Quick Tip: Generating Ideas
Published by Matt Glover September 1st, 2006 in MiscGenerating ideas can be one of the most difficult things when it comes to gag-cartooning. Sometimes we simpy don’t feel funny…
But to ensure the ideas keep flowing, it means that we need to be looking for the funny side of everyday life all the time.
Here’s an exercise that will help you generate ideas:
1. Buy a new exercise book and write on the top of the first page, “I find it funny when…”
2. Take the exercise book everywhere you go.
3. Think about that question at every spare moment you can. Let it live in the depths of your subconscious.
4. Write down your responses in the exercise book.
Some examples might be, “I find it funny when my grandma hasn’t shaved for a few weeks.” Or, “I find it funny when my dog tries to pee on the cactus.” The list is limited only by what you see happening around you.
Write down everything. Absolutely everything. Nobody else should ever see, it so it doesn’t matter how crazy some of your responses are. But over time, you’ll build up a wealth of things that YOU find funny in everyday life. There’s a good chance others will find them funny too. Thus, your exercise book becomes a wealth of cartoon ideas.
Matt - good article. In one of my abortive attempts to create gag panels I made a practice of keeping a small sketch book and noodled picture ideas, tying visual non-sequiturs together to, hopefully, humorous effect.
I found that by focusing my attention, I could sketch ten good ideas in an hour or so. I thought this was a pretty good average and had seventy or eighty solid ideas after a couple of weeks.
What I had were cartoons that were funny but not topical, nor tied to a specific theme, so they had no logical market as far as magazines or greeting cards (or any other gag cartoon markets) go. I put a nice package together and sent them around to the syndicates, and in due time they all came back.
So I know I’m not a gag guy, but on the plus side I put in several months of concentrated effort to be able to find that out!
…That’s a plus, right?
Gerry
I think it’s a plus?!
Did you try it in any other markets?