Happy Mother’s Day: an interview with my mom, Cindy Hurley

Posted on May 5, 2011 by David Hurley

Its Mother’s Day week, and I was thinking about what kind of blog I would like to post this week. I wanted to honor the mothers out there this week and I thought the best way to do that would be to honor my own mom and feature her this week on my blog. So this week with great pride I introduce to you my mom, Cindy Hurley!

Cindy has been the Water  Quality Supervisor at Paducah Water Treatment Plant, a teacher in Public Schools, a Preacher’s wife, a mother, a friend and so much more.

My mom and sister

David: When you found out you were going to be a mom, what was your reaction? I know you were thrilled when I was coming along, but what about when you initially found out with Sharon (my older sister)?

Your sister will enjoy that bit of sarcasm…. When I married your dad, the one thing we wanted was children. I sooooooo enjoyed being pregnant. You do know that it took 13 months for your sister to be born. Let me explain….Being young and naive, I had gotten pregnant and had lost a child BUT didn’t have a clue that I had and as young people, your dad and I just kept on “being married” and so we got pregnant again thus the 13 months. But I digress; love the idea of being a mom and all that would come later. Had I only known….told you I was young and naive…

David: What’s the craziest memory you have of raising children?

Cindy: I don’t have space for that answer, but I will give you a couple of examples: When you were very young, your dad and grandpa were building a fence and I thought it would be a good idea that you hang out with your dad. It had rained the night before and so he had you taking cans of water out of the holes he had dug and you were to throw it out in the field BUT you, not really wanting to be there, would take the water and put it in the next hole. It was hot and frustrating as your dad continued for several holes to get on his stomach and reach way in the hole to get the water out. And go to the next hole only to find huge amounts of water in there. Your grandpa just sat back and watched you do this for several holes laughing so hard that your dad asked what was wrong. When told what was going on, I don’t know if you remember the reaction of your dad, but let’s just say you didn’t have to help him get water out of the holes again.

Another adventure of raising you and Sharon were when any of your cousins were around, things always got a bit hairy. When you and Shell were little, you both had gone into the hayloft to play. The loft was full of fresh cut and put up hay and you guys decided that you needed the hay as a jump site to the ground. You guys took lots of the hay and tossed it out the back of the barn and then jumped out the barn onto the hay. Lots of hay damage but you guys sure did have a good time jumping out of that barn. Again, let’s just say you kept your dad learning patience with each adventure you guys took.

One last story, when you and Sharon were sick and I was working, your dad stayed inside to take care of you both. I always wondered why he didn’t mind watching you because you were always sleeping and very quiet until I found out that he misread the medicine bottle and was giving you 1 TBL instead of 1 tsp. Maybe he was getting you back for all the pranks pulled on him when you were young…..

David: What is the greatest joy of being a mom?

Cindy: It has been a joy to see you and Sharon grow from tiny dependent babies to grown independent adults, even with all the things life can throw at you. Life hasn’t always been easy but we have managed because we are a family that cares for each other. Seeing you and Sharon care about each other no matter what, to be there for each other, having each others back means more to me than you will ever know. It’s been a wild ride with you two!!!

David: How about the biggest aggravation?

Cindy: Well…not enough space. It’s all just part of being a mom.

David: What advice do you give to the mom’s raising children out there today?

Cindy: That’s hard to say, because kids and circumstances are different from when you were small, but I guess the simple answer is not to compare one child to the other. Let your children be themselves, don’t try to live your dreams through them, but let them decide what they want to do and hang on for the ride because it will be a loop d loop one. And most of all love your children no matter what.

From my own experience parents and children raise each other because it is a learning experience for all involved. There are successes and failures each and every day. But it can be accomplished if you can see the big picture of maturing your children into the adults that can decide whether or not to put you in an old folks home when you get old. (laughs) Love you Dave.

