Mailbag
April 28th, 2019 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I have often wondered what best describes your occupation, or actually how you describe it: Are you a MAD artist/contributor/idiot (as in a member of the “usual gang of…”) who also does a lot of work with and for various companies, or are you an artist who does work for a variety of companies and publications, most notably MAD Magazine? If neither truly fits, which one in your opinion comes closest? A: That’s an interesting question. I’d never really thought about it but if asked for a bio or blurb I have always gone by the latter description. I describe my occupation as being… READ MORE
April 14th, 2019 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Do you ever do live caricatures anymore? A: Not very often. I spent 20 plus years doing them five to six days a week at seasonal theme parks (only during the summers), and while I credit those years and the tens of thousands of faces I drew for developing my eye for caricature, I do not miss that scene. I much prefer to work in my climate controlled studio where the music is both good and at a comfortable volume and there are no mosquitoes, rainstorms, or people with nacho cheese breath dribbling Dipping Dots down my back while they ask where the bathrooms… READ MORE
March 24th, 2019 | Posted in General
Q: I was wondering if there is permission needed from Mad Magazine or the artist for people to use the picture of the character Alfred E. Neuman. A: If by “picture” you mean this picture: …or any other image of Alfred that was done for MAD then yes, unless you were using the image for something that would qualify as “fair use” you’d need permission in order not to be infringing on MAD/EC Comics and Warner Bros copyright. You’d have to ask MAD since asking original artist Norman Mingo would be tough, he’s been dead since 1980. Creating a new piece of art with your… READ MORE
March 17th, 2019 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: How long does it take you to do a movie/TV parody for MAD? A: This is probably the number one question I get whenever I am on a panel or speak about my work for MAD. The only truly correct answer would be “It takes as long as they give me”. I’ve had as long as 5 weeks to work on a parody and as little as 10 days. Either way I turn it in at the absolute last second. Just ask my art directors while they are sticking pins in a Voodoo doll with my name on it. However, no one is ever… READ MORE
March 10th, 2019 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: You make group drawings with all participants of each workshop. Are these images completely drawn on a sheet or are the montages? How do you work on group portraits that show the best possible recognition at the end? A: I don’t consider these workshop illustrations to be group or crowd scenes in the classic sense, because they are not really a “scene” at all. The vertical nature of the image makes it impossible to do a real group shot where all those depicted could be really together in such an arrangement. Those in the front would have to be seated or kneeling, those in… READ MORE
February 10th, 2019 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I realize you draw your word balloons directly onto your art boards so you know where your art fits and how much space the word balloons will take up. Does MAD send you the blocks of type? Or do you take the script and break it down yourself? Do they tell you what dialogue goes in each panel – or do you have some leeway in how the story dialogue is broken down? And lastly, what font does MAD Magazine use in these parodies? A: The MAD staff does all the editing and production on the movie and TV parodies. They start by editing… READ MORE
February 3rd, 2019 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: My question is that does a caricature change as the person ages? I ask because I am doing a caricature of William Shatner in three eras. One will be young Captain Kirk from the 60’s, the second one will be T.J. Hooker from the 80’s and the third is the more recent Denny Crane version from the last 10 years. As I study the faces, the nose changes, the eyes get slimmer and the ruggedness goes gooey and rounder. I think I have a pretty good likeness of all three, but it sure is taking some refining to do. I work on one and… READ MORE
January 20th, 2019 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: I’d love to take your workshop but I am concerned I do not have enough drawing skill. I’ve been doodling my whole life but I’m not a professional and my skills are still beginner level. Can I still take your class? A: The way I structure these workshops is what I call “style independent”, which also means “skill level independent”. What we are really concentrating on learning is how to “see” as much as how to draw. As a whole, I teach the class my approach to caricature, what I look for and how I see it. This applies to any style of caricature,… READ MORE
