Before I was a cartoonist, heck, before I’d even had a real job, I was a musician. A trombonist to be exact. And, to be even more exact, a jazz trombonist.
I discovered jazz early on and pretty much lived and breathed it as a kid. I have a music degree in trombone and even played professionally for a few years, but found it was too hard to make a living at, and even harder to find time and energy to practice as a newlywed in a one-room apartment while working a 40-hour week. So I hung it up and decided to try my hand at something I’d dabbled in, again, since I was a kid: cartooning.
Years later I hear about a company “jazzing up its image” and immediately imagined employees as Dizzy Gillespie circa the 1940s. Odd? Sure. Obscure? OK. But immensely fun for me personally.
Greg Ortbach
Mark – love this cartoon. As a musician first (based on timelines of course), and business guy I found it to be hilarious.
Do you like big band jazz music? I wrote a tweet about Soundtracking to you. I think that could be a perfect combo with your cartoons.
I immediately thought of Dizzy and how his cheeks would expand! I love his music. I didn’t start appreciating jazz until I was in my 40’s – pretty sad actually. Better late than never 🙂