My mom acting goofing with my niece Chasity

David: Never fear, I won’t put you in an old folk’s home (yet)…just kidding. I love you mom and as always I hope you have a great Mom’s Day!..and no gifts until Sunday!

And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mom’s out there!

 

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Chari Pere: The Bun Bunch Interview

Posted on April 28, 2011 by David Hurley

Chari and Scott Pere are a father/daughter cartooning duo. The comic strip, “The Bun Bunch” is their comic about the typical, all-American family of white rabbits. Unsatisfied with raising their kids in a sterile, all-rabbit environment, they have decided to move to the multi-cultural suburb of Plainsview, U.S.A. Their new neighbors and friends are a bunch of animals (literally!), but no different than any of us, just funnier! I had a recent discussion with Chari about “The Bun Bunch,” and am thrilled to share it with you here!

David: Hey Chari! It was so great talking with you about your life as a cartoonist, your faith and your comic “The Bun Bunch”. Can you tell me how The Bun Bunch got started and your ideas behind the comic?

Chari: It was so great talking to you too, David!  The initial seed for The Bun Bunch was planted when my brand-new husband was looking through my old sketchbooks and came across a drawing of a rabbit that he said “looks like a businessman.” My father said he could be a jeweler.  The jokes started coming that the rabbit “must know a lot about karats”, and it got the wheels in my dad’s head going about a new strip. The feel of and humor in The Bun Bunch is an evolution of a couple of strips that I worked on in my college years at the School of Visual Arts; one, Roosevelt & Company, a comic strip based on my (now deceased) miniature schnauzer, and Charismatics, a strip based on my sister and me.

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David: You and your father Scott create The Bun Bunch. How did you decide to work together and what’s it like working with your father as a team?

Chari: It has always been a dream for my dad and me to collaborate on our own strip. Every step of the way, he’s been my personal editor and soundboard for my comic work. My dad was a HUGE comics fan growing up. His father, my grandfather, was a newspaper deliveryman, and a newsstand used to give him free copies of comics to take home to his kids. My dad had big stacks of comics that he kept in great condition and read over and over – Spider-man, Superman, Archie etc. One day he came home and, like many others of that generation, found his stack gone; my grandmother had given them away. I joke around that he was blessed with a daughter who makes comics to replace the ones he lost. Now that my dad and I live on opposite coasts, we talk multiple times a day, share files over the e-mail and Google Docs, and hold meetings over Skype. Between my ability to draw “cutesy, funny things” and my dad’s ability to come up with a punch-line, it was a natural partnership.

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David: What are your future plans with your comic and where do you see it going?

Chari: Our goal is to have a daily syndicated comic strip. We can envision children’s books, t-shirts, TV shows, and other licensed products emanating from the strip.

David: You are involved with various sites and blogs, can you tell me a little about those?

Chari: In all of my work, I try to make people laugh, smile, and/or be inspired. I have a range of projects that I work on. Besides my personal website, www.charipere.com, I am co-founder of The Unmasked Comics Project for Social Change (www.unmaskedcomics.com). My partner, Inbal Freund-Novick, and I depict extraordinary stories of social change through the fun, engaging comics medium, in a way that inspires others to get involved in social action.

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Another project I’ve been very involved in is a comic about bully prevention, which I work on with the organization Bullies to Buddies (http://tinyurl.com/superdren). I also have my blog,http://charipere.blogspot.com/, and my comic Of Biblical Proportions, which depicts Biblical quotations and stories with modern, humorous twists (www.obpcomics.com).

David: When you are creating your comic is there any set plan you have for working your ideas out? Do you throw ideas at your dad, what’s your creative process?

Chari: My dad and I throw ideas back and forth. Sometimes my dad comes up with a semblance of an idea, sometimes I do. Together we try to crystallize the idea. My dad often takes an idea I may have come up with and sort of “punch-lines” it and makes it funny (or funnier).  My dad will write out a script, and I will draw, ink, and color it. We run it by our family (“The Critics”), which consists of my husband Eli, mother Lisa, and sister Stephanie. We then edit the content, the color, etc., until we have a finished product. It’s a true family affair.

