Tom Toro didn’t become a cartoonist overnight. He shared that it took 609 attempts before his first cartoon was published in 2010. Looking back, he joked, “To say thank you, losers,” referring to all the rejections that helped him grow as an artist. For Toro, the ups and downs of the creative life are just part of the journey—and, as he puts it, “I think the rejection and suffering is a perversely attractive part of the job. If anything, it forges a community of survivors.”
When it comes to creating a single-panel cartoon, Toro keeps things simple. He explained, “Trying to say something is the worst way of saying something.” In other words, the magic comes from letting the joke (or the idea) land naturally rather than forcing a message. It’s this light touch that makes his comics feel effortless, even when they’re commenting on bigger themes like politics or climate change.
Toro also credits boredom as a secret weapon for creativity. “Your brain will begin to entertain itself,” he said, describing how sitting with nothing to do often sparks the best ideas. From doodling in schoolbooks to sketching favorite moments from The Little Mermaid, his early experiences shaped the way he approaches humor, timing, and storytelling in his art.
Toro’s cartoons aren’t just about laughs; they also invite reflection. Through collaborations with organizations like Yale Climate Connections, he’s found a way to turn complex topics like sea-level rise or superstorms into digestible, funny, and thought-provoking visuals. “If our readers are amused by the cartoons and intrigued, then hopefully it will inspire them to learn more,” he explained.
