When drawing caricatures in Calgary at corporate events, I'm constantly asked what I used to do before being an event caricaturist....and that is....an editorial cartoonist. After trying to get into papers, then successfully getting into them on a regular basis, just shy of four years, I wanted out. My feeling about newspapers now are that they're great for lining the birdcage. Having to read everyday about narcissistic politicians everyday really takes a toll on your outlook on people. Some nights I was up until 2:00am to finish the cartoon in order to meet the deadline ( for me it was 3:00pm), holidays were spent sometimes drawing in the bathroom of a hotel room drawing while my family slept. Then dealing with....uggghhh....editors, though one of mine ( Fort McMurray Today) was TERRIFIC! Thanks Darrel! I now see why every editorial cartoonist I've met is...well....miserable..... THEN....by chance I flew down to Florida for a convention, and there were "party caricaturists" drawing there....looked interesting! It stuck in my mind....then another trip to Disneyland, and sure enough, theme park caricaturists were drawing guests there ( eventually I landed up with a job at Disneyland drawing guests and my boss was the same guy that years before had drawn myself and my family!:)
So one day I woke up...decided I didn't want to deal with newspapers, and read about creepy politicians ( which I still have the view is the majority of them ) and quit my papers....and a wave of peace came over me that I made the right decision.Though it is a bit of a rush to open a newspaper, and see something that you created from scratch and hard work, though it looks easy. But...that was about 15 years ago....the "party caricatures" are now my focus and all is well in that world....:)
Kelly Gannon