David: What advice do you give to aspiring cartoonist and what kind of legacy do you want The Bun Bunch to leave?

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Chari: We hope that in today’s crazy world we can simply provide good, clean family fun. Our goal is to put a smile on everyone’s face. Regarding aspiring cartoonists, the best advice I can give is to be persistent, consistent, clever, creative, and relentless. Being a good networker is incredibly important too. And of course, be confident in yourself and NEVER give up!

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Thank you so much for being featured on the blog Chari, you and your father have a great and fun comic! I can’t wait to see what’s next with The Bun Bunch.

Join “The Bun Bunch” fan page on Facebook and they are also featured on The Cartoonist Studio website, check both out at the links below:

https://www.facebook.com/bunbunch

http://www.thecartooniststudio.com/amateur.aspx?id=2098

 


 

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Anthony Alfonso and The Popes of Placeland

Posted on April 21, 2011 by David Hurley

Anthony Alfonso is on a mission to create the next great animation series. He hails from Matawan, New Jersey, has attended film school at New York Film Academy and started his own company “Candid Emphasis” with the work ethic of Do It Yourself in film, animation and music. I caught up with Anthony to have him answers some questions for me and what a creative mind he is!

David: Hey Anthony, I’m really excited to hear about your project “The Popes of Placeland”. Can you tell me a little about where the idea came from and what your final plans for the project will be?

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Anthony: David!! Hi!! I’m glad to hear you’re excited about the project! I’m excited too! And all you people reading this, you better get excited, cause this is gonna be awesome! Okay, so where did the idea come from? Who’s to say where ideas come from… they just pop from idea-land into our headbrains.  This one popped in my headbrain back in high school, or at least a very rough version of it.  I was just playing a nerdy game with my nerdy friend, Danny, as nerds tend to do.  This game he deemed as “paper jam.”  The object of the game was for one us to draw a picture, then the other writes a caption for that picture and then the other draws a picture for that caption and so on and so forth… It works better with a bunch of people but we had no friends. So, as I was saying, one of the pictures that came up was a pirate caterpillar wearing a pope hat with a jolly roger/cross hybrid on a flag in the background.  We called him the pirate pope! That was the initial spark of the idea. I kept drawing this character over and over again and eventually he turned into the Sea Pope.  I added the Sky Pope & the Land Pope too, that way there could be a Pope on each level.  I would draw comics of these “Popes” while I was in high school and then when I got to college it slowly evolved into something that almost had an actual story to it.  I added in some characters that I’ve been drawing for a while that already had an established personality to the mix (Tote, Tako & Anton) and it started to feel like what I was doing had some potential!  I met Alex Alessi (Co-Founder of Candid Emphasis) while I was in college and told him about the rough idea I had and he loved it and he was on board to help me make this into an incredible cartoon series. Alex thinks big, so I knew with him on board it was going to be epic beyond belief!! Then when I finished school I met Mike McLean (Co-Founder of Candid Emphasis) and I was flabbergasted. We were on the same page with so much that I didn’t even have to finish explaining my ideas to him and he already got what I was going for.  I knew from the moment I met him that he was just a bubbling bowl of creativity and with him on board this was going to be a really unique show that would stand out from the crowd.  These guys added a new element to the show that I couldn’t have done alone and I am so grateful to have them! Nah, just kidding they suck. But for real, they’re awesome!  Together we decided we had something great in our hands… We had a unique concept that hadn’t been done (Order vs. Chaos as opposed to Good vs. Evil, which originally stemmed from an idea of making the show take place in a brain and everything was Left Brain vs. Right Brain) We had cute characters, that we’re easily marketable. We had experience in film, media production & acting. We had a passion for animation.  But most importantly, we had three creative minds working together that pined to make something special! So we decided we were going to make a bible, produce either a trailer or a pilot and attempt to pitch it to networks. And now our ultimate goal is to have this on television and take creator driven animation series to a new level.

