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Diary of an Editorial Cartoonist Diary of an Editorial Cartoonist
(about 1 hour later)
Times Insider shares insights into how we work at The New York Times. In this piece, Patrick Chappatte — whose editorial cartoons are published on Wednesdays and Saturdays in The Times’s international editions, on NYTimes.com and on its social media pages — treats us to a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process, from thought bubble to flatbed scanner, with a dark-chocolate-and-Nespresso fix somewhere in between.Times Insider shares insights into how we work at The New York Times. In this piece, Patrick Chappatte — whose editorial cartoons are published on Wednesdays and Saturdays in The Times’s international editions, on NYTimes.com and on its social media pages — treats us to a behind-the-scenes look at his creative process, from thought bubble to flatbed scanner, with a dark-chocolate-and-Nespresso fix somewhere in between.
My typical day is sometimes … a night. Or an early morning. I used to work from Los Angeles, which kept my New York colleagues busy late. Currently, I’m based in Geneva. When New York is still asleep, I start working with Brian Zittel in Hong Kong, and when Brian goes back home, I deal with David Belcher in London. This little cartoon thing is such a global operation.My typical day is sometimes … a night. Or an early morning. I used to work from Los Angeles, which kept my New York colleagues busy late. Currently, I’m based in Geneva. When New York is still asleep, I start working with Brian Zittel in Hong Kong, and when Brian goes back home, I deal with David Belcher in London. This little cartoon thing is such a global operation.
Thursday, 10:30 p.m. in Geneva (4:30 p.m. in N.Y.): After browsing the news of the day on NYTimes.com, BBC.com, LeMonde.fr and LeTemps.ch, I have a hard time narrowing down the right topic for the week-end’s cartoon. I send an email to the opinion team, suggesting, for a change, a Trump cartoon.Thursday, 10:30 p.m. in Geneva (4:30 p.m. in N.Y.): After browsing the news of the day on NYTimes.com, BBC.com, LeMonde.fr and LeTemps.ch, I have a hard time narrowing down the right topic for the week-end’s cartoon. I send an email to the opinion team, suggesting, for a change, a Trump cartoon.
10:40 p.m.: London thinks we’ve had enough Trump. New York says, why not?10:40 p.m.: London thinks we’ve had enough Trump. New York says, why not?
It’s late. I decide to watch CNN a bit, and postpone the cartoon until the next morning.It’s late. I decide to watch CNN a bit, and postpone the cartoon until the next morning.
Friday, 7:30 a.m. in Geneva (1:30 a.m. in N.Y.): After an eight-minute bike commute around Lake Geneva from my apartment to my studio, in the cosmopolitan neighborhood of Les Pâquis, I lay my sketchpad, my Pentel pen and my tablet on the kitchen table. The goal is to come up with four to six sketches in the next two hours. The delivery deadline is 11:30 a.m. Inhumanely early.Friday, 7:30 a.m. in Geneva (1:30 a.m. in N.Y.): After an eight-minute bike commute around Lake Geneva from my apartment to my studio, in the cosmopolitan neighborhood of Les Pâquis, I lay my sketchpad, my Pentel pen and my tablet on the kitchen table. The goal is to come up with four to six sketches in the next two hours. The delivery deadline is 11:30 a.m. Inhumanely early.
Where does a cartoon idea come from? People often imagine it as a random illumination occurring in the shower, during a stroll in the park or while resting in a rocking chair. Actually, I have a Japanese cartoonist friend who finds ideas while napping: He has a little doze after his daily sashimi, wakes up and bing! There it is. His great idea of the day. (Maybe the phosphorous sashimi helps?)Where does a cartoon idea come from? People often imagine it as a random illumination occurring in the shower, during a stroll in the park or while resting in a rocking chair. Actually, I have a Japanese cartoonist friend who finds ideas while napping: He has a little doze after his daily sashimi, wakes up and bing! There it is. His great idea of the day. (Maybe the phosphorous sashimi helps?)
