Becoming a Cartoonist or Animator

Sep 27, 2009

Cartoonist vs. Animator

Both cartoonists and animators create comics by combining a story with a series of images. Generally, a cartoonist creates comic strips, while an animator draws cartoons for TV, movies and video games.

Education

Whether you want to become a cartoonist or an animator, the process is similar. You don’t technically need post-secondary education in this field, but like all jobs, more education means more experience and a better chance of landing a job.

A Few Tips

Present your stories in as few words as possible. Keep your dialogue short, concise and easy to follow.

Don’t rely on your dialogue to tell the story. Your cartoon images should have universal meaning. That way, even those who don’t speak English can follow along with just the pictures.

Observe people and nature. Exaggerate what you see when drawing your cartoons—emotions, movements, body language.

Find your unique style. Consistency in your art will make your work easily recognizable to fans.

Find your genre. What are your comics about? Everyday life? Politics? School? Finding your genre—or niche—and sticking with it (at least while you’re getting established) will help you build a fan base.

Prepare a professional-looking portfolio of all your quality work. Put emphasis on the pieces that you’ve sold or had printed in a publication or online.

Publishing Your Work

There are two ways to get your comics into the hands of potential fans: freelance (selling by yourself), or with the help of an agent. You can sell your pieces individually to different publications. Or you can work for one publication on a regular basis. As an animator, you’ll work for a TV, film or gaming company rather than a publication.