David: Who are the characters and what is the story about?

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Anthony: I am the characters! Seriously I am. And so are you. And so is that guy on my block who has hooks for arms that asks me to light his cigarettes for him.  Okay, maybe not him.  He creeps me out, but he was in ‘Nam, I’m sure he’s got some stories to tell. Okay, but the three main characters are designed so everyone can see a little bit of themselves in them.  They’re names are Tote, Anton & Tako.  Tote I started drawing when I was 7. I saw the movie “My Neighbor Totoro” and loved the simple character design in the smallest totoro monster. I just kept drawing him and drawing him as a kid. Eventually I made my own character based on him and he became and extension of me.  Tote embodies that part of me that strives for more in this life; he knows he can become something great if he had the right opportunity. He’s not happy with his station in life in the beginning of the series but at the same time he feels change coming. He’s pretty passive, but when he gets angry, everyone around him better steer clear. Anton is a struggling artist. Also me, to an extent. He always feels like his creativity is stunted but he knows he has the next great masterpiece inside of him. He’s constantly searching for his muse!  I love Anton, cause he puts on a tough exterior, very apathetic and indifferent to everything, but deep down he’s a severely emotional being and a loving soul. I started drawing him sometime in high school as a slug, my friend Danny added the shell one day and I was like, yeah, I’ll keep that, snails are indeed cooler then slugs. Tako! Everyone says I’m most like Tako! I don’t know if I should take that as an insult or a compliment. Tako is looked at as the dumbest creature in their town. But in actuality he is one of the smartest creatures in the universe.  He is always happy and smiling and willing to help.  But what Tako really wants is just to fit in. The story of how I started drawing Tako is pretty interesting.  Back in middle school my friend James and I would draw little squids with party hats popping out of every person head in our science books. Yeah, we were vandals… passive-aggressive and not very creative vandals. But vandals none the less, and it was fun!  Eventually the party hat turned into antennae and Tako was born!  The story of the series is pretty rad. It’s revolves around the three main characters being selected to be the next popes. The Popes duty is to maintain Order in their world.  They were looked down upon as the outcast of their town, so it’s a mystery why they got chosen instead of individuals more likely to do a better job. It’ll be revealed exactly why they got chosen as the series unravels. But during the series they travel to different towns attempting to restore order within them, with the guidance of the three former Popes along the way.  Also on the opposite side of the spectrum is the Anti-Pope, whose only goal is to cause chaos everywhere. So they’re dealing with him as they try to restore and maintain order in all the towns throughout their world. And they meet some pretty interesting characters along the way too.

David: You are the Co-Founder and Co-President of Candid Emphasis. Who else is involved with the company and what are your goals and future plans with Candid Emphasis?

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Anthony: Well Candid Emphasis is a film, animation and hopefully one day music production company.  Our philosophy is rooted in the fact that we believe that it’s possible to produce high quality products with limited funds, hard work and creativity… but still have a ton of fun while doing it.  I started it with my friends Alex Alessi and Michael McLean who I mentioned earlier.  Once we realized that we have similar goals and mindsets when it comes to the industry, we knew we had to start something.  I’ve always kinda tagged my films with “A Candid Emphasis Production” at the beginning and end credits but it wasn’t until I was joined by them that we LLC’d it and became official!  We have BIG GOALS for Candid Emphasis, but we know the only way to get there is by taking it one step at a time.  Ideally, we’d love to produce feature films and feature animation projects in the future.  We love Studio Ghibli and we’d love to make animated films of that caliber one day! As for live action films, our taste vary greatly, so chances are genre wise, they’ll be all over the board.

David: You have other past projects, what are some of those and any plans to revisit those?

