Five Canadian Cartoonists to Watch
In the August 2010 issue of Reader’s Digest, Deena Waisberg profiled five of the funny-makers of tomorrow: Rod Filbrandt, Cathy Thorne, Angela Melick, J.J. McCullough and Kate Beaton. We’ve invited these talented cartoonists from across Canada to share more of their hilarious comics with us. Have a laugh at their takes on spiffy sneakers, long-term relationships and snow days.
Cathy Thorne, 43, Toronto
everydaypeoplecartoons.com
Why do people laugh at Thorne’s cartoons?
“They recognize how ridiculous they’re being.”
Rod Filbrandt, 46, Vancouver
“One of my favourite subjects in the past ten years has been technology. A lot of [modern technology] just kind of seems completely useless or pointless. Well, we’re putting Internet on your shoes because we can. There’s not really any advantage doing that. We’re just doing it because we can and people think, “I gotta get that.”
Angela Melick, 26, Vancouver
This comic came out of a time when Melick lived in the mountains in North Vancouver and it would snow day after day: “Quite often Trevor, my husband, would have to trudge up our very steep driveway and dig out the car before we could go anywhere.”
J.J. McCullough, 26, Vancouver
filibustercartoons.com
“I’m really quite interested in a compare and contrast analysis of our two systems of government. We have a Conservative government who was elected by a minority of the voters and yet, because of the quirks of our parliamentary system, [Stephen Harper]’s able to rule pretty much single-handedly. Whereas in the American system, you have a president who was elected quite overwhelmingly and yet he still has to struggle to get his legislation through.”
Kate Beaton, 26, Halifax
“I think I was looking at pictures of King Charles, who is the cavalier king. And when you think of cavaliers you think of the Three Musketeers who were always fighting. But the cavalier is wearing so much. A giant feather in his hat and huge boots and a giant coat over his overcoat and a vest and tassles. You’d think fighting would be kind of difficult in that outfit.”