Joseph A. Conforti

Cartooning has been a steadfast companion in my life for countless decades. During my grammar and high school years, I often found myself in trouble for doodling cartoons instead of focusing on mundane tasks like solving equations or practicing verb conjugation. Surprisingly, a few highly successful professional cartoonists provided me with encouragement through their own experiences. Charles Addams, the brilliant mind behind the Addams Family comic strip, once humorously shared the challenge of convincing his wife he was working while gazing out the window. Another well known cartoonist noted the irony of being paid millions for something that had once gotten them kicked out of class. While I’ve experienced the feeling of getting kicked out of class, the millions have eluded me thus far.

I embarked on a career as a pilot, serving in both the Marine Corps as an aviator, and flying with a commercial airline. I had ample free time to indulge my passion for drawing as an airline pilot on the road. I spent most of those moments sketching away to keep myself out of trouble and engaged in something creative. As part of my freelance work, I even had the privilege of contributing to a cartoon strip titled “Light Flight” for Airline Pilot Magazine and creating cartoons for Leatherneck Magazine, a publication for the Marine Corps. Additionally, my cartoon strip titled “The Wrong Stuff” graced the pages of numerous major airport papers. The world of freelance cartooning opened up a plethora of opportunities and allowed me to satisfy my love of cartooning while engaged in other pursuits .