For 24 years, Dave Blazek has been cheering up people with his single-panel cartoons, and today we have good news: the artist has released his latest book "called 'amusing thingies,' and it features 220 of the best 'Loose Parts' cartoons from the past three years."
The "Loose Parts" cartoons don't have one specific theme besides exploring absurdity, unexpected twists, and slightly darker humor. As Dave previously shared himself: "I just want to be relentlessly clever and funny. My cartoons are meant to be safe islands in a world beset by angst and the pressures of life. Nobody gets lectured. There are no politics. Just lots of talking animals, stupid people, and bizarre stuff that falls out of my head."
So, let's dive into the post of an artist who has already drawn over 10,000 comics and is counting his fair share.
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In an interview with Bored Panda, Dave shared more about his book.
“New Yorker cartoonist Drew Dernavich said of the book, ‘Dave is straight up one of the funniest cartoonists I know. He's warped and clever in the best way’ It's available right now at LoosePartsComic.com. And for Bored Panda readers, I'll sign every book that's purchased there.”
The artist shared whether he has ever scrapped a comic idea after starting it.
“Yes, I have indeed scrapped many cartoon ideas. Lots of them, even after they're completely drawn and colored and ready to be sent to my syndicate. I think I kind of always know in my gut when a gag isn't quite good enough. I take it as a good sign when I'm spiking more ideas. It means I'm being more self-selective and pushing myself. I still think I can get better,” wrote Dave.
Regarding what tools or software Dave prefers to use, he wrote: “I draw digitally on a Cintiq drawing screen. And I use Photoshop on a MacBook Pro to process everything. I'm not classically trained at cartooning, so I think the digital tools have really helped me. It's certainly sped up the process. That's important when you have to do a cartoon every single day.”
We were wondering about people’s responses and if Dave could share a time when a reader's response really made him feel good about his work.
Dave responded: “I'm very often moved by notes I get from readers. It makes me very aware that humor provides so many people with a safe island away from these troubling times. I want to give everyone a safe island to rest at least for a few seconds every day. But it's amazing when fans go even further. I had one guy make an entire 3D-moving model that recreated an entire comic. It was mind-blowing.”
Lastly, Dave added: “You can always buy Loose Parts greeting cards online at Nobleworks. But now Loose Parts greeting cards are available at some 2300 stores in the UK. And in the next month or so, you'll be able to get them at stores in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji as well. I guess my humor is more international than I ever thought.”