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Anthony: I do indeed have past projects.  I’ve made several short films and also experimented with some animation in the past.  And I loved all of it!  I could go on for hours talking about my past projects, and how they were a challenge but in the end it was worth it and blah blah all the stuff but instead I’ll tell you about my favorite one, “Punk? Drunk. Love!”. It was a short film I made that actually incorporated a lot of animation throughout it.  And it stars our good buddy Alex Alessi! You should all check it out on the Candid Emphasis vimeo page! I doubt I’d revisit it at this point, but a lot of friends and colleagues have approached me and asked if I had any plans on turning it into a feature.  I didn’t but hey, you never know!

David: Who and what are the greatest influences in your animation?

Anthony: Wow, that’s a tough question. Probably most by Rebecca Black, without her, I’d be no where. Friday! Friday!! Friday!!! Ha, No. Seriously, everything I’ve watched has influenced me somehow, even if I don’t intend it to. But for this show specifically I’ve been telling people that our greatest influences are John Kricfalusi and Genndy Tartakovsky.  They are the creators of “Ren & Stimpy” and “Samurai Jack” respectively.  We wanted the show to have the out right zaniness of John K’s “Ren & Stimpy” and the other 90’s creator driven animations like Joe Murray’s “Rocko’s Modern Life” and Tartakovsky’s “Dexter’s Laboratory” but at the same time we wanted to give it an epic feel. We wanted it to have an arc from beginning to end similar to “Samuai Jack” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender” one of my other favorite cartoons.  But we are seriously influenced by everything!  From cult and grindhouse live action films, to underground animation of the 70’s.  Mike, Alex & I go out of our way to watch pretty much everything out there and gain ideas from it.  Just the other day Mike and I we’re watching some old bollywood movies and saying to each other “How hilarious would it be for Tako to do something like that!!” Our film and animation collection between the three of us in unfathomable! So that’s another way the show will be unique, the influences come from everywhere and I think that you will be able to see that, but in a “wow that’s interesting and enticing” way and not in the “it makes no sense, it’s too messy, boo you suck” way.  But we’re also very influenced by fine arts, comics, video games and everything else imaginable.  We’d love to collaborate with some independent bands in the future and feature their music on our show.  We even have a few episodes written out featuring some pretty cool music already.  But just to name a few other huge influences on us in the animation world I’d say, Hayao Miyazaki, Ralph Bakshi, Lotte Reiniger, Mike Judge, Trey Parker & Matt Stone, The Brothers Chaps, Chuck Jones, Ub Iwerks and Bill Plympton are all incredibly inspiring and we revisit their work regularly.  I know I just dropped a lot of names, but if you’re into animation look these guys up!  They all had a huge impact on us!

David: Anything else you would like to add or tell everyone reading?

Anthony: Yes, I’d like to say thanks to Scout Raskin!  She’s the founder of Sonic Bunny Productions and also a really awesome person!  We were at an animation convention in California passing out flyers on our cartoon idea with some art and character expressions in them and we ended up giving her one.  When we got back to New Jersey I found an email in my inbox saying she wanted to talk to us about it.  A few months later she’s helping us develop our trailer so we can pitch it to networks.  She’s a great producer; she’s currently working on “Frankenhole” at adult swim, and I know with her on board this is definitely going to turn out to be an unforgettable project.  So thanks Scout!  Also, I’d like to add, if anyone would care to donate to our Kickstarter fundraiser it would be much appreciated!!!  Every penny counts!  We’re trying to reach $2000 by May 21st; it all goes to story boards and voice talent for the trailer!! So check it out!! I think that’s it. I just encourage everyone to keep your eyes peeled for the trailer, it’ll surface online pretty soon and it’s going to be phenomenal!!! Thanks David!! And thanks to everyone for taking the time to read this! You are all wonderful people that can do anything you put your mind to!