Once, a TV crew wanted to put me into a PET scan to dissect my brain as I was looking for cartoon ideas. A PET scan — not exactly a cool place to find creativity. As someone famous once said: “When inspiration falls on you, it better find you at your working desk.” That’s what works for me. I find the kitchen table even better: It’s closer to the espresso machine.Once, a TV crew wanted to put me into a PET scan to dissect my brain as I was looking for cartoon ideas. A PET scan — not exactly a cool place to find creativity. As someone famous once said: “When inspiration falls on you, it better find you at your working desk.” That’s what works for me. I find the kitchen table even better: It’s closer to the espresso machine.
7:40 a.m.: Trying to narrow down what I want to say, I’m sketching out shapes on graph paper until something that would resemble a valid idea emerges. Sometimes, nothing happens for almost an hour.7:40 a.m.: Trying to narrow down what I want to say, I’m sketching out shapes on graph paper until something that would resemble a valid idea emerges. Sometimes, nothing happens for almost an hour.
Donald Trump is actually not such an easy topic. Bombastic, outsize, demagogic figures do not make for the easiest satire target. Excessive personalities, they are beyond satire.Donald Trump is actually not such an easy topic. Bombastic, outsize, demagogic figures do not make for the easiest satire target. Excessive personalities, they are beyond satire.
Going through some of Trump’s tweets, I’m thinking “childish.” And I picture a crybaby, making a scene on the floor of a supermarket. The parents would look at him and what would they say? Maybe: “We should take him seriously. He might be the next Trump.” Hey. This might work. It looks like my first idea. I grab my iPad Pro and trace it on the Sketchbook app. It’s 7:50 a.m.Going through some of Trump’s tweets, I’m thinking “childish.” And I picture a crybaby, making a scene on the floor of a supermarket. The parents would look at him and what would they say? Maybe: “We should take him seriously. He might be the next Trump.” Hey. This might work. It looks like my first idea. I grab my iPad Pro and trace it on the Sketchbook app. It’s 7:50 a.m.
Every 20 minutes or so, I take a break, stand up, move to the other room, check my mail. Then back to that table. It’s a little reset. At some point, I’ll add in a quick dark-chocolate-and-Nespresso fix.Every 20 minutes or so, I take a break, stand up, move to the other room, check my mail. Then back to that table. It’s a little reset. At some point, I’ll add in a quick dark-chocolate-and-Nespresso fix.
There are many approaches to coming up with ideas, and no recipe works every time. On my best days, I start sketching out one idea after the other, intuitively, and I have a stack of them done before I’ve even had the time to read anything about the subject. But most of the time I start reading about the issue, with one half of my brain concentrated on the reading while I sort of let the other half float, in search of something to hold on to. Just a word might trigger something. You want to explore the lexical field surrounding your topic until something clicks. Another approach is to browse through the visual field. To think images, visual metaphors, collisions. All different paths leading to the same goal: finding a shortcut to express what you want to say.There are many approaches to coming up with ideas, and no recipe works every time. On my best days, I start sketching out one idea after the other, intuitively, and I have a stack of them done before I’ve even had the time to read anything about the subject. But most of the time I start reading about the issue, with one half of my brain concentrated on the reading while I sort of let the other half float, in search of something to hold on to. Just a word might trigger something. You want to explore the lexical field surrounding your topic until something clicks. Another approach is to browse through the visual field. To think images, visual metaphors, collisions. All different paths leading to the same goal: finding a shortcut to express what you want to say.
Strangely, it’s not the themes I know the most that make for the best ideas. When you’re too familiar with an issue, you might be tempted to explain — and explaining is the opposite of a good cartoon idea.Strangely, it’s not the themes I know the most that make for the best ideas. When you’re too familiar with an issue, you might be tempted to explain — and explaining is the opposite of a good cartoon idea.
