『Asher Perlman & The Art of Eugene』のカバーアート

Asher Perlman & The Art of Eugene

Asher Perlman & The Art of Eugene

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 I went into this episode of DMA expecting the usual blend of cartooning shop talk and digital doodling. What I got was a deep dive into creative authenticity, delivered by someone who's figured out that being yourself is both the hardest and most obvious solution to every artistic problem.The Eugene EmpireAsher's Hi It's Me Again had just dropped, and our conversation naturally gravitated towards his most famous creation: Eugene. For the uninitiated, Eugene is that wide-eyed, innocent character who looks like he just materialised in the world ten minutes ago and is still figuring out the rules (and nervously figuring out how to ask the barista for the bathroom code).An unexpected moment came when Asher produced an actual cardboard cutout of Eugene—because of course he has one within arm’s reach. But the real insight was his theory about Eugene's existence: having come up through Chicago improv and sketch, Asher needed a creative collaborator for the inherently solo act of cartooning. Eugene became that collaborator, a subconscious way of recreating the writer's room dynamic on paper.When a live stream viewer requested drawings of "Eugene and his dog, who looks like Eugene," the chat collectively decided the dog should also be named Eugene. Asher immediately declared this "canon." Watching creative mythology form in real time was unexpectedly moving.The Mankoff Hair DoctrineI recounted Bob Mankoff's bizarre but apt advice about finding your artistic voice. Mankoff stumped with an analogy about hair styling: "You decide to wear your hair that way... why is your drawing not as distinct as your hairstyle?"At the time, I admitted, I was too dense to understand. But eventually it sank in: stop drawing what you think a New Yorker cartoon should look like, and start drawing like myself. Asher also sold his first cartoon a month after Ellis gave him similar advice: "Don’t draw a ‘New Yorker Cartoon’, draw an Asher Perlman cartoon that could be in the New Yorker."This feels like the kind of obvious wisdom that's only obvious after you've bashed your head against the wall for years trying to be someone else.The Comedy Economics of HackBoth Asher and I shared war stories about the delicate economy of comedy crowds. His Second City experience taught him that audiences of comedy people versus regular people laugh at completely different things. The example that stuck: during the Cubs' historically bad years, any joke that simply acknowledged their terribleness would reliably kill with regular audiences, while comedy vets groaned at the predictability.I confessed to deploying hack MC material at tourist-heavy shows, earning eye-rolls from grizzled road comics. The unspoken rules of what's permissible comedy form our intricate ecosystem—one where Ellis serves as our "encyclopedia of cartoons," helping determine what's been done before.Digital vs. Analogue RomanticismBoth of us admitted to fetishising paper and pen while acknowledging the seductive convenience of digital tools. Asher confessed to tapping his page to try to undo lines when working on paper. I noted how the digital safety net makes me more confident but less skilled—a creative paradox worth pondering.By some miracle, our technical discussion revealed practical wisdom: 80-pound paper works well with iPad light boxes, draw faces first to avoid redoing entire backgrounds, and always have a brutal filing system that you'll inevitably hate.From Hackery to SubstackeryAsher had just joined Substack a month ago, and his description of the platform was refreshingly honest: "It feels like what I wanted Instagram to be, but it never was." My strategy mirrored my cartooning breakthrough—stop trying to copy what successful newsletters do, write for your own people, and celebrate the unsubscribes.The platform discussion highlighted a broader shift away from algorithmic manipulation towards intentional consumption. As Asher put it: "I prefer things that exist outside of the algorithm now because I don't like being catered to my worst instincts."The Bell House LaunchWe wrapped with excitement about Asher's book launch at Bell House, featuring Gary Gulman, temporary Eugene tattoos, and what sounds like half the New Yorker cartooning community.Related Reading:Asher's journey from frustrated imitator to distinctive voice serves as both a cautionary tale and an inspiration—a reminder that the path to originality runs directly through the abject horror of just being yourself.Thanks to everyone who tuned in to the live stream!‘til next timeYour pal,Next week: Tuesday at 12pm, I'm chasing down Kevin “KAL” Kallagher to talk to him about his 50+ years as a working cartoonist for the Economist and —until recently— The Baltimore Sun. Add it to your calendar now! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.newyorkcartoons.com/subscribe
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