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Cartoonist Career Interview
Pat Byrnes works as a “gag cartoonist,” and he regularly writes his cartoons for The New Yorker among other magazines. He also illustrates books, ads and greeting cards. He is a member of the National Cartoonists Society (NCS).
Cartoonist Career Path
As with most careers in the arts, Pat didn’t choose to go into cartooning: it chose him.
“Cartooning is a genetic condition,” he says. He added that no one just decides to be a cartoonist because it isn’t a typical profession. “If it’s not in your blood, you should do something else,” he says.
Cartoonist Experiences
Although Pat got his Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Notre Dame, his secret aspiration had always been cartooning.
“Aerospace was really my cover story for secretly going to school for cartooning,” he explains. Notre Dame had a totally student-run daily newspaper, and Pat used all the free time he had to pursue cartooning, which proved to be vital to his success.
“You maybe be in love with your work on the drawing table,” Pat says, “but a harsh light shines on it once it hits newsprint. Seeing how your work translates to print is invaluable, especially if you are a tough self-critic.”
Cartoonist Degree Programs
There are several different types of cartooning, and Pat classifies himself as a “gag cartoonist.” (Gag cartoons are the one-panel style of cartoons that usually have some kind of caption below it.) For those who want to pursue that path, a well-rounded education in subjects besides art is especially helpful.
“A gag cartoonist is as much a writer as an artist, and must therefore be able to process ideas in addition to lines and color,” he says. However, a cartoonist needs to have some level of art training, especially if the cartoonist wants to pursue illustration work as well.
Cartoonist Job Description
Pat currently writes gag cartoons for The New Yorker and other magazines.
“My work is not political,” he says. “It is more social commentary or just for fun.”
Pat also dabbles in other forms of art. “When the occasion arises, I illustrate books and ads and whatever else someone needs illustrated. I also created a newspaper comic strip for three years, and I’ve done greeting cards and probably toed into a few other subspecialties of cartooning.”
Cartoonist Daily Routine
Having an atypical career such as cartooning doesn’t allow for very much regularity. “There is no normal day,” says Pat. “The closest thing to a routine is my weekly New Yorker submissions when I fax in about eight rough drafts (seven to 12 is the norm for most cartoonists there). The rest of the week is spent thinking up ideas, working on random projects, office management, self-promotion, and waiting for the phone to ring with an interesting job that actually pays something resembling money.”
Cartoonist Career: Steps to Success
According to Pat, the traits necessary for a successful cartoonist are as follows: “Wit, work, luck, work, persistence, work, an endless tolerance for rejection, work, more luck, and a lot more work.”
Cartoonist Job Opportunities
Although it is easy to be able to draw cartoons, being successful at it is the tricky part. “Making a living,” says Pat, “can be very difficult, especially depending on which branch of cartooning you are predisposed to follow.”
Cartoonist Career Favorite Aspect
Pat’s favorite part about being a cartoonist? Every part. “I know it sounds smart-alecky, but it’s what I like,” he says.
Prospective Cartoonist Advice
“Be true,” says Pat. “If money or fame is your goal, then do something else. If cartooning gives voice to your ideas, then be true to your own perspective on the world. Don’t write gags that you think will sell; just write gags that say what you want to say.”
Pat always tries to get his commentary across in his cartoons. “Cartooning lets you communicate with people,” he explains. “That’s what it is to me: my link to the world around me.”
Pat adds that if he wrote cartoons that he didn’t feel were true, it would negatively affect his work. “I try to put my words of wisdom into my cartoons. But I try to do it subtly. Future cartoonists should try to do the same.”
