Cartoonist

Brendan Boughen

I regularly work with corporate clients who have sat through dozens if not hundreds of PowerPoint presentations. To highlight the overuse of bullet points, I often ask whether they can recall a favourite slide from the past? They never can. I then ask whether they can recall any slide from the past? Most say no. But frequently, people will at least recall someone including a cartoon in their presentation. And they usually remember the punchline, because it made them laugh. There's an important lesson here for presenters. But it won't surprise Auckland cartoonist Brendan Boughen. He's been making fun of serious issues for years..

G. How long have you been creating cartoons?
B. I'm now in my 25th year as a cartoonist, and still loving it. My first published work was a comic strip I created at thirteen. It ran for two years in the local newspaper. At fourteen I had my first work featured in a book. Since those teenage years, I've had cartoons appearing in magazines and web sites in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. In recent years I've adopted the alter ego of Jim who's name now appears alongside most of my work. In 2006 I published my first book "Gone Astray: A Collection of (Sac)Religious Cartoons by Jim."

G. Do you make cartoons specifically for PowerPoint?
B. Yes, I'll cartoon for any format, including PowerPoint. My cartoon style works quite well for presentations because they have bold lines and single gag ideas which can be understood quickly, and make an immediate impact.

G. How can humour help lift a presentation?
B. Humour is great for driving home a point in a memorable way. Not many people can remember bullet points and complicated charts. But most people recall things that amuse them or make them laugh. Cartoons are memorable. People remember them long after the rest of the presentation has faded from memory. No matter how serious the topic - If it's funny, you're unlikely to forget it.

G. How would you describe your style?
B: I mostly do full colour or basic black and white cartoons. I also do single panel or comic strips that aim to go a little deeper than most, and work on multiple levels. The most common request is for colour cartoons. I supply them for books, articles, presentations, training programmes, brochures, newsletters and web sites.

G. How do you work with clients - what is the creative process?
B. Typically I'll get approached by someone wanting a cartoon for a publication or event. First we talk through their requirements to make sure my style will be appropriate. Then we meet to discuss the brief. This can be either face-to-face, or by phone. The best approach is to ask the client for a topic - or list of topics - relating to the cartoons. I then spend a day or two juggling ideas in my mind until I hit on something that I think might work. I'll then sketch it up and show it to the client. Hopefully they'll find it amusing and it gets an immediate laugh. If the idea is not quite on the mark, I can tweak it or simply return to the drawing board for a different approach. Cartooning for clients is surprisingly flexible. Once they're happy, I'm happy.

G. What is the secret to a great cartoon?
B. Originality. Simplicity. Brevity.

G. How do people get in touch?
B. The best way is through my website.

G. What is the typical charge for a single PowerPoint cartoon?
B. I tend to follow the guidelines provided by the Australasian Cartoonist's Association for cartoon prices, of which I am a member. The fees start around NZ$200 for a single cartoon. You can view the Association's recommended charges at this link

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Cartoonist

Brendan Boughen

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