David: Thanks so much Anthony, I know you have cool things lined up and I can’t wait to see what’s in store! Here are some links where you can find more about Candid Emphasis and Anthonys Kickstarter project (and while your at it help him out by backing the project):

candidemphasis.com

http://www.popesofplaceland.com/

www.kickstarter.com/projects/candidemphasis/the-popes-of-placeland-trailer-for-an-animated-tv

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Daniel Boris

Posted on April 14, 2011 by David Hurley

Daniel Boris is the creator of Hoxwinder Hall. A comic about a ten year old boy Bryon Hoxwinder who (tries) to make a pet out of a baby alligator named Dozi. Of course conflict occurs when Bryon’s naturally popular 16 year old brother enters the scene.

Daniel has studied Fine Art at George Mason University and graduated from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Daniel is a professional artist, top 5 finalists of the Washington Post Cartoonist Contest and now one of the top contenders to be syndicated through The Cartoonist Studio. I was excited to ask Daniel some questions about Hoxwinder Hall and the world of comics, and here is the interview.

David: Daniel you have studied Fine Art and have an excellent Art portfolio. When did you become interested or decide to become the creator of your own comic strip?

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Thanks for the kind words! The only reason I wanted to become an artist was to eventually have my own comic strip in newspapers. Like most kids, I had a love of the comic’s page.  So I just started drawing and copying all my favorite comic strips. I later discovered comic books and artists like Frank Frazetta, Bernie Wrightson, and Boris Valejeo. Their incredible art opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities.  Still, comic strips were what I loved most.

David: What was the inspiration behind Hoxwinder Hall when you first started developing the comic?

I first started developing the idea for the strip when I was in art school, mid 1980’s.  When I began thinking about a premise for my own comic strip, I reflected on all the comics that I loved reading the most.  I began considering WHY it was that I loved those strips so much? A common theme immerged; nearly all of them involved humans and talking animals. It’s just natural to see humans and animals talking to each other because people have been interacting and communicating with animals since the beginning of time. We talk to our pets, and most would swear that they can talk back to us.

From there I started racking my brain about what KIND of pet HAS NOT been shown in the comics before? Eventually it occurred to me that lots of people keep reptiles as pets.  The whole “animal in an aquarium” idea came to mind, and after ruling out the usual suspects (turtles, lizards, etc.) I began playing with this idea: What would happen if a kid brought an ALLIGATOR back from a Florida vacation? Suddenly the creative flood gates opened up and all the possibilities came rushing in! That is when I created Dozi the alligator. The name is the word “Izod” spelled backward, and it just sounded perfect. Not to get corny here, but as an artist I think my creation of Dozi was one of those moments of clarity; a sort of “flash of brilliance”. Dozi is the heart of my strip and the reason people enjoy it so much.

David: Hoxwinder Hall has been in the making for over 20 years, how do you feel you and the comic have grown?

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The Hoxwinder Hall people see today is very different from the one way back then. When I originally submitted the strip to newspaper syndicates, Dozi was portrayed as a much older alligator, and the premise revolved around Byron being a college freshman who brings this pet to school with him.  Looking back now, the whole strip really did not work. It wasn’t believable. I mean, c’mon. How in the world could anybody seriously bring a grown alligator to college with them?

When I heard about the Washington Post contest, I decided to revise my entire premise, making Dozi a much younger gator, and Byron a young kid.  Suddenly it all worked!  I think that was validated by the Post contest – and being selected as a Top 10 Finalist by distinguished industry professionals, and then being voted into the final Top 5 by the public.

Also, I have grown a lot as a Writer.  Writing is probably the most important, and previously most elusive, piece of the puzzle for me.  I still have a long way to go, but I’ve finally managed to get a better feel for how to effectively construct a gag, with a better economy of words.

David: With the advent of Newspapers having such a hard time and most people gaining information from the internet, what future do you see for Daily Comics?

