Cartoonist Survey #74 - Mike Cope

David Paccia recently invited me to participate in his popular Cartoonist Survey on his David-Wasting-Paper blog. David has surveyed a very impressive list of cartoonists, and so, I was quite honoured when he considered me worthy of being added.

Here's a little preview of my answers to his cartooning-related inquiries ...

What is your favorite pen to use?
Speedball Hunt Globe Bowl #513EF nib in a Koh-I-Noor Corkgrip #127N pen holder.

Do you draw in pencil first and if so do you use a standard pencil or a mechanical one?
Standard 2H ... I like the crunching sound they make when I sharpen them. Reminds me of elementary school.

Did you read comics as a kid and if so what was your favorite?
I loved reading the funnies as a kid. Through elementary and high school, I used to read my mother’s Peanuts Treasury (2nd print) every night before bed. Eventually, I started reading comic books, but I’d always finish with a few pages from that Peanuts book. In fact, I still crack it open when I need to let my mind unwind before falling to sleep ... It’s funny how doing something you enjoyed as a kid can make you relax.

Did you have any formal art training and if so where did you receive it?
Yes, Art Fundamentals and Classical Animation at Sheridan College in Oakville Ontario ... Some of the best and most stressful years of my life. Art Fundies was a one-year certificate, which I barely earned because I'd never studied Art in high school. As a result, I didn't get accepted into the school's popular Classical Animation program due to a "low ranked portfolio" ... I still have the rejection letter, and the vivid memories of the feelings I had when I read it. I ended up studying Multimedia at McMaster University for the next 4 years, and then re-applied to Sheridan on a whim. To my joy and surprise, they awarded me a merit-based scholarship along with my acceptance letter. Thus began two more of the most stressful years of my life ... The funny thing about art school, at least for me, is that I loved cartooning, but my analytical brain had no way of comprehending the "art" stuff that I was being taught. It just didn't click, and I felt REALLY dumb. Even now, I'm still having "Ah-ha!" moments, when things that I was taught years ago FINALLY make sense. I'm just thankful that I never gave up on cartooning.

You can read all of my answers to David Paccia's questions in Cartoonist Survey #74.

Thanks again for inviting me to participate, David!

Stay TOONed!

- Mike Cope