No matter how much I will dabble in realism or other styles of artwork as I get older, cartooning is something that will always be very dear to me.
I remember when I got my first cartooning instruction book when I was five. It was from a dollar store, and I also got a purple leapord-print steno book to be my "sketchbook". I filled that thing cover to cover as I copied the pages of the instruction book, and, eventually, moved on to creating my own characters. {Some of which are still my dear friends to this day}
Other art has so many rules --whether it be intentionally or not-- but with cartooning it can be as simple or as complex as you want. And, to me, that's very reassuring. No matter how bad I am at painting or drawing realistically, there will always be the tiny cartooning gnome in the back of my mind picketing for me to illustrate something. Really, it makes me happy.
Melissa Mendes is a cartoonist that I will constantly keep coming back to. Her comics are what cartooning is all about: simplicity, nostalgia, and cathartics. It's honest and straightforward, something I can really connect to. HER COMIC FREDDY IS BASICALLY LIKE THE BEST FRIEND I NEVER HAD AS A CHILD. Like Melissa, I find myself pulling experiences from my own childhood into my own work constantly.
By Melissa Mendes
Plus, not only is her work awesome, but she's married to a cartoonist too! They are adorable and spend their days making artwork and being in love. That's only my unrealistic lifetime goal.
Do the art that YOU want to do. Just create something. The End.
-Lexi
