So you can sketch, draw, paint well. Have a whacky sense of humour. Can look at ordinary situations in extraordinary ways. You can send a message out fast.
Start off working for a magazine or a website. Consider joining a publishing house that publishes comics. Or a greeting cards company. Or an animation studio. Even a gaming company to animate games.
Take up internships. Prepare a portfolio. Seek interviews.
Though no formal education is required, an education that polishes your writing and drawing skills will be most ideal. Since everything happens on computers these days, find out about and develop proficiency in professional software used by artists.
Of course, learn about life through your personal experience if you want your work to strike a chord with your audience.
It helps to pick an area of specialization early – something you are passionate about, and pursue it well. Work in a large organization if you want to humour the work environment in organizations, keep a pet if the next big cartoon character taking shape in your head is a domesticated animal, follow politics if you want to be able to question the prime minister’s policies through your work.
And don’t sweat if you can’t gather the courage to choose a career as a cartoonist early in your life. Many cartoonists in this world started off their careers as even engineers and bankers.
This is one of those careers where in the real world you start off with a plan B, fool yourself into believing that your plan B is your plan A, and then let the force of your talent bring the real Plan A to the fore. Why? Because the opportunities for a full-time career in the area are few.
Explore your options
Start off working for a magazine or a website. Consider joining a publishing house that publishes comics. Or a greeting cards company. Or an animation studio. Even a gaming company to animate games.
Take up internships. Prepare a portfolio. Seek interviews.
Though no formal education is required, an education that polishes your writing and drawing skills will be most ideal. Since everything happens on computers these days, find out about and develop proficiency in professional software used by artists.
Of course, learn about life through your personal experience if you want your work to strike a chord with your audience.
It helps to pick an area of specialization early – something you are passionate about, and pursue it well. Work in a large organization if you want to humour the work environment in organizations, keep a pet if the next big cartoon character taking shape in your head is a domesticated animal, follow politics if you want to be able to question the prime minister’s policies through your work.
And don’t sweat if you can’t gather the courage to choose a career as a cartoonist early in your life. Many cartoonists in this world started off their careers as even engineers and bankers.
This is one of those careers where in the real world you start off with a plan B, fool yourself into believing that your plan B is your plan A, and then let the force of your talent bring the real Plan A to the fore. Why? Because the opportunities for a full-time career in the area are few.
