What drew you to comics?
Cartooning for me is a combination of a love of drawing and the chance to be a social commentator with a sense of humor. I knew I wanted to be a cartoonist by the about the the 5thgrade or so. I devoured the newspaper comics every day, reading them over and over and I would copy various comics line for line. Over time, that helped me to develop my own style. As much fun as drawing is, it starts with an idea and that’s where writing comes in. I basically taught myself to write ideas through trial and error. For me, coming up with good, original material is harder work than drawing. Some days, after spending a couple hours or more of looking at various visuals, reading and thinking, I’ll have exactly nothing to show for it. Or maybe one weak idea. But sooner or later I break through that wall and get a small flood of ideas. I’d say roughly two-thirds of the ideas I come up with are actually usable. I try to be my own toughest editor.
What do comics allow you to do as a storyteller?
I do primarily single-panel gags. Doing a single-panel cartoon is kind of like directing a tiny movie that takes place in only one moment, in only one scene, with just one line of dialogue. And sometimes no caption at all. As director, I set up the shot for maximum effectiveness and try to get the best performance out of my characters with their facial expressions, body language and things like drops of sweat, vibration lines, or little storm clouds over their heads. Then I add background props and other details that hopefully make a funny gag just a little funnier. Some cartoonists like having continuing characters, but I find that too confining. My panel is called Free Range because I like roaming the range of cartoon possibilities with no constraints.
What is your source for humor and inspiration?
I can get ideas from reading, consuming various forms of media, or just everyday life. But mostly I use the subject matter of other cartoons and take it in different directions. My cartoon portfolio landed me a career writing funny cards for Hallmark, where I found it extremely valuable to sit around a table with other writers and analyze everyone’s material. You learn why some things work and others fall flat.
Some of the cartoonists that influence my style are Charles Addams of the New Yorker, Gary Larson of the Far Side, French cartoonist Jean-Jacques Sempe, Argentine cartoonist Guillermo Mordillo, MAD cartoonist Sergio Aragones, and Gahan Wilson of the New Yorker and Playboy, just to name a few. Their work has inspired me for decades and never gets old.
Any resources you’d like to share for finding out more about your work?
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FreeRangeCartoon
Twitter: twitter.com/BillWhitehead8
Instagram: www.instagram.com/freerangecartoons
CartoonStock.com: https://www.cartoonstock.com/cartoonists/billwhitehead
NobleWorks Cards: nobleworkscards.com (type in Bill Whitehead)
GoComics.com: gocomics.com/freerange
Funny Times magazine. My work is only in the print version. Website: funnytimes.com
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