Bored Panda reached out to John Atkinson to ask more questions about his recent works. First, we wanted the artist to remind our readers what inspired him to pursue a career in cartoons and how he got started in the industry. Atkinson told us: “I studied fine art at university. When I was younger I took my shot at becoming a famous painter and, after spectacularly failing, took up graphic design. Cartooning came much later. When my children were very young, I would doodle with them and they got a really big kick out of it. I guess the cartooning grew out of that. I began showing my cartoons to my cat, but he seemed utterly indifferent, so I thought I should try sharing them with others.”

Next, we wanted to know his art style evolved over time, and what factors influenced these changes. John said: “Over the years, I have slowly been honing and refining my work to develop a more distinctive style. As a graphic designer, strength in the simplicity of line and composition are paramount and I think that has influenced my cartoons. Occasionally I’ll have an idea for a cartoon and then struggle with ‘How the $!@#* am I going to draw that?’ Sometimes I figure it out and other times I just move on. There’s also a lot of writing involved. And by ‘a lot’ I mean streamlining the writing so that it’s minimal yet still conveys the idea in a succinct and funny way. It can be extremely challenging at times.”

Asked about how he balances the creative aspects of his work with the business side of things, such as marketing and promotion, Atkinson explained: “I’m a terrible self-promoter. Like the majority of creative people, I suffer from imposter syndrome and when you’re fabulously neurotic, the last thing you want to do is shout ‘Like me!’ to the world. The business side of any creative discipline is not something you’re generally taught. I think you just have to slowly figure it out, which is something I clearly haven’t mastered yet.”

Then, we wanted to know more about the characters in John’s cartoons. We were interested in how he approaches creating characters and developing their personalities and backstories. The artist told us: “My work isn’t character-driven. Every once and awhile the same chicken might show up, but for the most part my work is idea-driven. The concept dictates the drawing or the characters for a particular gag, but that generally changes from one idea to the next.”

We also asked what are some of the most rewarding aspects of being a cartoonist and what keeps John motivated to continue creating. Atkinson said: “When I hear that in some small way I’ve brightened someone’s day or simply made them smile, I think that’s the most rewarding thing. Cartooning is a great way to extract the silly nonsense bottled up in your head. Humor is incredibly subjective, so I’m always interested to read people’s reactions. I get a wide range of comments from 'This is hilarious' to 'You’re not as clever as you think you are' to 'I don’t get it.' The last one is my favorite. I generally respond with, 'I don’t get it either.'”

Finally, asked about how the artist stays up to date with current trends and developments in the cartoon industry, and how he sees the industry evolving in the future, John Atkinson answered: “I generally don’t keep very current with developments in the industry. I certainly read a lot of other cartoonists and am always amazed at how many incredibly talented people are out there. I can’t say with any certainty how the industry will evolve, but in the short term, at least online, there’s a movement toward 'movement'. Apps like TikTok and Instagram Reels are pulling many readers away from static to moving images. Perhaps some form of animation – even for cartoons like mine – may be the next, logical step.”