Author & Artist Corner: Artist
Carolyn Digby Conahan
I am illustrating the September 2009 cover of Cricket. Click here to see my sketches for this month's Cricket!
How did I get to be the staff illustrator (bug artist) for Cricket? As a child I was not favored by bugs. Mosquitoes, gnats, horseflies, and deerflies all preferred my sister. I was not the choice of honeybees, either. Once I happened upon a swarm buzz-buzz-buzzing amongst themselves in the tree branches and tall grasses at the edge of a field. Despite my obvious advantages of size and strength, they did not choose me to be queen when they flew off to their new home.
I'm sure the Cricket Country bugs were perfectly happy in the hands of the very talented Jean Gralley (bug artist from 1987-2002), who learned their little ways from the great Trina Schart Hyman, who created them in 1973 and drew them until passing the pen to Jean. The Cricket folks didn't exactly choose me, either. Sure, there was a selection process and it was long, long, long. But at the end there were two of us, and they couldn't decide. So they put the choice (in the form of sample strips) before some kids. The kids chose me. (I don't know why, the other guy is really good! But they did.) Thanks, kids.
Thanks Meadow! I'm glad. We do have some fun here, drawing and writing and figuring out what to draw and write about...
(May 2, 2009 - 11:58 am)
I love drawing cartoons/manga, but I can never finish my stories. I give up if they get too hard to draw. Help, please
.
(May 9, 2009 - 1:37 pm)
Who is your favorite buggy?
(May 1, 2009 - 9:22 pm)
Cara! Oh, my goodness. Aside from the fact that I love all the bugs (almost) all the time, I can't even TELL you how much trouble I'd be in if I dared pick one over the others.
Oh, my. What a ruckus. There'd be no peace around here. I shudder to think of the pouting and stomping and flouncing, and tromping. The hurt feelings! The spilled ink, the buggy footprints tracked across my drawings... No, no, no. They all have their quirks, and endear themselve to me in different ways, on different days. I admit that sometimes this bug or that bug will make a real pest of himself or HERself (I am NOT naming names here!) Just to be safe, perhaps I should also mention that I have a real soft spot for wit and mischief, naughtiness, and spunk.
It's fine for you to have favorites–they get riled up about it sometimes, and some of them do count, and keep track... (again, I am NOT naming names) but mostly it's good fun and they take turns dancing around, happy to be somebuggy's favorite.
(May 2, 2009 - 12:30 pm)
Hey Carolyn! I love your sketches ! I was wondering if you are the one who makes up the bugs' (and bird's) personalities? Because some of them are kinda snotty! I like Sluggo the best !
-Zoe
(May 12, 2009 - 3:02 pm)
Dear Zoe,
I do write the strip, with a lot of feedback from the editors and art directors, but the bugs already had personalities when I met them, and a long history of adventures and misadventures together. I guess it's true that they aren't always perfectly, perfectly nice to each other. They have tiffs, and spats, and arguments, like any group of friends. But underneath it all, they're still friends and they stick up for each other when it matters.
(May 12, 2009 - 6:22 pm)
I wanted to say that i really admire you r skill in cartooning, even if it's only bugs. Well, not "only;" they are amazing creatures!!
You are AMAZING!!!!
You:
Me:
(May 12, 2009 - 11:23 pm)
Thanks, Rachel!
(May 18, 2009 - 6:04 pm)
Hi, Carolyn! I can't believe I didn't see this before... usually when I go on the Cricket site I go straight to the Chatterbox. *shrug* Anyway, can I state the obvious and tell you that you're an awesome artist and that your cartoons are great? Okay, now that you know that, I have a question. How do you come up with the stories for each issue? They're great!
(May 16, 2009 - 11:35 am)
Hi, Lena,
Thanks! You are too nice. Ideas come from anywhere and everywhere; from things I see, things I hear, things I read (sometimes in Cricket) and from discussions with the editors and art directors. Ideas are ALL OVER. The hard part is getting them down on paper and making them do what you want them to do...
(May 18, 2009 - 6:11 pm)
Hi, Carolyn! I love your drawings in the Cricket mag; they always make the pages seem so much more cheerful, and they're fun to look at, too. Do you ever get inspiration for a strip from places, people, or events? Thanks again for all the hard work you do for the magazine!
(May 17, 2009 - 1:43 am)
Hi, Lauren,
Thanks for your nice comments, I'm glad you like the drawings. In answer to your question: yes, yes and yes! Ideas come from anywhere and everywhere, sometimes when you least expect them. So I always carry a little notebook or sketchpad. Nothing fancy, it gets pretty battered from being dragged around everywhere. Just something to scribble ideas on before they get away.
(May 18, 2009 - 6:25 pm)
Hello Carolyn! I was Wondering how do you come up with your ideas? And How LONG does it usually take to create each individual comic?
Have you ever thought of putting a "how to draw ........." and teaching the readers how to draw the buggies?
thanks!
(May 31, 2009 - 8:08 pm)
Hi Gab,
Ideas are everywhere... We like to have the strips relate to what's happening in the magazine. But that's not hard. The bugs always, always have some reaction to the stories. We talk and joke and toss around ideas until suddenly, "Ah ha!" I know what to write. Then there are sketches, and revision... The time it takes varies a lot. The final drawing and painting doesn't take as long as planning and sketching and revision.
A How To Draw... feature sounds fun. Thanks for a good idea!
(June 1, 2009 - 3:55 pm)
Carolyn, have you seen the entries for the Draw Cricket Country contest?? If you have, then do you like the pictures we drew (especially mine?? :D Just kidding!)?? :):) Thanks!! And, again, you rock! :D
Paige, when did you send it? I'm very sorry to tell you that we haven't received it yet. Sometimes the mail does take a while, though. But just in case, did you keep a copy of it you could send again, just in case it doesn't arrive? We'll let you know as soon as we get it.
Old Cricket
(June 17, 2009 - 5:47 pm)