Today we’d like to introduce you to Phil Witte

Hi Phil, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

I’m a freelance cartoonist. I draw single-panel gag cartoons. My cartoons have been published in dozens of magazines and newspapers n the U.S., and U.K., including The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest, Barron’s, The Times (of London), The New Statesman, Private Eye., and, in collaboration, The New Yorker–all told, well over 1,000 so far.

I started cartooning when I was about eight years old. I sold my first cartoon when I was 15. You might think my career path was set. Instead, after graduating from Princeton and spending a year teaching English in Bangkok, I obtained my law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. My advisor was none other than Antonin Scalia–but I got over it.. Thereafter, I had a brief, 33-year career as a lawyer.

Why? At the time I really didn’t think cartooning could be a career. I also had a mountain of student loan debt to pay off. But even while working ungodly hours as a civil litigation lawyer in large corporate firms in San Francisco, I pursued various creative outlets, mostly writing short fiction and nonfiction for newspapers and magazines. By chance I met a book publisher who liked my writing. He asked me to write a joke book on aging. He already had the title: “What You Don’t Know About Turning 50.” I wrote original jokes for that book. It has sold over 120,000 copies to date. The publisher asked me to write a sequel on turning 60, which also sold well.

So now I knew I could write jokes. I thought, Wait a minute–if I can combine that with drawing, I can be a cartoonist … doing what I was doing at age eight. The only problem was that my artwork hadn’t improved much since then,, so I set about teaching myself how to draw cartoon art. Soon I was selling cartoons to major publications. I was still working more than full-time as a lawyer while simultaneously developing this second career, so my cartoon output was meager. Eventually, I felt confident enough to make a clean break from the law and devote myself to drawing cartoons, as well as writing humor pieces for online and print publications. The cartoons led to work creating greeting cards, and later a non-paying blog about the world of cartoons followed by a paying blog.

And I’m pleased to announce the publication of my latest book, “Funny Stuff: How Great Cartoonists Make Great Cartoons” (Prometheus Books). Bob Mankoff, the former cartoon editor at The New Yorker, wrote the foreword. The book is an analysis and appreciation of gag cartoons, with over 100 cartoons by legendary cartoonists illustrating our observations. We discuss the creative process, how cartoonists come up with ideas, illustration styles, types of humor, writing effective captions, and related topics. We interviewed many New Yorker cartoonists, who generously shared their own often amusing stories. A few even allowed us to include an exclusive peak at their private notebooks.

I look forward to the next chapter of my career, whatever it may be.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

I don’t recommend pursuing two challenging professions at the same time, especially if you’re married and raising a child. For years I had practically no free time. I didn’t know if the time I was spending submitting cartoons–and getting rejected–would ever pay off. It was a struggle. But now I’m doing something I find fulfilling. I plan never to retire.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

The single-panel gag cartoon is a subspecies of cartoon. Unlike the typical comic strip, which usually has three or four panels, the single-panel cartoon must deliver the humor in one drawing. The gag is the funny idea that the cartoon conveys. Political or editorial cartoons can also be funny, but they have a serious point to make. Mostly I draw funny cartoons that are pointless!

I work in my home studio, so my commute consists of walking down the hall. I don’t work in my pajamas, although I have no dress code. I normally do some work every day. Some days are devoted to drawing, while other days I spend tweaking ideas I’ve jotted down, or emailing editors, or reading about cartoons. Goofing off, within limits, is critical.

My ideas for cartoons come to me without my consciously thinking about them. Often a walk in the neighborhood stimulates something in my brain that produces a gag. It’s very mysterious.

I’m frankly surprised at my success, both as a cartoonist and a writer. So many people want to be a cartoonist, but few get published consistently. I know how fortunate I am to be a working cartoonist. And cartoonists are more fun to hang out with than lawyers.

My humor pieces are here: https://www.pointsincase.com/author/philip-witte.
My greeting cards are here: https://www.nobleworkscards.com/cards-by-phil-witte.html

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?

Before you send out your first batch of cartoons to an editor draw at least 50 of them–100 is better–and make them finished drawings ready for publication. Ask five friends whose opinions you trust to select their 10 favorites. Repeat with a new batch of cartoons until you have 10 cartoons that everyone agrees are the best. Those will be your first batch to send to an editor.

Work hard. Get better. Look at a lot of great cartoons at sites like cartoonstock.com. Don’t get discouraged. If it doesn’t work out after you’ve given it a good shot, pursue a different dream. There are plenty of good dreams out there.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.philwitte.com
• Instagram: @philwittecartoons
• Facebook: www..facebook.com/philip.witte.9/
• Other: http://tinyurl.com/FunnyStuffBook