I find it amazing how many comic strips are drawn as stick figures.  And what’s more amazing is that quite a number of them are really popular.

I’m looking at this throught the lense of an artist, of course.  It bothers me because I spend so much time and effort on the art in “Skitter”. I take pride in it and strive to get better.  I’ve heard stick figure comic strip artists reveal that they spend about 15 minutes drawing each strip.  I spend at least… at least… 3 hours.  Usually much more.

Am I tempted to try a stick figure comic strip?  As a test… yeah.  Just to see what happens. I believe  Matthew Inman, who draws “The Oatmeal” , is correct when he claims the less detail you draw, the more funny the cartoon is.  It’s just hard for me not to draw more detail.  Sometimes I will curtail myself, however. I’ll intentionally ratchet things back.

Take this comic, for example.  Originally I drew a full-on Satan in a skull-and -bones throne .  Then I realized it wasn’t right for the strip and redrew him as a stick figure Satan.  That worked out much better for the gag, I think.

So maybe I’m shooting myself in the foot by drawing too much detail.  Meh… I can’t help myself.  I’m a cartoonist. I draw cartoons.

John Vogel white

( This comic’s Patreon “Thank You” goes to Conn B! )