Creating with Words

 When coming up with ideas for cartoons, I first use words. As I've said before, I read...a lot. Some of the things I read on a regular basis are newspapers, magazines, books and online news sites. I jot down words and phrases that I think I'll be able to use in my gag writing. I don't draw, but I can visualize what the cartoon would look like - who the characters are, what the setting is. I write the caption first, then I figure out what the setting and characters will be. Of course my captions often undergo many changes, some many times, before they're sent to a cartoonist. The setting may change. Who is speaking to who may also change many times. When I'm ready to send the idea to the cartoonist, I first describe what's going on in the cartoon (very briefly) and then give the caption.

There are phrases that everyone knows. I could list hundreds of them. I get these phrases into my head by reading (again) extensively. You can tell I'm a library and bookstore person. You can also find familiar phrases online. What I do with these phrases is change one aspect of it, usually at the end, to make a surprise. Or I use the familiar phrase as is but have someone other than the expected person utter them. Or maybe have an animal say them. 

If I were an artist, my tools would be my paints. My tools are words. I type these words on a typewriter. I type these words on a computer. This is what I do.

Any comments? Email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com. Stay healthy!

"Where I Get My Ideas"

I know I've covered this subject in previous posts, but people still ask me where I get my ideas.

First of all, I read a lot. I read newspapers, magazines, online news sources, marketing materials that come in the mail and books on various subjects. I'm always looking for words and phrases that I can use in my writing. 

A few examples: I write a lot of business gags and seem to focus on job interviews. I read online job boards and find words and phrases having to do with background, experience, perks and benefits. I then use these phrases to create cartoon captions.

If I were writing about cooking skills, or lack thereof, I read cookbooks, especially where the author gives a lot of background information about themselves. I also read the "Food" section of The New York Times (among other sections) to find the latest cooking trends. I use these words and phrases to create gags.

Similarly, if I'm writing a series of husband and wife gags, I pick out the traits I want to emphasize, like being a constant talker and interrupter, laziness and cheapness. In my reading I try to find words and phrases I can use to illustrate these traits.

Sometimes I just let my mind wander and write from personal experience. In humor, nothing is funnier than the truth. I write a lot about myself, my husband and my kids.

I am also an observer. I look around and see what's going on around me. I see the humor in things...and especially, people.

This is just a very short answer to a complicated question. 

Be well and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Any comments? Write to me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com

A Few More Reading Suggestions

For those of you who want to keep up-to-date with what's going on in the cartooning world, I would suggest reading these two websites on a daily basis:

* Michaelmaslin.com. Michael Maslin is a New Yorker cartoonist who writes daily about New Yorker cartoonist news, history and events. For anyone who is interested in New Yorker cartoons and cartoonists, this is the place to find out about events such as art exhibits and book-signings plus new books by these cartoonists. I find this website very informative and I read it daily.

*Dailycartoonist.com. This is a website where you can find out what's going on with syndicated strips, new books, who's in the news, and so on. It's also very informative. You can sign up for daily emails, like I did, and get them delivered to your inbox every day.

A few books I'm looking forward to reading:

"Inked" by New Yorker cartoonist Joe Dator, which published in October; 

"Send Help," A Collection of Marooned Cartoons, edited by Jon Adams and Ellis Rosen, which published earlier this month;

"Comedy is the Remedy," by Peggy Clancy, which is publishing this month.

Anyone who can suggest other cartoon-related websites, please email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

Be well.

Helene

Keeping in Touch

 Oh, yes. Keeping in touch. This is the subject I give to emails when I want to connect with friends,  family and colleagues. Since most in-person cartoon-related events are still cancelled, I like to keep in touch with people by email and phone. (I don't text). In the past year and a half  I've watched many virtual cartooning events. However, I can hardly wait for in-person events to begin again: holiday parties, book-signings, exhibits, panel discussions, interviews with authors and so on. Writing can be a lonely undertaking. As I've said before, I get motivated when I get together with other creative minds.

Right now I'm trying to get motivated by re-reading how-to-cartoon books and leafing through various cartoon collections, such as: 

"The Cartoonist's Muse: A Guide to Generating and Developing Creative Ideas" by Mischa Richter and Harald Bakken; 

"How About Never - Is Never Good For You?" by Bob Mankoff;

"The Arbor House Book of Cartooning" by Mort Gerberg; 

"Cartooning - The Art and the Business" by Mort Gerberg;

"The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker," edited by Bob Mankoff;

"Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain," by Christopher Hart.

This is just a small sampling of books I read years ago when I started writing gags. 

I'm also looking forward to reading new books by Liza Donnelly, in February, and David Sipress, in March.

Still writing full time. Still reading actual newspapers, magazines and books plus news online. Trying to keep healthy and productive.

Any comments? Email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com

Let the Humor Out

It's been eight months since I last posted on this blog. Where did the time go? I'm still doing what I do...writing every day, sending out gags to my people, reading a lot. We're venturing out more. Dining outdoors wherever possible. Going into more stores than we used to. Getting together with a few more friends than we used to. This pandemic has really made it very clear that I need to be with people.

It's also made it very clear that there's a lot of funny things that have happened to me in my life that I need to write about. Also a lot that's not so funny. I seem to have a skewed way of looking at things and I tend to see the humor in situations. All I have to do is look at myself and the funny things that have happened to me and write about them. Also the aggravating and frustrating things. I'm my own best subject.

Of course I'm always looking for new cartoonists to collaborate with. I would like to work with a cartoonist and come up with a series of cartoons on a particular subject, to be published as a book.

I've started submitting stories to the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series of books, focusing on the humor in my life. I'm looking into submitting material to other anthologies as well. 

The pandemic has limited the networking opportunities. It's an understatement to say that I appreciate getting together with people now more than ever.

Things will get better. Stay healthy!