Famous Artists Cartoon Course ‘Westport, Connecticut Special types -- Rube Goldberg Milton Con AlCopp Harry Hasnigaen Willrd Mullin Gumey Wiliams Dick Cavell Whitney Darrow, Jr. Virgil Partch Barney TobeySpecial types (Casing the actors for your cartoon productions sa very import lant part of your work. Asa cartoonist, you not only must pick the Fight character for te right role — you alo have to be sble to draw him. Your readers have come to expect certain types of ‘characters inst roles. In ths section we have tied to show you hhow to design a few stock characiers and how they are expected ‘Garioon characters, although they are nothing but ink, are apt to ease jst as much (rouble as eal people it they are mis fast They have their own personalities which grow in the ‘ories and in the minds of ther creator. They can tara out tunable to do the things you intended them to do and wreck a plot. Then again, they can become so important and alive that Their personality amon wites your story for Yo. “This unexpected development of personality by cartoon char. acters i sometimes 2 gold mine to the cartoonist, providing he ison hi toes and Knows how to take advantage of it Some years ago the Brooklyn ball club was, a far a the National League swent, atthe bottom of she bare When they started winning james i was not only amaring, but highly amusing to Willard Mullin, He had been drawing the Brooklyn ten into his dal panel as a down. The clown was getting by, but didn’t have nogh bite o his, Then aecurred to Mr. Mllin that the guy St the bottom of the barrel ie ~ a bum, He wrtched overnight land drew the fist bun, not asa bitter down and outer, but 38 8 happygolucky tramp who was both surprised and belligerent about his triumph. This ragged but cocksure character was an immediate hie, The whole nation stated relersing afectonately to the Brooklyn club as "Dem Bums" Even the Brooklyn read fers liked him, which speaks well of Willard Mullin’ ality st handling characters Tdly for cartoonists, the world is fll of characters, We are all daeatiers whether we adit i or not, and we are al differ ent, Every man on your faculty agrees that, no matter what syle You chow, the people you draw must be Believable, Nine dines ‘ut of ten, your reader laughs Because one of your characters Took or acs just lke someone he knows in his elghborhood. Right nove, however, we are more concerned with the outside appearance of cur characters — what they weat and how their ‘ecupationsafect their overall appearance. For instance n the tind of your reader, cuck drivers should be big and tough, a fardener thould be oid and bent, while a bookkeeper should be thin, meek, and peer through glsss. Clothes, too, should bein character ~ the truck driver seldom appears in a businew suit land the bookkeeper doen't show up at the office in a lather jacket and peaked cap Th characterization, too, there are exceptions to the rule Seete of the mont succenfalcareron characters have been bit tup and succeeded Hecate, perversely, they don't look the part. This reverse twit, the entrance ofthe unexpected, fa integral part of humor. Having 2 Casper Milguetoas type drive a ruck fe perfectly allright ithe is ove of your main charicers and you have plenty of time to develop and put over the ides of hit personality. But, fora oneshot character, who is appearing only briety in 4 minor ole, i is much beter to stick wo the accepted fom. if you expect to make cartooning your business, you' mutt study people, what they do and why they do fe. When dentists meet people they automatically look atthe teeth; when ocw Tists meet people they are attracted to ther eyes. When you eet people ys should make it a habit to observe everyehing ‘thout them — ther special weakness and peculiarities — 20 you ‘an record them in your cartoons, We have given you in this Teson only afew of the thousands of types of occupations Study them and build up that morgue of yours with clippings of cw pation and the people who work at them,Famous Ants Cartoon Course Special types ~10 Creating a character As casting director (as well as stage and property manager, i rector and producer of your cartoon opu you have the job of Picking proper characters and seeing that they dress cotrectly for their parts Here's an example ~ let's say you're doing a cartoon feature and yous story calls fora truck dever "Each occupation has & psychological eect upon the person ‘connected with i This, in torn, hs an effect upon ie physical Shapes appearance and facial expression, Les think about our truck drver. His i not an easy job. He has to ight for his rights. He lives ina physeal world. He spends his ine doing, not thinking ‘So, first, you review everything you Know about ack drivers, and dig into your morgue Hf research i necessary. You want his Shape, face and clothes tobe right. Armed with Knowledge, you are ready to ast he character FacesSpecial typesWhitney Darrow, Jr. —TOs The exception fo the ruleFAMOUS ARTISTS CARTOON COURSE ‘Student Work Tesson 10 To study and practice ‘This lesson deals vith the casting of characters for your cartoon productions. Cartoon characters should be immediately identifiable as to type or occupstion by their build, clothing, and actions or © combination of these characterietics since this helps to move your story along quickly gnd easily. You can and should practice drawing the types show in the lesson -- and go on froa there to add your own refinecents. Vork up your stock characters to your om liking and drav then in different actions to get acquainted with then. Reneuber: What you ada to or subtract from a type should be the reeult of your cm observation and imagination. The lesson does not show all the stock char- ‘acters in cartooning -- far from it. Sketehing fron real people is important in building any authentic character, Sketching puta knowledge into your head ‘and adds Life to your cartoon characters. In these assignnents ve vill grade your vork chiefly on your sbility to draw recognizable types in good action and with appropriate facial expression. Keep backgrounds, if sny, simple so that your characters stand out cleariy. assromenr 1 ‘A local baker wants you to draw an advertising cartoon to be printed in the tom's weekly peer. The cartoon is to show a Dowager and a Banker type seated at a table in an expensive restaurant. The Zanker has just been served ‘the wrong rand of bread and is arguing violently with a French chef while the Dovager watches through her lorgnette. Follow the sketch at the right for figure placenent -- it's the one given you by the local baker for layout -- but it's up Yo you as a cartoonist to make the figures clearly represent the types called for and to give then ‘the action and facial expression suitable to the situation. Do St with pen or brush and ink, in a panel 7 inches high and 10 inches wide, on a sheet Of 11x Minch Bristol board. IMPORTANT - Mark this sheet ASSIGIUGIT 1. Assronenrn 2 on another sheet of 11 x li-tnch Bristol board, in ‘a panel 10 inches wide and 7 inches high, draw a cartoon shoving a meek, studious, bookworm type of an reading a book as he tramps across a floor being scrubbed ty a cleaning vonn. He is unavare of his crine -- she ie astounded ani furious. You may fol- low the sketch at the right. for figure placement or, Detter still, drean up your (wn composition. GORI - Mark thie cheet ASSIOWENT 2. Present your assigments in the sane clean, professional manner you vould use if you were submitting then to the cartoon buyer of a publication. Letter your nane, address and student number carefully in the lover left-hand comer of each page. In the lover right comer, place the Lesson tmber and Aesignnent Vumber. Mail tot FAMOUS ARTISTS CARTOON COURSE Westport, Connecticut