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Contact the Artist
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of Jack and Carole Bender |
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 Q. When did you first start drawing cartoons?
A. About age 3, copying drawings of Popeye, Mickey Mouse and Charlie McCarthy. By age 7, I was drawing recognizable faces of real people.
Q. Who were the cartoonists who most influenced you?
A. Elzie Segar, Willard Mullin, Will Eisner, Burne Hogarth, Walt Disney Studio.
Q. How did you get your professional start?
A. By submitting art to local newspapers.
Q. How would you describe your style?
A. Thick and thin lines (produced by using fine pens and #6 brush), areas of solid blacks, figures in action wherever possible.
Q. Where do you get your story ideas?
A. Carole Bender writes Alley Oop. As a political cartoonist, I studied current events and people in the news to develop my ideas.
Q. Which are your favorite characters in your strip and why?
A. Oop and Dinny the dinosaur--they are personable, cute and have stood the test of time. It is especially fun to draw such likeable characters.
Q. Do you create on a daily basis? Do you prefer to work in the morning or at night?
A. Yes, often 7 days a week. I like working early in the day and late at night, with a "break" in between for exercising and napping.
Q. What materials do you use to draw your comics? Do you use a computer?
A. Smooth bristol board. Pens and brushes that contain their own archival ink. For freelance work, a computer often is used for coloring. For Oop, I prefer the old-fashioned way, including drawing LARGE.
Q. Do you have any suggestions on how to become a professional cartoonist?
A. Draw every day. Submit work to many publications--constantly. Do a lot of life drawing. DRAW! DRAW! DRAW! And don't worry about how much you'll be paid. Many cartoonists have started their careers working for free or for very little. Assisting a professional is a great way to break into the field.
Q. Would you send me an autograph or drawing?
A. I will send a small, original art Alley Oop sketch to anyone sending me a stamped, self-addressed envelope and a $5 check which the Benders will donate to a cartoon museum.
Q. Where did the name "Doc Wonmug" come from?
A. Doc Wonmug's name (pronounced "one mug") is a parody of "Einstein" (ein stein -- German for "one mug").
Q. How do you spell Alley Oop's girlfriend's name?
A. Ooola's name is spelled with THREE o's (as in "ooo-la-la!").
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To contact the artist, write to:
Jack and Carole Bender
c/o United Media
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Your letter to the cartoonist will be forwarded via snail mail
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