James Whitworth is a freelance cartoonist and journalist from Sheffield. He's also the resident topical cartoonist at Creative Boom and celebrates two years of our popular Daily Fix on Wednesday 24 August 2011. It was James who first approached me, just after Creative Boom had launched and he came up with the idea for the cartoon and its name.
Over the years, James and I have become very good friends and spend most days chatting about life, the universe and everything. We finally met over a very big lunch last week in Buxton and I did my usual ex-journalist nosy line of questioning, discovering many interesting things about James. Which is when I asked if he'd let me interview him for Creative Boom. And so I did. Read on to hear about James, his life and his work.
Tell us about yourself.. Who are you and what do you do?
I am a freelance cartoonist. My work is a mixture of topical/news cartoons and a weekly strip cartoon (set in a newspaper office) with specific projects such as book cover illustration. I draw the Daily Fix cartoon every week day for Creative Boom.
Where did you grow up and tell us more about your childhood
I grew up in Sheffield. I am lucky that I had a great childhood, with most childhood memories now rose tinted. From a really young age I loved cartoons and was fortunate to grow up in a golden age of children’s TV. Programmes that I loved then and that influence my work now include the Mr Men cartoons, Paddington Bear (with its superb and innovative combination of 2D backgrounds with the 3D Paddington. Ivor Woods, who drew the backgrounds and the family, is still a massive influence); and then there was the peerless Rhubarb and Custard. What all these programmes share is a deceptively simple style that belies their brilliance.
Did you know what you wanted to be when you grew up?
I went through the usual stages of wanting to be a footballer (too many cold winter mornings involved) and a rock star (no musical talent whatsoever). While I was toying with the idea of playing at Wembley (either on the pitch or on the stage) I was always drawing. When I was eight I decided the Smurf lineup needed to be increased and so drew a huge page of no less than 21 new characters. My favourite was Invisible Smurf - by far the easiest to draw. My father was a cartoonist, so it was ironic that it never occurred to me that it was something I could do for a living.
So what happened after school?
I spent a few years being a beach bum and travelling through much of Europe and America. I was also in training in case an Olympic drinking team was formed.
How did you become a freelance cartoonist?
Normally it is difficult to pin these things down to one event, but I can recall the day vividly. I was working in a well paid, but terribly dull job. During a telephone conference call, I was doodling on my notepad when I had an epiphany: as I was much better at cartoons than I was at my day job, why didn’t I actually try to become a cartoonist?
It all seems so obvious now, but back then it was a real Eureka moment. Of course, then I was struck with the question: how do you become a cartoonist (a question I am asked almost as often now as “Where do you get your ideas from?”). There’s no course to go on, no industry qualification and while there’s no shortage of How To books, I found them little help. The answer, it turns out, is surprisingly simple. Draw. Every day. And then draw some more. Cartooning isn’t just about drawing though, so it’s vital that you have a sense of humour and then develop it by reading newspapers and looking for funny angles to stories that are often anything but funny (such as riots and phone hacking).
Describe a typical day..
One of the great things about freelancing is there is no typical day. However, some days are more typical than others and for me that means: starting work about 6.45 in the morning. I listen to the Today programme on Radio 4 and “flick” through the newspapers online. This should provide a few ideas for news cartoons.
I draw Daily Fix by 8am and post it on Creative Boom. After this, I may work on my twice-weekly strip cartoon “Rudge”. I will either have a session thinking up new ideas (this can be mistaken for dozing off on the sofa to the uninitiated) or actually drawing and inking the strips. They are then sent off to a Fleet Street magazine. The rest of the morning is spent going through emails, posting my work online (Facebook, Twitter and a couple of sites for the American market) and my daily “fresh air” walk to the local shop to buy newspapers and magazines (and too much chocolate). In the afternoon I work on projects.
At the moment this includes a trilogy of novels I’m drawing the covers for and completing work for an exhibition. Then it’s dinner (as my wife works late, I usually prepare the meal). I find that cooking from scratch is a great time to think and come up with new ideas. After dinner, I will usually work until around 8 - normally on gag cartoons for magazines. It’s then time for wine/beer and a DVD. If I’m up against a deadline, I will work after my wife has gone to bed. The quality of the work tends to be in direct coloration with how much I have drunk, which probably explains why it normally gets re-drawn in the morning.
What do you love about freelancing?
Freelancing is hard work; but what’s not to love? You get to do what you’re passionate about - and sometimes (hopefully more often) people pay you for it. I love the freedom to create; being able to take a swipe about numerous topics in the news; let my imagination run wild; make friends with other people in similar fields; and perhaps most of all, set my own agenda and take that nap when I want to. Someone once said that to be a cartoonist you had to combine arrogance and laziness: arrogance to think you could actually do the job while being too lazy to do anything else. I think they were joking. Probably.
What are the things they never warn you about freelancing?
The world is not full of lovely people. It’s amazing how many negative people you come across when you run your own business. It takes time to learn how to ignore/avoid them. If you work on your own, it can be lonely - but that can be a plus to some people. The bigger the firm you work for, the longer it takes to be paid. Never tell anyone about the deal until the contract is signed and sealed. You have the power to choose your own attitude. And perhaps most of all, if you find someone you can trust and work well with - put the effort into keeping in touch. In a digital world, it’s all too easy to drift apart.
You're the resident cartoonist on Creative Boom with your 'Daily Fix' contributions. What do you think of Creative Boom?
Honestly? I love it! Of course, I may be biased, but think about this for a moment. Creative Boom is a superb resource that offers freelancers a platform to promote their work, is frequently updated with everything from jobs to top tips and it has a huge (and increasing) reach. Most businesses would pay good money for everything that it offers and yet it is a free resource that is set up to help creatives find their way in the freelance world. Being a part of Creative Boom has not just been a great support, it has lead to work and has helped get my cartoons to people who may never have seen them.
You'll have actually been with Creative Boom for two years on 24th August.. How does that feel?
It feels great. I had no idea I would contribute for two years, but it’s been a great experience. I’ve seen the site change and grow and it’s been really rewarding to be part of something that’s become a standard bearer for the creative industries in the UK. Katy and Tom’s dedication and huge amounts of hard work are really paying off. Hopefully, I’ll be drawing the Daily Fix for some time to come...
Anything in the pipeline we should know about?
I have an exhibition in Sheffield running through October. Called Sheffield Dozen, it features 13 cartoons covering the icons of the steel city. I am also looking forward to the publication of the books I am illustrating.
Finally, what pieces of wisdom would you share to our community?
To succeed in your chosen field is not easy: it takes practice and a lot of hard work. For me, it took a number of years before my first cartoon was published. If you’re passionate about something, all the work will be worthwhile. If you’re not, you’ll soon get bored. The simple truth is that you need to put the work in. Despite what programmes like the X-Factor suggest, there are no short cuts to achieving your dream; but if you love what you do, the journey itself will be rewarding and fun as much as it will be hard and frustrating. It will also pay off in the end.
To find out more about James, visit his freelance cartoonist website. And you can also find James on Twitter @JamesWhitworth.