That’s the biggest question, isn’t it? If I had been in this position a decade ago, I’d be salivating and ready to quit my regular day job if I got a shot at syndication. Unfortunately, today the scenario for newspapers isn’t so rosy. The internet has put traditional newspapers in a tough spot. It’s a shame because everyone still LOVES reading the comics. The trouble is that now everybody expects to get their content for free, and that is not good for anybody that creates original content.  Nobody wants or likes to work for free, and quite frankly nobody should.

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I still see comic strips in our lives, but things are changing fast, including the delivery platform, and business model for creator compensation. I have faith that we’ll reach an equitable arrangement between readers and content creators.

I also have a solid idea for an animated feature film based on my strip, along with children’s books and other things. I look forward to exploring all of those possibilities, but first I would really like a syndicate to take a chance on me! I KNOW Hoxwinder Hall could be a HUGE hit if given a shot at a national (and international) audience!

David: In your opinion, what do you think cartoons and comics express that no other art form can?

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I think comics allow society to laugh at itself.  Whether it’s a quick chuckle in the morning before we head out the door to school or work, or a smile when taking a break at our computer during the day, people need to smile if only to stay sane. Comic strips offer an easy way to take a mental breather and – if only for a few minutes – immerse ourselves in our favorite characters.

I guess it’s very similar to what we do when we go see movies.  Instead of watching strips of film, we look at strips of comics. Film strips / comic strips… Hey!  Did I just discover something there?!  Ha-ha!

David: One last question, who is some of your favorite cartoonist and hero’s in the comic’s world?

There are so many artists/cartoonists who I admire and inspire me: Frank Frazetta, Walt Kelly, Tex Avery, Marc Davis, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Frank Thomas, Glen Keane, Pat Oliphant, Charles Shultz, Gary Larsen, Bill Watterson, Berke Breathed, Richard Thompson, Lynn Johnston, Pascal Champion, Britney Lee… the list could go on and on!

David: So many talented people I have such respect for! Thank you Daniel for sharing with us today. Check out Hoxwinder Hall comic at the link below and join his fan page on Facebook!

hoxwinderhall.com

www.facebook.com/HoxwinderHall

 

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Gary M. Smith and a mouse named Finley

Posted on April 7, 2011 by David Hurley

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Gary M. Smith is the creator of Finley, a comic about a field mouse that loses his job and has moved to the Big City to find his 426 brothers and sisters. Gary resides in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters. I caught up with Gary to discover the creative passion behind Finley and what it means to be a mouse discovering a new world around him.

 

David: Gary you have this great comic called “Finley” about a field mouse who becomes unemployed and moves to the Big City to find his brothers and sisters. Where did the whole idea for your comic come about?

Gary: Great comic? Thanks, David, I appreciate that. Finley is still a work in progress.  Finley evolved from more typical mouse-like characters that I used to draw while making cards for my wife, BethAnn.  I wanted him to have a very different look than the way mice are usually represented.  Finley is now a strange mixture of mouse, rat, and, according to some friends, kangaroo.  Finley was a field mouse in Marsh Field.  A field mouse’s job is to run away and avoid being eaten by owls and other predators.  Finley was very good at his job. In fact, he was so good that the owls almost starved and finally moved away.  When the last owl family left, poor Finley was out of a job.  With no other prospects, he decides to move to Big City (yes, Big, is the name of the city) to find his family.  Finley has 426 brothers and sisters.  In the rodent world, that is a small family.  In Big City, Finley first finds his brother, Patch, a street-tough mouse with an eye patch, sideburns, a tattered ear, and leather accessories.   They meet when Patch saves Finley’s life in the dangerous new world and introduces him to his other odd siblings.  They all live under Big City in a surreal world with a lifestyle similar to humans.  Now what was your question… Oh yeah, where did the whole idea of Finley come about?  I’m not quite sure. The name Finley just popped in my head.  The fact that Finley has 426 brothers and sisters? Well 426 just seemed like a good number.  Will I ever introduce all 426 siblings? Probably not! The only rule is that the names of all of Finley’s relatives end in LEY.  That’s how they know they are related.  Patch’s real name is Barley.  Then there’s Tetley, Pauley, Doc Nerdley, Aunt Tilley… well you get the idea!

