Oh, back to the Japanese reference. I remember Dave Lowery defining and explaining the word "Kata". He defined it as "How one behaves". It reminds me of when of watching a man plastering a wall. I said to him "That is so cool. You make that look SO EASY". He responded "Oh, thanks, it's nothing it's just what I do". The same thing happens with me. People say nice things about "The Daily Oldman" and I feel the same way the plasterer did... "Oh, thanks, it's nothing it's just what I do".
So here is Cartoon Kata and how I do it.
On the left you can see a stack of 3X5 cards and some pens. Nothing special. Most of my posts are done when I read something on line. I grab a 3X5 and a pen and 30 seconds to 10 minutes later the cartoon is done. Many times I can do a cartoon, scan it and have it on the web in about 5 minutes. The drawing on the right is a rough for a Boobishi page and is much more complicated to do. They start with roughs, inking, scanning and then more digital work after that.
In this photo you can see file folders for each kata. They hold both the roughs and the finished drawings done on vellum and ready to be scanned.
The workbench / assembly line.
This photo shows how essential good posture and correct ergonomics are to the practice of cartoon kata. This is the stage of the cartooning process where I add the man boobs and double chins. You can clearly see in this photo that the stresses of producing cartoons daily has taken it's toll on me. Some days I just don't feel funny. On those days I may resort to an old trick I learned from Gary Larson. I go to the fridge and grab a sandwich. Maybe some lunch meat with mustard. Then I put the sandwich in my pants and go back to work. It is almost impossible not to feel funny when you have a sandwich in your pants.
In this next photo you can see my Flip video camera connected to my computer. The Flip certainly has it's limitations but it is really easy to use. Badda Bing Badda Bang Baddah BOOM!. Video on YouTube. After fueling up with multiple Diet Cokes, I scan and format the cartoon. Then the cartoon is on it's way to you via a seamless digital flow of Internet pixels.
Kata, it's what you do and how you do it. It's how you Behave.
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4 comments:
I laughed at the ergonomics picture above. Laughed aloud and a lot ;-)
Love the drawings. I always wondered how you worked. As just a hobbyist kinda guy who likes to draw, it has always intrigued me how others do what they do.
And I said, love the drawings and the 'toons, but my neanderthal self no like kata.
Ashihara all time doing kata is a just make up kata. Kicking punching same same. All the time shadows is boxing. All the time combination combination combination KATA! Kick in head? not kata. Oldman not street fighter. Oldman "Paper Tiger".
Confuseus
When I was going to college I worked on a military base as a part time job to afford said education (37 hours a week is part time, btw LOL). Did janitorial stuff and did some short order cooking. I learned to fold, efficiently and well, the foil wrappers that went around the burgers and sandwiches that I made and do it in less than two seconds per wrapped edible. Oddly over 20 years later, my fingers still remember how to mold that paper lined foil and I can move my fingers in the same repetive actions that are necessary to nicely tuck a sandwich into its cover.
Kata has has a lot of elements, behavior may or may not be one of them. I am a dolt, I know, but when I look at the stars occasionally I see pictures, but often enough, I just see lots of beautiful sparklies in the sky. :)
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