Last week, as every week, there were some new mysterious cartoons. I think this one by Portos is a good example for the I-don’t-understand-a-word category. The I-could-understand-it-if-I-knew-anything-about-your-culture category is being adequately represented by new member Mohamed Alafia, whom I will introduce below. Then, there are some cartoons that I think I should be understanding but I don’t: one in German, one in English, and two without any dialogue. There’s one that uses clear symbolism but makes your brain hurt if you try to think about it. And there are at least two that havecrossed the line to surrealism (one, two)

Introducing…

Mohamed Alafia’s cartoons are sporadically mysterious. Sometimes this is due to my ignorance of Moroccan topics (here & here) and a little research does help. At other times it’s due to my ignorance of Moroccan topics but even Wikipedia is clueless. Who is that Ponky guy? One cartoon, however, remains mysterious even though the captions are pretty clear.  Anyway, Alafia’s style is interesting to look at – especially when he does these scribbly outlines in what might be ink, adds another layer of paler and broader ink scribbles and then puts in blotches of color on his computer (e.g. here). I’ve never quite seen anything like this before.

German artist Schwoe has uploaded only four cartoons so far (1, 2, 3, 4). And, since I am German too I understand all of them. The reason I am mentioning them here is because they are funny, well-drawn, and make my neck hurt in a peculiar way because of the perspective Schwoe employs. Seriously. It’s like looking at German newscaster Klaus Kleber [I found this cartoon when looking for the photo… toonpool.com has once again made page one of the search results. yay!]

Cartoons of Interest

I think my favorite cartoon this week is “Daylight Robbery” by Russian artist Sergej Tunin. I love those old timey pilots in their leather caps and goggles and it’s fun to imagine the sound of the plane.

Paul Hellmich

The Middle East Conflict is one of the most frequent topics for cartoons on toonpool.com – and one of the most controversially discussed. I dare say that no other issue has created as much uproar: there have been deletions of cartoons, allegations of anti-Semitism, complaints about censorship and loads of angry comments. One thing I have been missing, however, was actual dialogue.

Ramzy A. Taweel was born in Beirut in 1978 to a Palestinian father and a Lebanese mother. In 1993, shortly after the Oslo Agreement, his family returned to Palestine. Today, Ramzy lives in Ramallah and works as a media officer for the Palestinian president’s office. He is also about to complete his MA thesis in International Studies and he is drawing pretty cool cartoons about everyday life in Palestine. I asked him a couple of questions about life in Ramallah and about relations between “us” and “them”. Which can be read as Israelis and Palestinians, as Jews and Muslims, as men and women or as TV-addicts and fundamentalists, depending on what part of the interview you are reading.

Ramzy, can you tell me how you ended up drawing cartoons?

My passion for cartooning officially started in 2002, when I was trying to amuse a beautiful lady at my university. That was when I created my cartoon character Fashcool, a Palestinian college boy who is trying to live a normal life under occupation. The lady is long gone, but Fashcool stayed with me. Moreover, it made me a celebrity at my university and finally at universities all over Palestine.

What limitations do you face in everyday life in Ramallah due to the political situation?

Limitations? … First, I did not travel out of Ramallah from more than five years – since 2001. And Ramallah is a pretty small town. There are too many things happening for the size of this place. I’ve seen death and joy, soldiers and tanks. I’ve seen airplanes bombing houses, soldiers humiliating people and kids crying. I’ve walked through a blizzard together with two thousand other students because the Israeli army had closed the road between my university and Ramallah.

In your cartoons on Palestine, you hardly ever make explicit reference to Israel. Why is that so?

In my cartoons, I try to show my own perspective, not the political situation as a whole. I draw cartoons about every day situations – about love and friendship and about how the occupation affects our lives.

For example, since I am from Ramallah, I couldn’t marry a Palestinian girl from Jerusalem. The whole relation was very stressful and even dangerous for her: Israel might have taken away her ID papers and kicked her out of Jerusalem just because she slept outside the city limits. I drew a lot of cartoons about this situation and about how I lost my love because of it. I also draw about how I am not able to meet my friends because of the wall. All of these are very personal issues. I can’t see them as an abstract political crisis; it’s simply personal pain.

When I draw cartoons, I look for that tiny light that might draw a smile despite the bloody scenery. Young people here have to face multiple problems: their studies, love, work, family and the occupation. Forcing them to smile even at the darkest times is how I fight the occupation.

Is it possible to sum up the position of the Palestinian people toward Israel or are there differences between certain groups?

People are people on either sides. But the problem is not so much between Israelis and Palestinians and it’s definitely not a war of religions. Two plain words: the occupation and the settlements. That’s where the trouble lies. Shortly after the Oslo agreement, Israelis were visiting Ramallah and the other Palestinian cities almost on a daily basis. Even today, the economic relations between the West Bank and Israel are more important than the European market. But the settlements eat up Palestinian land and cut off the roads between our cities. Israel even controls over 80 percent of our water supply. They sell our own water back to us.

But when the Israeli government finally accepts the fact that we must and will  have our sacred right of  freedom and independence, when they demolish the apartheid wall, you will see how fast wounds can heal.

You say that the West Bank Wall is one important obstacle on the way to peace. What is your reaction to the Israeli argument that the barrier has effectively prevented suicide attacks and thus saved hundreds of lives?

Actually, my problem is not with the wall itself. It’s rather that it was built on our side of the border. On lands inside the 1949 green line which is recognized by the UN as the border of the Palestinian territories.

