Paul shared more about his background: “I’m from Milwaukee, WI, which is also where I currently live. I never went to art school. I studied writing and literature in college. I’ve always cartooned just for fun. Eventually, and despite my best efforts, it became my job. Though, like most freelancers, I do all kinds of things.”
We were wondering what initially drew Paul to the world of cartooning.
He wrote: “I’ve been obsessed with cartoons since further back than I can remember. It may be because I have attention problems, so little bite-sized chunks of narrative art were perfect for me. The first strip I really loved was Peanuts, but I read every old comic and cartoon book I could find, even the terrible ones. I liked a lot of the classic New Yorker artists, especially Charles Addams and George Booth.”
As for the essence behind his cartoons, Paul commented: “My hope for the work is that people find it funny. I want to do good jokes that hold up well over time. The patterns that emerge beyond that aren’t so much deliberate themes as my personal issues laid bare. If someone had never seen my work before, I’d probably just show them some cartoons and hope for the best.”
Paul also shared about his creative process and how he comes up with ideas for his cartoons.
“I write down lots of ideas and then draw the best ones. I try to write 100 new jokes a month, though I don’t always succeed. I also spend a lot of time doodling aimlessly, though that seldom leads directly to jokes. It’s more of a way of exploring characters and designs and situations.”
In regards to the audience’s takeaway, Paul wrote: “I really love it when I see that someone has clipped out one of my cartoons and put it on their refrigerator or office cubicle. That makes me happy. Though it’s intimidating from an artistic point of view. It’s a reminder that in addition to being funny, I should strive to do work that’s visually nice enough to decorate a stranger’s personal space. Though a good enough joke can cover a multitude of pictorial sins.”
Lastly, he added: “I’d like to personally thank all the readers who made it to the end of this article. You could have quit several paragraphs ago when I started talking about my TV credits, but instead, you gritted your teeth and persevered. You are the real heroes of Bored Panda!”