8:15 a.m.: I’m trying to picture what a Trump president would look like. I sketch him sitting at the resolute desk. I imagine the president’s attributes, the motorcade, Air Force One. Air Force One and Trump plane: Is there an idea there? … The nuclear button. The tweets … A tweet button alongside the nuclear button on the presidential desk! Hmm. That’s another idea.8:15 a.m.: I’m trying to picture what a Trump president would look like. I sketch him sitting at the resolute desk. I imagine the president’s attributes, the motorcade, Air Force One. Air Force One and Trump plane: Is there an idea there? … The nuclear button. The tweets … A tweet button alongside the nuclear button on the presidential desk! Hmm. That’s another idea.
9:15 a.m.: I need to wrap up. I’m at four sketches. Many ideas were killed before making it to a sketch. I shoot what I have in an email to the opinion team with the subject line “Time to vote!” I like to show different ideas and get feedback.9:15 a.m.: I need to wrap up. I’m at four sketches. Many ideas were killed before making it to a sketch. I shoot what I have in an email to the opinion team with the subject line “Time to vote!” I like to show different ideas and get feedback.
9:35 a.m.: The results of the poll are in. New York being asleep, I get emails back from Hong Kong and London. Sketches No. 1 and 2 are essentially tied, but a majority leans to 2. I say let’s finalize the crybaby idea, and keep the second one for later use. I slap a sheet of Borden & Riley paper on my drawing board and start sketching with a mechanical pencil, for some 30 minutes, before going to the inking part, using a combination of brush pens and fine pencils.9:35 a.m.: The results of the poll are in. New York being asleep, I get emails back from Hong Kong and London. Sketches No. 1 and 2 are essentially tied, but a majority leans to 2. I say let’s finalize the crybaby idea, and keep the second one for later use. I slap a sheet of Borden & Riley paper on my drawing board and start sketching with a mechanical pencil, for some 30 minutes, before going to the inking part, using a combination of brush pens and fine pencils.
11:27 a.m.: The cartoon is on my flatbed scanner and will be ready to go in two minutes. Just in time to meet the deadline of the INYT Japanese printing plant. The INYT prints at 38 sites around the world and is for sale in more than 160 countries and territories.11:27 a.m.: The cartoon is on my flatbed scanner and will be ready to go in two minutes. Just in time to meet the deadline of the INYT Japanese printing plant. The INYT prints at 38 sites around the world and is for sale in more than 160 countries and territories.
I Photoshop a colored version of the cartoon for the web and send it at 12:10 p.m. to Louise Loftus in London and Snigdha Koirala in New York, who will put it on the opinion web page and post it on social media that Friday afternoon.I Photoshop a colored version of the cartoon for the web and send it at 12:10 p.m. to Louise Loftus in London and Snigdha Koirala in New York, who will put it on the opinion web page and post it on social media that Friday afternoon.
12:30 p.m.: George Kalogerakis in New York sends an email, saying it’s a good idea to keep the second sketch for another day. That was a productive morning!12:30 p.m.: George Kalogerakis in New York sends an email, saying it’s a good idea to keep the second sketch for another day. That was a productive morning!
I’m exhausted, and starving. Rushing a cartoon on a morning deadline feels like an athletic effort. I walk to Bains des Pâquis, two blocks from the studio. If the water is above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, I’ll jump into Lake Geneva for a quick swim before my Greek salad. Call it a day’s work.I’m exhausted, and starving. Rushing a cartoon on a morning deadline feels like an athletic effort. I walk to Bains des Pâquis, two blocks from the studio. If the water is above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, I’ll jump into Lake Geneva for a quick swim before my Greek salad. Call it a day’s work.
Not quite yet. I get back to the kitchen table at 2:30 p.m.: another deadline for a European newspaper is looming, tonight at 10 p.m. … Not quite yet. I get back to the kitchen table at 2:30 p.m.: Another deadline for a European newspaper is looming, tonight at 10 p.m. …
The first cartoon, crybaby, was published on June 3, and the second one, nuclear button, on July 2. You can see more cartoons by Patrick Chappatte at nytimes.com/chappatte.The first cartoon, crybaby, was published on June 3, and the second one, nuclear button, on July 2. You can see more cartoons by Patrick Chappatte at nytimes.com/chappatte.