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Contact the Artist
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of Greg Curfman |
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 Q. When did you first start drawing cartoons?
A. I used to copy drawings from comic books when I was about 10.
Q. Who were the cartoonists who most influenced you?
A. There have been many influences over the years. The most dominant have been Garry Trudeau, Bill Watterson and Charles Schulz. I am also impressed with the work of cartoonists like Gahan Wilson, Gary Larson, Cliff Sterrett... and the list goes on. I have always enjoyed flipping through old histories of the comics. (One of my favorite books was Backstage at the Strips by Mort Walker. It was my first glimpse into the world of syndicated comics.)
Q. How did you get your professional start?
A. I self-syndicated a strip, "Figleaves," to a small number of papers around 1978. I also did some work for my college paper. I dropped out of the comic scene - except for the occasional family Christmas card drawing - while I pursued a family and a career at IBM. I reentered the field in 1995, when United showed an interest in a strip concept called "Meg 'n' Mike"... which eventually launched as "Meg!"
Q. How would you describe your style?
A. Simplistic, yet energetic.
Q. Where do you get your story ideas?
A. My children as well as other children (and young adults, now) that I coach in soccer.
Q. How did you come up with your characters?
A. They are composites of my children and their friends plus a touch of my own remembered childhood.
Q. Which are your favorite characters in your strip and why?
A. Meg - because I really like her in-your-face style. Ashley - because she is the perfect foil for Meg's intensity and rough edges.
Q. Do you create on a daily basis? Do you prefer to work in the morning or at night?
A. I generally work in the evenings (or in the weeeee hours of the morning) because I have to work around a schedule that includes a regular job at IBM, the coaching of three soccer teams, and the travel associated with my children's soccer and one of the teams I coach.
Q. What materials do you use to draw your comics?
A. Do you use a computer? I generally write out the ideas for a week of dailies and a Sunday in a notebook. I pencil the strip onto preprinted bond paper and use a lightbox to do the final inking on a bristol-like paper. I use Micron Pigma pens for the art and Rotring ArtPens for the lettering. I then scan the strips, add copyright and web text, and upload the files to the syndicate. For the Sundays I also color them electronically using Photoshop. Since my schedule is so hectic, I invested in a laptop, which allows me to do the electronic stuff in the living room, in the kitchen, on the road... wherever. In fact, most of the materials I use have evolved toward convenience, portability and speed of execution.
Q. Do you have any suggestions on how to become a professional cartoonist?
A. First you have to decide if you can live with the never-ending schedule. Second, you have to find a niche that you are comfortable writing about and that enough other people find funny. Third, you need to learn to draw well enough (within the constraints of newspaper reproduction size and quality) to express your ideas successfully. And finally, you need to develop a good ear for constructive criticism. I think that every aspiring cartoonist should get a copy of Lee Nordling's Your Career in the Comics and read it cover-to-cover at least three or four times. It is an excellent - and very realistic - view of today's syndication business.
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To contact the artist, write to:
Greg Curfman
c/o United Media
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Your letter to the cartoonist will be forwarded via snail mail
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