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Contact the Artist
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of Mark Parisi |
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 Q. How do I get off the mark in my newspaper?
A. Let your local editor know you'd like to see it. Reader feedback can really make a difference in getting a cartoon into a newspaper. Try contacting the "features editor" or maybe the "managing editor." You can send postal mail, send e-mail, make phone calls... better yet, try all three! Thank you to anyone who has written or will write to their newspaper. I love you.
Q. Do you have a book?
A. Yes. There are four different titles as of this writing. They want you to buy them.
Q. What about calendars?
A. There will be a 2004 wall calendar and a 2004 day-to-day desk calendar. I'm particularly excited about the desk calendar.
Q. When did you first start drawing cartoons?
A. I was drawing cartoons as far back as I can remember. Being a shy kid, it was a non-threatening way to get a laugh.
Q. Who were the cartoonists who most influenced you?
A. My biggest influences are basically the cliche influences: Charles Schulz; Mad Magazine; and Gary Larson. "Peanuts" pulled me into the comics page and taught me to draw. Mad Magazine (Sergio Aragones, specifically) satisfied my darker side. My Gary Larson influence is a little more obvious.
Q. How did you get your professional start?
A. I began showing my cartoons to local papers and slowly built up a client list. I self-syndicated my cartoons for 15 years, and boy, are my arms tired.
Q. How would you describe your style?
A. I try not to. I don't think I'm a particularly skilled artist. I have just enough drawing ability to squeak by. But don't tell anybody.
Q. Where do you get your ideas?
A. I don't know and it scares me. I suppose I simply think way too hard about trivial things.
Q. Do you create on a daily basis? Do you prefer to work in the morning or at night?
A. I try to write one cartoon or more on most weekdays, but don't always succeed. I'm not an early riser. I usually write my ideas in the morning and afternoon, then do the more mindless work late into the night.
Q. How far in advance do you work?
A. Roughly a month.
Q. Do you have cats? You seem to know a lot about cats.
A. I have 3.
Q. What materials do you use to draw your comics? Do you use a computer?
A. I start with a 2H pencil. It's light enough so that it's easy to erase, yet I don't have to bear down, which would make grooves in the paper. I use Bristol board and a kneaded eraser. I ink with 4 sizes of technical pens. Any dot patterns or colors are added using a computer.
Q. Do you have any suggestions on how to become a professional cartoonist?
A. Part One: Don't get into it for the money. Part Two: Keep drawing, be persistent and be funny. Part Three: Show your work to family, friends, newspapers, newsletters, syndicates, etc. Get it out there so people can judge you and either build you up or crush your spirit. Part Three: Go back to Part One.
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