Making Joe Cool

If a cartoonist has a role in society, it should be to brighten a reader’s day with a smile. While a hearty laugh is preferred, even a simple smile is a triumph. Creating a cartoon is a bit of a “controlled mind wandering” session for me. I enjoy sitting down, letting my imagination roam freely, and allowing it to guide me in creating characters and constructing entire worlds. While it’s nice to have a specific cartoon idea in mind, I often find myself spending more time daydreaming about various themes and ideas.

And then came Joe Cool. It all happened quite spontaneously about a year ago. I was drawing aimlessly when I suddenly created a simple black and white portrait of Joe. Finally, I made the decision to bring Joe Cool to life.

Joe Cool believes attitude is everything in life. He believes attitude rules. Joe was never mean, just indifferent to anyone and anything he thought was uncool. We’ve all encountered people who are “legends in their own minds”. As a young man, he considered his bad habits cool, but now in middle-age he’s learning the hard way that the piper must be paid, or, to put it another way, “what goes around comes around.”

Some may argue that Joe really is one cool dude. Others may see Joe as having a self-image problem and trying to overcompensate. Most perceive him as arrogant, and Joe Cool does embody these qualities and more. But, in the end Joe Cool is like the rest of us, an ordinary guy struggling through his daily routine, and if he’s marching to his own drummer, aren’t we all?. Come see for yourself and remember, it’s all about the attitude! So, sit back and enjoy the journey as I introduce you to the making of Joe Cool!