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 1. I love your strip “Thin Lines,” did you come up with that concept?
The diet, health and fitness cartoons on my website have gotten a good reaction from readers, so I just keep doing more of them. Creators Syndicate saw them and asked me to create a special version for newspapers, which launched about six months ago.
2. Are you health conscience?
I’m 51 years old, the age where I have to make a choice: be “health conscious” or be dead!
3. Do you create the design and write the strips yourself?
Yes, I do the ideas and artwork myself. I have no assistants unless you count the two Siamese cats in my studio who like to perch on my desk and help me type.
4. How long have you been illustrating characters?
I began my career in 1972 while I was in high school, selling cartoons to magazines such as Saturday Evening Post, New Woman, Good Housekeeping, Better Homes & Gardens, Wall Street Journal. I went to college for one year (journalism major) then left to freelance full time. I’ve been slowly building up my career over time since then.
5. How often do you create a new strip?
“Thin Lines” appears once a week in newspapers Health & Fitness Pages via Creators Syndicate, but I also do about 5-8 cartoons a day for magazines, my website and other projects. I also write and draw "The Better Half" for King Features Syndicate 7 days a week.
6. What was your inspiration to being a Comic Strip Artist?
I’ve always enjoyed doodling, so I guess I was just drawn to it. Hey look, I made a pun!
7. Are you working on anything new?
Every day is something new. As a freelancer, I work on cartoons for all sorts of projects, everyday is something different. A typical freelancer like myself works on a variety of projects like magazine cartoons, greeting cards, calendars, book illustrations, etc. My most recent project is a line of scratch-off cards for the National Lottery that’s being sold in England under the name “Kitty Cash”. I also recently signed a 5-year contract to create greeting cards for Recycled Paper Greetings.
8. Have you ever combined a strip with another artists to create a scene? Something like, the Jetsons meet the Flintstones. If you have not, would you ever be interested in the combination with another artist and who would that artist be?
A few years ago, comedian Steve Mittleman contacted me to discuss a collaboration of his gags and my art for a possible newspaper cartoon, but nothing became of it. I pretty much just work by myself…just me and the typing cats.
9. What other avenues do you wish to take your strips? Ex. Would you create a cartoon, commercials?
I’m open to all new opportunities. Different projects come in regularly through my web page. I’ve never had my cartoons animated for commercials or anything, but I think that would be cool.
10. What is your favorite cartoon?
I was a huge fan of old Max Fleisher “Popeye” cartoons when I was a little kid. They’re still fun to look at. I have a bunch of them on my iPhone to watch when I’m stuck waiting for an appointment with the doctor or dentist. My studio is cluttered with a lot of Popeye toys and memorabilia. (I'm also a casual collector of classic GI Joe stuff and The Monkees)
11. Do you enjoy comedy?
I’m a big fan of stand-up comedy. I think Steven Wright is brilliant and Mitch Hedberg always cracked me up. As a teenager I used to love staying up late to see Don Rickles and Rodney Dangerfield on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. I don’t think I could tolerate the lifestyle, but stand-up comedy has always been my secret fantasy career. I recently did a radio interview and afterwards a lot of friends (listened to the podcast) told me “You should do stand-up!” That was really nice to hear.
12. If you could do anything in this world what would it be?
I enjoy what I’m doing now. I love the freelance lifestyle, the freedom, the variety of work, the dress code, typing with the cats, etc.
13. What have you learned about yourself while creating the strips?
I learned that my coffee cup needs to be refilled again and that cats can’t type worth a damn.
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