#and it would turn art into a deeply frustrating experience i try to constantly optimize to get the most amount of money from

[wis-art]

Not a big fan of capitalism

#i do not want to charge people to see my art #i have a job on top of doing this little art blog #every time i show this little project of mine people tell me i better find a way to monetize it to make money off of this #its just very frustrating to constantly have to explain that i want people to just see and cherish my drawings #i dont want to be reliant on making art to make my money i think that'd not work with what im going for #and it would turn art into a deeply frustrating experience i try to constantly optimize to get the most amount of money from #rendering experiments and trying out new artstyles something that could legit put me out of eating food 👍 #but really #the job is not good for me i am always do exhausted #it really takes so much effort to draw sometimes

[woohooligancomics]

Artist Spotlight: Chris Patrick, brevity is the soul of wit

Welcome to the Laugh It Forward Kickstarter Artist Spotlight! Every day you'll meet new cool artists doing amazing things, so check them out!

Today I'd like to introduce you to Christopher Patrick!

Chris is a cartoonist and sometimes illustrator from the North Shore of Massachusetts, and the creator of the comic strip Extra Crispy.

Extra Crispy, (read "extra Chris P."), is a single-panel comic strip that takes those magical influences from childhood, where fairy tales and legends are real, inanimate objects come to life, and animals can speak, and combines them with the real-life experiences of adulthood, where many people are simply annoying jerks or clueless idiots, and sometimes life throws nothing but curve balls.

Sam: I used to make the mistake most artists make when asked about my work, and get into the details like characters, plot and story elements. Those are important in telling stories, but I learned they don't really draw people in. So I'm going to ask you to tell us a short story about the more important question:

why do you create your art?

Chris: My cartoons are kinda like the by-product of the way my brain filters life.

The world and almost everything in it is funny to me. So, I laugh. And, in an attempt to share my snickers and chuckles, (Snickles?), I mock things. But instead of being a total jerk and unwanted member of society, I turn my mockings into jokes. And these jokes I try to turn into cartoons. When I can’t, I edit myself, (I DO have that capability!)

Sometimes the result is a little too topical, or too specific, or too negative. When this is the case, I try to apply the core of the joke to a different situation. Oft-times, my gags end up a mile or two away from the situation that inspired them, (Trust me! That's not always such a bad thing!) In the end, if I can get a laugh out of it, (or get a laugh out of the missus), then BOOM! It’s an Extra Crispy Cartoon.

Sam: Yeah, I know I've done that. Sometimes I'll have an idea for a joke when I'm frustrated and I end up abandoning it because it seems too mean or too sad after I've thought about it. I'd like for most (if not all) of my work to carry a sense of optimism and hope.

Sam: My second question is who or what has most inspired your work? If I compared you to someone, what names would you be most flattered to hear?

Chris: Since my Extra Crispy is a single-panel, gag 'toon, well, it would come as no surprise if I said my biggest influence was Gary Larson's The Far Side. His work managed to jump straight to the gag and treat the cartoon/artwork as just the medium. I love that. Minimal illustration was needed, because it was just a joke in picture format. I strive to capture that focus.

Don’t get me wrong! The works of cartoonists like Bill Watterson's Calvin And Hobbes, Berkely Breathed's Bloom County, or Mike Peters’ Mother Goose and Grimm are amazing, and I aspire to that level of skill, but when it comes to my cartoons, my motto is that of gag first. I think that certain cartoonists, like Hilary Price and Mark Parisi, share this mentality, and some, like Dan Piraro (and now Wayno) with Bizarro comics, have combined this with superior artwork.

Also, I have always loved the work of absurdist comedians like Steven Wright and Mitch Hedberg. Their material always reminded me of spoken cartoons.

Sam: That's a pretty good way of describing Hedberg. I was also pretty flattered when a lot of people were comparing my early work to Gary Larson when I started cartooning in 2006. Now that I rarely make single-panel strips anymore, I rarely hear that comparison, but it was nice.

I was never really able to enjoy Calvin & Hobbs though, and the fact that about 99% of today's cartoonists cite Watterson as one of their favorite inspirations has no effect on my apathy toward it. :P

Sam: Last question. What have you learned from your work, and what's your advice for younger creators?

Chris: What I have learned from my scribblings and would share with newer cartoonists is practice. Corny, I know, but hear me out!

I’ve read many cartoonists' books and am always surprised to see how professional comic strip creators’ styles have changed from their early years to their more current material. If I could pass on any piece of advice to aspiring cartoonists or artists in general, it would be to practice. It is like playing a musical instrument: the more you do it, the easier it gets and the better the results. Like many, I am my own biggest critic, but my early works and style, (of which I consider myself still deeply entrenched in, by the way!) are constantly evolving.

And frankly, I can’t wait to see what I’m gonna draw next!

Sam: Yeah, it's funny, I think the only way that's ever not the case is when you're literally drawing stick figures. I don't see a difference in the art from XKCD or Cyanide and Happiness over the years. But even Kris Straub's Chainsaw Suit, which has supremely simplified illustrations, is markedly different if you compare his earliest and latest works.

Any final thoughts?

Chris: Yay! 'Shameless Plug' time!

A big ol' bunch my cartoons can also be purchased at CartoonStock.com, the biggest purveyor of cartoons on the web! And Extra Crispy greeting cards, gear and apparel can be found at both zazzle.com and RedBubble.com for mere pennies! Pennies! Hundreds of 'em!

Thanks!

Sam: Thanks for taking the time for this interview, Chris, it's been a pleasure.

To see more of Chris's awesome work, check out his website. You can also find him on Facebook, or Twitter, and most importantly, if you enjoy his work, share this interview!

p.s. If you are also an artist and are planning a Kickstarter, you might find my Six Tips to Kickstarter Success helpful, plus links to other helpful resources. Also thanks to Andrea Demonakos who's handling the bulk of our rewards fulfillment to help our Laugh It Forward project go smoothly!