Reflections by caricaturist Rob Moreland – The Williams Record

Before spreading online messages, the opening of the Sonntagszeitung and seeing a fresh, full side of color cartoons was the highlight of any weekend for many children. Today, only 26 percent of US -growing people regularly read print messages. As a result, comic strips fade quickly from a public point of view despite their long history of social and political importance.

While some newspapers make the section full today Record falls into the majority that rarely has cartoons. A look back into the archive of the newspaper shows a long history of comic strips and hand-drawn advertisements that often cover entire sides.

During his time at College, Robert Moreland '87 produced a weekly comic strip with the title ” pep. For Moreland, creation and development pep was an integral part of his college experience. Moreland's almost four -year career as a caricaturist began with an early and eager request to the Record Plank. “There had been a strip before I was in Williams and the person [who wrote it] closed off, ”he said. “And [I was] Like: “Well, I want to do that”, and how so many things at Williams can actually be let [me] do it! “

Formatted in a traditional four-panel style, many expenses of pep Selected pen-and-in-in representations of Moreland's life on college. “I did a couple about my friends [from] Opposite the hall, ”he said. “We were all young ankle heads and they had a refrigerator in their room [that] They did not clear out. After a while … there was a third roommate who grew out of the unprocessed food in the fridge after it had collapsed. So, [the comics] Were just ideas from things that run around [me]Outside in the world or simply in [my] Crazy imagination. “

Some versions of pep On the fictional characters such as the semi-autobiographical “Euro Bob”, a representation by Moreland during his semester abroad in Spain. “Sometimes I started with a character [I knew]And sometimes I only invented one character, “he said, explaining the polite new addition of his comic strip.

Before he consolidated as a regular guest Record The cartoonist Moreland explained his world in pictures. His current notebook, he said and opened the book on a random side, is filled with characters. “I've always been a compulsive doodler,” he said. “I'm pretty constantly drawing things.”

Despite his natural interest in pictures, Moreland said that he does not consider realism as a necessity or as a goal. “My business partner Keith [Graves]Always says the lack of skills is the mother of the style, ”he said. “Not being able to draw certain things … becomes your style. So [when creating Pep,] I was definitely limited by what I actually knew how to draw. “

After its foundation, the comic acquired around the campus. Every week the fellow students turn to Moreland to tell him how much they enjoyed reading his piece, he said. Not only read the students pepalthough. “A professor pulled it out in a lecture and used it as a topic of conversation,” he said. “I was so touched.”

Despite his positive reception, pep was occasionally a bit controversial. “[Friends would] Tell me that they really liked it, ”said Moreland. “But sometimes they came up and said: 'Oh, man, you will really get into difficulties with this.” . “Whenever humor has a point, someone will not agree,” he said.

Although inspiration was never scarce, creatively stood out specific challenges in a deadline. Writing, drawing and getting started pep Templed time and energy. “[Deadlines are] The problem with a weekly comic, ”said Moreland. “Because I had to do one every week and I was busy … sometimes I just had to throw it out.”

Learning to learn the work under pressure gave Moreland Practice for his postgrade career in film and television production. “As a screenwriter, I always had to work on these deadlines,” he said. “It is a career to end a certain number of pages in a certain time.”

Moreland is currently using his visual skills to count story with a younger audience. Together with his friend Keith Graves, he founded a production company that specializes in animated children's entertainment. Like his work on college, Moreland's new creations want to be both funny and cerebral. “We try to create something that could either be useful to deal with fear and with it,” said Moreland. “Or just to be funny, because we think that a well -spirited, warm comedy is [makes] Everyone laughs together – parents and children – a really positive thing. “

For a large part of the mid -1980s, pep brought a humor impact on some urgently needed Drischer Commentary College. “I just did dozens and dozens of [cartoons]. It was so cool that people could enjoy them, ”said Moreland. “I had a chance [publish Pep] Was a bit amazing. “