Joe Rothenberg and his funny comics are a real gem we would like to share with you today!
Joe's comics are divided into three collections, two of which are showcased below: Joetatochips, Tall Problems, and Castle Winkeldorf — the latter of which can be explored on the artist's website.
In an interview with Bored Panda, Joe described the essence behind his cartoons. "I really try to post what makes me laugh. Not just a joke, but something I'm personally excited to share. That usually ends up being something light and silly but with an emotionally real subtext under it. Some of my comics have been self-therapy. And then there's my adventure-comedy series Castle Winkeldorf, which is a world I'm excited to explore moment by moment without planning too far ahead. I'm teaching myself storytelling in real time and it's very fun and unpredictable."
More info: Instagram | joetatochips.com
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Image credits: joetatochips
We wanted to learn more about Joe and his background. The artist shared: “I was born and raised in central Texas where I currently live with my family, our dog Reggie, and my bird Tanooki. I studied animation at USC (go Trojans!) and I am now an animator by day and a cartoonist by night. Fun fact, years ago, Nickelodeon hired me to make a pilot for them which ended up being called Gumwad Island. It never was made into a show, but I'm still proud of the short and its silly humor. (Google it, it's still out there!)”
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We asked Joe to share what initially drew him to the world of cartooning and artistry.
He responded: “Boy, I've always loved cartoons since I was a little kid. Just loved 'em. My early influences were Looney Tunes, Calvin and Hobbes, Garfield, The Far Side, the Humongous Entertainment games Pajama Sam and Spy Fox, the original SNES Yoshi's Island, and lots more. (My art style often gets compared to Ren & Stimpy, but I never watched it as a kid.) I always wanted to be a newspaper cartoonist, and I actually drew a comic panel called Insanity Fair for my county paper between the ages of 12 & 15. Nowadays, there aren't too many newspaper cartoonists, but thankfully the world of webcomics is very exciting.”
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The artist also described his creative process: “I think of comic ideas or bits of jokes frequently throughout my day and I write them down on my phone or on a sticky note. I have a massive folder of sticky notes. I don't get to draw comics as often as I'd like, but that means I always have a million ideas to choose from when it's time to draw something. So I rummage through and I find something that still makes me laugh and seems fun to make. I do my sketches on sticky notes, scan them with Office Lens, and then do the tie-downs and ink and color in Photoshop using some of the built-in Kyle brushes.
I am very momentum-based and try to minimize friction as I work so that I can go from sketch to final product with each step being fun and fluid. I try not to second-guess or overthink things, though sometimes I rework dialogue over and over until it feels right,” wrote Joe.
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In regards to audiences and their takeaway, Joe wrote: “I hope they take away a happy feeling that life is meaningful and silly and can be approached with joy. And, I hope they want to read more of my comics.”
Lastly, Joe added: “I am really big into Substack right now and you can subscribe here for some joy in your inbox two mornings a week. I also have 3 beautifully printed full-color books available on my website if you'd like to support my work.”
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