Bored Panda reached out to Ellis Rosen, the artist behind these hilarious comics. First, we asked the artist about how he got started with the comics.
"I have always drawn, but I started cartooning in 2016, after a friend of mine suggested I try it. The New Yorker had ‘look days’ where you could come in and show your batch of cartoons to the editor. I loved those, days because you got great feedback and you got to hang out with the other cartoonists while you waited. I was hooked pretty quickly."
We were wondering how the artist came up with the idea of one panel-comics as well as what inspired him to make them.
"I think if a cartoon makes me laugh, it will find an audience to one degree or another. One aspect I love about cartooning is that it makes you start to notice little things in life that many humans can relate to. It’s funny to realize that little occurrences in your life are shared by so many other people. It’s great to see how we are connected."
Besides his comics, Ellis has quite a few other things he works on when he's not working on his cartoons.
"Cartoons are my primary focus, but I do some illustrating and writing as well. I’m trying to write more. I love it."
With that being said, we were curious to find out a little bit more about the artist's schedule and how often he releases new comics.
"I make cartoons every week. I try to keep an alarm in my head, one that’s constantly asking 'Is this a cartoon?' as I go about my life. It reminds me to look out for the common occurrences that become great cartoon fodder. I write them down in my notes app, and later I’ll go through them, and start to sketch out ideas. If I’m lucky, a joke will fall into place."
In case you didn't know, some of Rosen's comics also get published in the New Yorker magazine, having said that, the artist still has some other things he'd like to achieve.
"I would like to write more. I want to write more humor, and also horror, or a combination."
Lastly, we asked Ellis if there was something he'd love to share with all of you Pandas, and here's some advice for you all!
"Here’s some random advice from the top of my head: Become involved in your community, if it’s cartooning, or illustration, or comics or whatever. Find others and get to know them online and in real life if you can. Find a good voice that feels authentic and not too cloying and put your work out there. Self-curate. You don’t have to put every sketch up on social media. Get used to rejection, don’t let it make you bitter, or at least for too long. You can be bitter for an hour or two but figure out how to get over it. Take breaks. Hope this helps!"
