Stanko & Tibor: A Comic Strip Par Excellence!

If you remember from my last post, I had promised to write about a really talented cartoonist I had the opportunity to interview.  He is my ex-boss, but it wasn't until recently that I found out about his extraordinary talent for cartooning.  I always knew of his humorous side, but discovering that he actually translates it into an art form didn't really come as a great surprise - I was almost expecting it!  And for all you car lovers, please know that he is a contributing editor for The Car Connection! 

Jon Druker, the creator of Stanko & Tibor, invited me over to his home to give me an idea of what he does, how he does it, and where he gets all his inspiration from.  I also had the pleasure of meeting his two sweet little girls who even helped me with my reflector!  Now, even my son doesn't offer to help me with it, although I did bring him with me to Jon's on this occasion.  But he didn't object to losing his job as an assistant at all! 

Please read on, and definitely hop over to his blog, and since Jon has very kindly offered to do a guest post for my blog, please keep your eyes open for it!

Jon, ever since I heard about your comic, I've become a great fan of it.  How long have you been cartooning?

Jon: I have been cartooning since I was a kid, but only seriously since I was in my mid-20's, when I was doing my undergraduate degree at Queen's University. As for this comic strip, it's something I started when I was at university, lo those many years ago, but I stopped doing for one reason or another. I only picked it up again as a promise to myself I made before my 40th birthday to start cartooning again, and publish it on the web.

I see you cartoon about a lot of different things, including current affairs.  What do you draw your inspiration from?

Jon: Inspiration comes from many places. Mostly my family, where out-competing each other for the best joke or funny line has been a tradition since well before I was born. Comedy is a central part of how I handle life, and see life. There is humor everywhere and in almost all situations, even including death. I have heard some of my favorite jokes at funerals.

As for visual inspiration, it's interesting that you, Toni, as a photographer ask. That's because I often get a picture in my mind of the story I want to cartoon. I see the images in my head and try to place them in a frame and space them out. It is the visual aspect that I find the most challenging to "construct" so to speak.

My drawing inspirations range from Hergé's Tintin to Charles Schultz's Peanuts, to Astrerix & Obelix, the X-Men comic books from the early 80's by John Byrne. But there I have also taken inspiration from many of Dali's paintings and drawings, and in particular Picasso's sketches. Carravaggio was another source of visual "food" for me. Such geat colors and structures in his work.

So, Jon, who would you say, is your audience?

Jon: My audience is anyone and everyone who wants to laugh at the world the way I do. I don't aim at anyone in particular and just hope others get a laugh -- and buy my t-shirts.

What are your other passions/interests?

Jon: Cooking, cars (I blog at TheCarConnection.com on advertising), and skiing. When I can squeeze it in I also contribute my time to a charity called Leave Out Violence.  Somewhere in between I manage to work full-time and raise 2 kids with my wife. Not sure if I am taking on too much at once. 

Would you ever consider offering your cartoons as a service, for example, for book covers, illustrations, etc.?

Jon: I'll happily offer my services for book covers and other illustrations, I just have to find the time to do it. :-) 

Jon, thanks a lot for your time and for inviting me into your den, where you make the world a more humorous place, one comic strip at a time!  :)