In his Master Session, Too Much Coffee Man creator and New Yorker cartoonist Shannon Wheeler showed the audience how he creates his cartoons from the idea to the execution. Moderated by Charles Brownstein, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund's Executive Director, the session was attended by both budding cartoonists and fans alike.
Wheeler took suggestions from the crowd, using them to develop a strip which was projected onto a video screen.
Learning to not draw well
While drawing a crowd scene, Wheeler noted that while it was possible to create individual characters and draw each one in detail, it was obviously much more efficient to create the illusion of people.
"I used to charge fifty bucks to be included in the background of a scene," he said, "and a few people did go for it."
Wheeler has come a long way in the process of executing his ideas, which required conscious effort to change his habits. He gives credit to fellow New Yorker cartoonist Matthew Diffee for the inspiration.
"Matt Diffee told me I drew too well," he said, laughing. "I used to make the first draft look good, but now I know the first time around is sloppy."
For an former architecture major used to creating precise renderings, creating a sloppy drawing was difficult to get used to.
"I tried to force myself to loosen up by drawing with my left hand," he remembered, "or without looking, or after drinking heavily."
Another part of the learning experience was letting go of what Wheeler called "little gimmicks."
"They're shortcuts that I use," he explained, "almost like a tic."
As an example, Wheeler drew a pair of pants, showing how he always includes the same folds near the knees to give a sense of the fabric. He added that other cartoonists always draw the same nose or other features. The trick is to draw without these tricks.
"There's a quote, about how learning to draw is all about unlearning," Wheeler said. "People get into ruts, getting slicker and slicker. I want to see people explore in their art."
Different projects, different styles
Brownstein asked the artist how he made choices in approaching his craft between different projects like the New Yorker and Oil and Water. Wheeler tends to warm up in a particular style and stay with it, but the projects themselves sometimes influence the style.
"In Oil and Water I was working from photoreference," he said, "and I wanted to keep it more realistic. For the New Yorker the style is much looser. The mind is a muscle, so it takes time to develop and get into that frame of mind."
Another question put to Wheeler was about how far to chase an idea before moving on. When do you continue to try and develop an idea, and when do you decide that it is not working?
"The closer you are to deadline," Wheeler joked, "the more of a kernel there is in the comic."
Wheeler is naturally critical of his own work, and used the strip he was drawing to make a point. He singled out one of the panels as not providing anything to the story.
"I hate filler panels," he said. "I used to try and make sure each panel would 'work' as a t-shirt. I want each panel to have meat."
Brownstein asked if the audience interaction was typical of the way that "committee based cartooning" worked.
"No," the artist joked, "committee-based is all negative!"
Lucky pens
In talking about drawing materials, Wheeler admitted to being superstitious.
"If a comic sells, I keep using the same pen," he said, laughing. "I like thick paper; it holds the ink, but it also takes the abuse of erasing and re-pencilling.
"There's no real reason for my choices in paper or pens, just basic reasons."
Wheeler uses a nib pen for sharp lines and a brush in order to get a variety of lines. On the screen, he showed how he used thicker lines to imply shadow.
"Professional artists can do about three or four pages a day," he explained. "Working faster is better, and a brush lets you work faster."
Wheeler estimated that he could match that speed, but only if he were "a little sloppy" or took shortcuts.
When it comes to inking, Wheeler has moved from careful work on the paper to the digital medium, scanning the drawing and inking on the computer. Though the move reduces the risk of mistakes, it is one he does not prefer.
"I use digital as little as possible," he said. "I like the feel of working on the paper, and I don't want to sit there staring at the computer. Plus I can sell the original art."
Which came first?
An audience member asked the artist about the order of his New Yorker process: does he start with an image or text? The answer was all of the above.
"Sometimes I'll come up with a weird image and then figure out the words," Wheeler said. "Sometimes I'll get ideas from Huffington Post or New York Times headlines."
Another possibility is to have a concept first, before the words or image, and Wheeler used the example of a politician refusing to step down even though he is in jail.
"I have the idea there," he said, "and now it just needs the pieces assembled."
Beginning with the text, Wheeler will think of a play on words, and then develop ideas from that.
"Take the phrase 'friends with benefits,'" he said. "What are friends without benefits? What are different ways to interpret 'benefits?' The first thing you'll get is the easy joke, and then you push further."
Starting with an image that is coupled with a random statement is a technique inspired by the New Yorker's caption contest, where readers are invited to suggest captions for an image. Wheeler will frequently come up with ideas specifically for the contest.
"Don't you feel bad," Brownstein asked, "letting amateurs do your work?"
"No," said Wheeler, laughing, "it makes my job easier!"
New Yorker vs Mad
Two of the magazines Wheeler submits cartoons, the New Yorker and Mad, are radically different in tone. Does that affect the way he pitches to them?
"Definitely," said Wheeler. "At Mad they said they didn't want any cartoons that just showed two guys sitting at a bar. Well, I have about two hundred of those!"
Mad being more over the top than the subtler New Yorker, the humor magazine leans toward cartoons "with two people doing something."
Wheeler travels to New York as much as he can, to interact personally with the magazine staff there.
"Face time is important," he stressed, especially at a time when it is becoming harder to get cartoons published.
"There are fewer venues," Wheeler pointed out. "Magazines are closing, and are more expensive to print. As a result, they run fewer cartoons."
Inspired by Sparky
Wheeler credited Charles "Sparky" Schulz as a source of inspiration in his career.
"Sparky had a fearlessness," he said, "a 'you can do this' attitude. It's like how they say every time the Ramones played, some percent of the audience immediately started bands.
"He inspires because he didn't have flashy gimmicks."
Draw all the time
Wheeler concluded his Master Session with some words of advice for the cartoonists in the crowd.
"Carry a sketchbook and draw all the time," he offered.
"Don't worry about the audience. First thing: get it done, get it out."
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