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Dave Kellett is a Southern-California native who grew up laughing at Bloom County, The Far Side, and Calvin & Hobbes. His early cartoons were hailed by the lunch lady as "bold, innovative creations from a boy with his finger up his nose". With a detour into academia to earn two Masters degrees in the art and history of cartooning, he now happily creates Sheldon seven days a week. He's also stunningly attractive and not at all putting on weight as he moves into his 30's. Not at all.
Kellett lives with his wonderfully talented wife Gloria in a little house on a little street in the little city of Los Angeles.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) of Dave Kellett.
Q. Are there book collections of Sheldon? Where can I find them?
A. The first Sheldon book, "Pure Ducky Goodness" will be available in book stores and comic book shops in the US and UK in the Fall of 2006. But, before they hit store shelves, copies are available online at http://www.davekellett.com/store.htm
Q. Where do you get your story ideas?
A. Everywhere, I suppose. Once you begin to train your eyes to see them, there are humorous ideas that pop up from all sorts of places, situations, and personalities around you. Unfortunately, my memory is horrible, so I'm constantly in search of little pieces of paper to write down my ideas. I've found that the trick lies not so much in finding the ideas, but in finding those darn bits of paper
Q. What materials do you use to draw your comics? Do you use a computer?
A. I draw with a mechanical pencil on vellum Bristol board. I then ink over the pencil using Micron Pigma pens, which feature an archival ink. (I use archival ink because I like the idea that folks might some day hang "Sheldon" originals up somewhere -- and I'd like the ink to look as crisp as possible.) After inking, I then erase the original pencil marks using a Staedtler plastic eraser, which lifts the lead without lifting the ink. My original strips are drawn at 4 1/4" x 13 3/4", and are then reduced down to size on a computer.
Q. Do you have any suggestions on how to become a professional cartoonist?
A. My best suggestion is to read. Read anything and everything. Read textbooks, literature, magazines, the back of cereal boxes...everything. Cartoonists can only draw what they know, so the more you know about the world around you, the better cartoonist you'll be.
I'd also suggest that you attempt to get your cartoons published somewhere -- no matter how small the venue. This can include high school and college papers, "free" local papers, or even on your own Web site. Learning to draw cartoons on a regular schedule is very educational -- as is the reader feedback you'll receive.
Finally, I'd suggest reading Lee Nordling's fantastic book Your Career in the Comics (1995, Andrews McMeel Publishing). This 304-page book is probably the best and most exhaustive look at how to become a professional cartoonist -- and the advice it offers is first-rate.
Q. When did you first start drawing cartoons?
A. In third grade. And let me tell you, those third-grade cartoons were met with some rave critical reviews.
Q. Who were the cartoonists who most influenced you?
A. Hands down, my biggest inspiration came from Berke Breathed, the cartoonist behind Bloom County. He was a genius in every respect, and Bloom County was by far the best comic strip of its generation. Next to Breathed, I'd also have to include Scott Adams, Jim Toomey and Gary Larson for their writing and pacing; Bill Watterson, Darby Conley, and David Low for their artistic style; and Walt Kelly for his background art.
Q. How did you get your professional start?
A. In a lot of ways, your first break in any field is always the "biggest break." For that reason, I have to extend a lot of thanks to the editorial staff of the San Diego Union-Tribune for giving me a year-long internship in political cartooning. Their willingness to let a fresh-out-of-college cartoonist learn first-hand at a major newspaper is a rare thing in the publishing world, and they deserve a lot of thanks. That internship really gave me the confidence to know I could make it.
Q. How would you describe your style?
A. Over the years, I think I've been steering my style toward a very clean line quality. I've always been a fan of a "cleanly-drawn" cartoon, but it's taken me a long time to realize that fewer lines are actually more effective in getting your point across.
Q. How did you come up with your characters?
A. They all reflect different aspects of my personality, but I think Arthur is by far my favorite. I love the fact that he's not anthropomorphized. He can't walk upright, he doesn't have little hands...he's just a normal duck that happens to talk. But man-o-man, it's that voice that causes trouble.Sheldon first appeared in my college strip, "Four Food Groups," and was originally intended to be a short-lived "guest star." As it turned out, Sheldon was incredibly fun to draw, and I loved the idea of a ten-year-old genius, so he stuck around. Arthur sprang from my love of ducks. When I was a kid, I had two pet ducks: Beaker and (surprise, surprise) Arthur.
Q. Which are your favorite characters in your strip and why?
A. They all reflect different aspects of my personality, but I think Arthur is by far my favorite. I love the fact that he's not anthropomorphized. He can't walk upright, he doesn't have little hands...he's just a normal duck that happens to talk.
Q. Do you create on a daily basis? Do you prefer to work in the morning or at night?
A. I try to do a minimum of one strip a day. I've found that if I let myself have some time off, the creative process doesn't work as well. The ideas come much more slowly, the drawing is more constrained, and the whole process is less fun. But if I keep it up on a daily basis, it becomes almost a way to relax.
I'm a night owl, so it's not uncommon to find me cartooning until 2 a.m. I've found that I work best in the wee hours of the night when the phone isn't ringing and the gentle hum of the infomercials wafts from the TV. There is a price to be paid for working this way, though: twice now, I've almost been suckered into buying that Australian "Nads" hair removal system.
Q. Why are there only 30 Sheldon strips in the archives at a time, and where can I see more?
A. The most recent 30 strips can be read for free at any time. To dive into the archives, just sign up for Comics Extra or Comics Extra Gold at https://members.comics.com/members/registration/showEvaluateEmail.do. Once you do, you'll be able to read years of the strip in one sitting. Well, with a few bathroom breaks, possibly.
Q. Can I have Sheldon toons e-mailed to me daily?
A. Why yes, yes you can! Just sign up for the free Comics Basic at
https://members.comics.com/members/registration/showEvaluateEmail.do. Starting the next day, daily Sheldons will appear in your e-mail inbox, spam-free!
Q. Are Sheldon daily strips available as original artwork?
A. They are, based on availability. Feel free to drop me an e-mail at
dave@davekellett.com
Q. When is your next gallery showing of original art? Do you ever make appearances at comics conventions? Is there a way I can find out about that sort of thing?
A. There sure is! Just sign up for the free, monthly Sheldon Newsletter here:
http://www.davekellett.com/mailinglist.htm
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