The cartoonist has also mentioned that some of his works feature signature elements: “A recurring theme or motif in my work is disability and cowboys. I'm a paraplegic and use humor and cartoons as a way of dealing with my own frustrations or pointing out little things I've noticed as a disabled person. I also just really like cowboys.”
We wanted to know how Barton comes up with new ideas for his cartoons, and we learned that: “I develop most of my ideas by talking with my best friend Adam Cooper who’s credited as a co-writer on pretty much everything I do. We talk on the phone several times a week and just try to make each other laugh, and that's how we come up with most of our gags.”
Asked about some influences from the world of comedy and humor, Mat mentioned a few artists: “Some of my cartoon influences are William Steig, George Booth, Jack Ziegler. My favorite author is Charles Portis. Whenever I don’t know what to read next, or need a good laugh, I read Charles Portis.”
Lastly, asked what makes a good comic, and what common mistakes artists should avoid, the cartoonist shared with us: “I find unique comics with a fresh point of view to be the most interesting and funny. I like cartoonists who 'draw funny'. I like weird cartoons that look different from most of the stuff out there - which is hard to do - and I struggle with this. I love finding new artists who can do this successfully. A current mistake is not understanding basic perspective. This can really throw a drawing off and distract from the joke. And look at older cartoons too. My last tip is to draw what you think is funny, rather than what might sell to a certain publisher. It will be funnier if it's natural and not forced. Just try and make yourself laugh."
