Once again, we reached out to Mark to ask more questions about his comics. Previously, Mark had mentioned monsters as a favorite subject from his childhood. We were wondering if there were specific films, books, or personal experiences that significantly influenced his love for creating spooky and humorous art.
Mark wrote: “I think I originally liked drawing monsters because there were no rules. You could add as many eyes or legs as you wanted. But generally, monster humor is dark, and the combination of dark and silly can be fun.”
Among all the classic Halloween elements—like witches, ghosts, and werewolves—we asked which one Mark enjoys illustrating the most.
He responded: “Maybe ghosts because they are so easy... just loose, squiggly lines. But a werewolf in transition can be fun because there's so much concentrated kinetic energy to try to capture.”
Creating humor from horror is a unique skill. Mark shared the challenges he faces in making scary subjects funny.
“The silly part has to override any gruesome part,” Mark wrote.
Having drawn Off the Mark for 35 years, we wanted to know how Mark's artistic style or approach to cartooning has changed over time, particularly when it comes to Halloween-themed art.
“Well, after all those years I hope I've gotten better at it. Looking back at some of my old stuff can be a true horror for me,” shared Mark.
