My Favorite Cartoons

I have been asked what my favorite cartoon is.   That is hard to say, because I like a variety of cartoons for different reasons.  From the time I was old enough to hold a pencil I drew cartoons. I would look at Porky Pig or Mickey Mouse and try to replicate them on paper. So, I guess I would have to say that the Disney and Looney Toons characters were formative in my life and still hold a presence today.  Growing up in the 1940-50’s I became a fan of the radio phantom figure, The Shadow.  Periodically The Shadow will appear as a short run series of comic books. Different artists depicted The Shadow, but I am particularly impressed with Mw Kaluta’s interpretation.  Kaluta’s drawings of the Shadow, and more generally the comic book in whole, (DC Comics THE SHADOW, No.1, Vol. 1, 1973) are exceptionally good.  It is difficult to explain why you like the work of one artist over another. But Kaluta’s work has a certain crispness, precision in line, a definitive quality that appeals to me. The other area that I find interesting, although I know little about it, is Japanese Anime. It is not generally overt, but there is a spiritual resonance in much of what I have seen of anime.  The Disney, Loony Toons cartoons served as models and, in a sense, mentors for me growing up. Adult comics like the Shadow have inspired me to develop a more mature approach to my cartoons, and led to graphic novels with Rocky Roads.  Anime peaks my interest in exploring further developments in cartooning for the future.