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David: What are some of the processes you go through, I guess mentally to get yourself in the frame of mine to write for your comic?

Gary:  I run the ideas off my wife and two daughters.  I used to draw a cartoon that I called Six Eyes Rolling.  That meant when I got the three of them to roll their eyes at a cartoon idea, I went with it!  Face it, most ideas pop in your head when you just let them.  Forcing yourself to generate ideas is not productive.  The best ones just happen.  With a fulltime job and family, drawing the cartoons is often difficult.  You have to find the time and you have to let the kid inside take over, which, according to my wife, is the easy part for me. I still laugh at how I draw Patch.  No matter which way he faces, his eye patch, and heart tattoo on his arm is always showing.  I’m still waiting for someone to point that out.  In each panel, Finley always looks a little different, as do the other characters. I guess that’s my style.  I have no formal art training, so I just do what I do.  You know?

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David: Has Cartooning been a lifelong passion and dream? How did you first became interested in comics?

Gary: Sadly, no.  I just started cartooning a few years ago.  I started drawing cartoons focusing on my friends, which became quite popular in our small circle.  You know how things go.  You want the circle to expand and grow, so I started drawing other characters. The first was Joe Woe, a spiky haired, middle-aged loser that had get-rich quick schemes that would, of course, always backfire.  Alas, Joe Woe didn’t seem to catch on.  I was also always drawing mice and other small creatures on homemade cards for my wife.  The mouse eventually evolved into Finley and I started the strip.  My inspiration comes from my uncle, Fred Smith, who is an accomplished painter in oils and watercolors.  His passion is contagious and he still paints daily at 83.  He and my dad were so proud when I showed them the first Finley in print!

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David: You are also published weekly at Villadom.com. in New Jersey to about 56,000 readers, which is fantastic. Tell me a little about that.

Gary: Getting Finley in print was amazing.  The Villadom Times is a weekly newspaper in North Bergen County, NJ with a fairly large circulation.  I was lucky enough to have the right person see my work and make the introduction.  Finley has been in print since January.  While I don’t receive any money for publication, it is the greatest feeling to open up the newspaper every week and see something I created on the printed page.  I remember my wife, BethAnn, remarked when the first issue arrived, “In print, it looks like a real cartoon.”   To be honest, David, just getting my work out there is payment enough.  It also makes you appreciate how difficult it must be to create 365 cartoons a year!

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David: A last fun question. Who are some of your favorite cartoonists and have been the biggest influence on you?

Gary: My favorite cartoonist is Dan Piraro. Dan is the creator of Bizarro, which has been around since the mid 80’s.  His artwork and unique style of humor put Dan in a class by himself.  He is also very personable and has joined my Finley fan page on Facebook.  My shining moment was when he commented on a cartoon of mine and complimented the “gag” and the character, Patch, Finley’s street-tough brother.  Another influential cartoonist is Rick Stromoski, creator of Soup to Nutz.  Rick and I went to the same high school years ago and he was very helpful when I started drawing Finley, giving me advice on sizing the cartoons and how to make them more effective.  Facebook is a great place to make contacts with other aspiring cartoonists.  There are also quite a few legendary ones who are willing to offer advice and, of course, inspiration.    I encourage everyone to join Finley and the gang on Facebook at www.facebook.com/finleygms and please click the LIKE button to stay with us.  Finley would sure like to see his family grow.  David, thanks for the interview. I wish you success with your own cartooning and blog.

Thank you Gary. A pleasure to feature you on the blog and for you to show us Finley. Check out Finley by Gary M. Smith so you can keep up with Finley and watch as he flourishes, and keeps you up to date with the life of a mouse who hits the big city.

www.facebook.com/finleygms

 

 

 

 

 

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