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Deborah Peyton, Cartoonist, Designer, Entrepreneur

© Susanna McLeod

Freelance cartoonist, illustrator and creator of the "Day to Day" comic strip, Deborah Peyton is gradually making a name for herself in the art of cartooning. She has keen sense of what tickles the funny bones of readers in all walks of life. In a truly creative twist, Deborah is taking her wonderful work from images on paper into prints on fabrics and buttons. Come on along and find out how this talented cartoonist, designer, entrepreneur and mom is making her distinctive mark in cartooning.

Hello Deborah and welcome to The Cartoonists. Thank you for taking time out from your busy schedule to share your story.

1. When and where were you born, Deborah? Would you tell us about your family?

I was born on July 13, 1963 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. My parents divorced when I was fifteen. Until then we could have been the "poster family" for the all Canadian family. My mom was a nurse and my dad, a Mountie. I have two brothers, one older and one younger. My husband, Derrick, and I have been married for 15 years. We have two daughters, Jaime (20 yrs) and Krista (14 Yrs).

2. Were you interested in cartooning as a child?

Yes, I was very interested in cartoons as a child. As long as I can remember I was fascinated by cartoons. Actually, my enjoyment went beyond the stories and humour. I remember, even at a very young age, loving the colours and the clean outlines of the artwork. Some of my favourite cartoons on TV were The Bugs Bunny Roadrunner Hour, The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, etc. In my teens it was MAD Magazine. I had a HUGE collection of MAD pocket books. Ha! I must have drawn hundreds of Don Martin characters. Archie was also another favourite. I would spend hours drawing Betty and Veronica.

3. Did you attend art school or start down another career path?

As much as I drew when I was growing up it never occurred to me that it was something I could do for a living. I never really thought beyond the pure joy of drawing. I was a hairstylist for 10 years before I met my husband. When we married we moved from Fredericton to St. John's, Newfoundland. Here I enrolled in University as a mature student. I chose to do a joint honours degree in Geology/Geophysics. This was a very busy time for us as we now had two small children. In my third year I became very ill and subsequently had three major surgeries within 12 months. I was forced to stop university so I could recuperate. It was during this time that I began drawing again. NOW it occurred to me that I could be a cartoonist.

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