Gen Xers Unite

What happened to all of my fellow Gen Xers? Back in the 80s, we were labeled as lazy and selfish by the Baby Boomers, now we've all but disappeared from the radar. It was brought to my attention that I draw a lot of Gen X references in my cartoon Cafe Con Leche. It wasn't on purpose, but it does make some sense. The 80s were the most formative years of my life and, like others of my generation, I feel a bit nostalgic when I hear references or music from that era. Look for a lot more RUN-DMC, Michael Jackson and other 80s references in the future for this strip.

The black media

For years I've tried to get a bigger foothold into non-traditional newspapers with limited success. Hopefully all that is starting to change. I just had an interview with one of the reporters from the Sentinel in Tampa, and African-American weekly community paper. I think it went quite well. It was a market that, believe it or not, I hadn't considered until now. I guess I fell into the trap that most cartoonist do. I was so concerned with getting my work in 'mainstream' publications that I had totally ignored the community that helped get me here in the first place. The Sentinel was more interested in my inner-city background than my cartoon work. At the end of the interview, the editor there asked me if I'd want Cafe con Leche running in their publication. Of course I said yes.
I guess I learned something that day. Never under estimate anything, especially when its right under your nose.

Settling in to Tampa

Well, after a short beak, I'm back to cartooning again. I just realized that my living conditions down here are a bit cramped, so I'm in search of studio space. I think I found a place, a nice little art studio down in trendy South Tampa just steps away from my favorite jogging place.
My cartoon production is a bit down, but that's to be expected. I couldn't continue my New York pace of 24-30 cartoons per week. Especially with a full time job in the middle of all of that.

Drawing and Hyperhidrosis

One of the more difficult things that I've ever had to deal with is Hyperhidrosis, a condition that has affected me since I was 5 years old. Basically, Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating, usually associated with the hands, feet, face and armpits. My man problem has been with my hands, an essential area for any artist. Years ago I didn't know what to do about it or how to treat it. My parents had no idea either and just hoped that I'd "grow out of it." Well, that didn't happen, nor will that ever happen.
It has always affected how I draw. As a child, I used to fold up paper and place it underneath my hand as I drew. If I didn't do that, I'd soak the entire sheet of paper with sweat. Drawing was not the only problem, general contact with people was also difficult. I didn't like shaking hands with people because I just didn't want to face the look of surprise on their faces when they realized they were shaking a wet hand.
I was never comfortable drawing cartoons with my conditition and once even considered giving up. As an adult, I began to research the topic and discovered that there were treatment options for hyperhidrosis. After years of extensive trial and error, I finally found a solution. Though it was difficult at first, I can finally draw my cartoons with confidence.

Back in Tampa Bay

So, today I start my first day back at my day job. Its good that I got the chance to get far ahead with my cartoons last month. This is gonna take some adjusting, but I'm sure I'll be fine. Though, its going to be hard to adjust from drawing 5 cartoons or so per day in New York City to splitting my time between news graphics and cartoons. Goodbye weekends.