly, and Emily Flake, to name a few).”
The cartoonist added that part of her inspiration comes from comedy shows. She said: “My husband and I are also big on watching comedy shows, both of legends and up-and-comers, from Steve Martin to John Oliver, to Kate Berlant. Jon Stewart is a master class at performing outrage humor, Taika Waititi keeps updating the television landscape with novel entries to the humor canon, and re-runs of ‘30 Rock’ are like mini-lessons in absurdism and unrivaled jokes-per-minute.”
Lastly, we were curious about the most rewarding aspects of creating cartoons for Ali. The artist explained that using the comic format to tell stories that connect with others is probably the most rewarding aspect. She continued: “Getting to poke fun at life's annoyances makes things more palatable. Being able to use cartoons to say something deeper about the human condition or what's going on in the world makes me feel a little bit more powerful, especially in these times where it's easy to feel like everything is out of our hands. It can get tough since cartooning is filled with rejection, but whenever a cartoon hits, it makes it all worth it.”
