Mark Anderson, Creator of ANDERTOONS

Distinctive linework, gags that produce smiles and chuckles immediately, and an adept, professional hand at the hilarious signal the work of Mark Anderson, creator of Andertoons. Published in prominent magazines such as The Wall Street Journal, Saturday Evening Post, Good Housekeeping, Forbes, Readers Digest and many more, this freelance cartoonist is making his humourous mark in magazine cartooning.

In a recent interview for The Cartoonists, Mark Anderson kindly shared his story about his art and the business of cartooning:

Mark, when and where were you born?

I was born June 3, 1971 in Donahue, Iowa. I spent my childhood in Eldridge, a little town not too far away. So if you're trying to figure out how my mind works, the answers are probably hidden amidst the corn there. My parents and siblings all still live in the same general area while I made my escape to Chicago about seven years ago.

Are you married and do you have children?

I'm married to a wonderful, smart, and extremely patient woman and we have one fourteen-month old son who's currently figuring out how to make noises like daddy.

Did you have another career in mind before you started Andertoons? Did you work at other jobs before becoming a cartoonist or to support yourself while cartooning?

I'd originally wanted to be a jazz trombonist (who doesn't?!) and got my bachelor's degree in music. I made a living at it for a while, but gave it up when I moved to Chicago and became the responsible cartoonist you know today. I worked a couple of office type jobs for a few years until I was able to build up a large enough clientele to make a go at it full time.

Did you attend art school or are you self-taught, Mark? Do you create other types of art besides cartooning?

I am pretty much self-taught, so, sadly, I have no one to blame for my style but myself. I wish I could say I'm into oil painting and sculpture and cool stuff like that, but I'm pretty much your garden variety cartoonist at this point.

When did you begin Andertoons?

I started cartooning in earnest right after I got married and gave up music. I think I still needed that creative outlet, but there's only so much noise you can make in an apartment. Cartooning is nice and quiet and was something I'd toyed with on and off since I was a teenager.

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