The wall cuts West Bank into blocks and ghettos with electronic gates between them. For instance, the city of Qalqilyah is completely surrounded by a 9 to12 meter wall. There is a single gate that opens and closes depending on the mood of the Israeli soldiers guarding it.

The wall is a tool to seize more ground from us and to protect settlements. It’s a tool to maintain the occupation, not to protect Israel.

In the past, there have been several cartoons uploaded to toonpool.com that comment on the Palestinian conflict in an aggressive way that is sometimes pretty close to being anti-Semitic…

Paul, if you lived in Palestine for less than one month you might begin to think the same. Yesterday my brother was escorting our dad in an ambulance from Jordan. My dad is dying … and they did not let my brother stay with him. There was no one to hold his hand. Not to mention they forced the doctors to switch ambulances at the border.

I do my best to separate between religion and politics. I almost never use the Star of David. Instead, I use “צה”ל” (”Tzahal”), the acronym for Israel’s military forces. It’s not the Jews but the state of Israel that has committed war crimes against myself and against my people.

As for other cartoonist… You see, I can’t blame them because Israel made it very hard for cartoonists to separate religion from politics.

This question might be a bit naïve: I noticed that most of your characters have a very “western” look. The only reference to a Muslim society I’ve found was that woman wearing a long dress in the background of your “beach” cartoon. What are your reasons for doing it that way?

Actually, this is what we are. Palestine is neither Afghanistan nor Saudi Arabia. We are more moderate than you might imagine. Islamic costumes and ways of living only came up in the past 15 years. They are a part of the growth of fundamentalist Islam which has several reasons. There is the failure of development in several Arab countries, for example. And there are some oil states in the Gulf region that actively support extremist views like Wahhabism.

In fact, I’ve drawn several cartoons with females wearing so-called Islamic dresses. But, again, you would be surprised to see what kind of dresses we have here.  Women are women anywhere in the world. They will search for beautiful clothes no matter where they live.

As for me, I am a practicing Muslim., but I do live in a global era. You and me, we share values and a way of life. I watched every episode of Saved by the Bell even when I lived in a camp in Jordan. Michael Jackson is my favorite singer and Steve Irwin was my hero. I cried when I heard that he was dead. This is not a Western era anymore, it’s a Global culture with a Western look, don’t you think?

Thanks for your time!

Paul Hellmich

The original sketch for the toonpool.com mascot. These days it serves as decoration in our bathroom.

We went online on November 15, 2007 and since then the site has evolved quite a bit. Today, there are over 55,000 cartoons by 1430 artists from all over the world. We introduced great new features, like Collections and the Community page as well as features that turned out not so great in reality (anybody remember Bubble-It?). We stayed true to the rating system, even though a lot of users have complained over time. We witnessed and took part in several debates about topics like censorship and anti-Semitism and we survived an international scandal in the cartoon world. Throughout all of this we held some fierce internal debates about the site’s appearance that ended only a year ago. Some of us still miss the old lamella design.

The idea behind toonpool.com is quite simple, yet the artists made the site a special place on the internet: something different from other portals that provide funny illustrations and photos. It’s always amazing to see how fast artists provide topical cartoons – sometimes only ten minutes after an item has appeared on the big news portals. In the future, we want more people outside of toonpool.com to profit from this. We will work hard to make the amazing works on our site known to a greater public. We are also planning to help those who feel inspired to do a cartoon but just can’t draw. There’s more to come.. so, stay with us. And tell your friends.

We would like to thank everyone who has worked for toonpool.com in the past, interns and temporaries and loosely affiliated folks. You helped us a lot. And we would like to say thank you to all artist and users. Obviously. You’re the most important part of the whole thing.

The toonpool.com staff

Staff Picks

Max: It’s not exactly easy to pick a favorite out of 55,000 cartoons. There are so many different drawing styles on toonpool.com that I really enjoy. But I picked a “classic” cartoon: “Good Morning” by Ronald Slabbers. The cartoon is classic in several ways – it combines social criticism and a funny drawing the way great cartoons have done for 50 years now and it’s a prime example of Slabber’s classic cartoon art. His style always reminds me of cartoons in the New Yorker, which I would look at as a kid without really knowing English.

Bernd: I like “Speech” by Pawel Kuczynski best. That’s all.

Battlestar: My favorite is this one by Creative Jones. It’s about a problem in our society that affects me personally, too. Online networking has become a huge part of modern society and there are so many communities you are supposed to join and so many accounts to take care of, so much time we spend on the internet …it can drive you insane sometimes. I think it’s important to reflect that and make fun of it. Besides, I am always imagining this is the “Tom” from myspace, who is everyone’s first friend. I think he would like that cartoon as well.

Ches: I can’t really decide between “Johnny Skywalker” by Volkertoons and “Screen Shot” by Achecht. They are both ingeniously rendered word plays.

Paul: “Haarschnitt” by Peter Thulke always makes me smile. It’s about the transforming power of children’s haircuts. Well, maybe that’s my favorite cartoon for friendly days. On another day I might have chosen “Handschuhe” by Ari, for instance.

Photos

Gabriel Fraga is a young artist from Brazil who has contributed some amazing vector art  to toonpool.com. Like Michele Rocchetti, he does not use vectors to emulate some other medium but has created his very own digital style. His art is different, however, in that he uses color fields to piece together his superb portraits instead of lines. Anyway, this is part two of our vector graphics special. Enjoy!

Gabriel, your profile says that you’re based in both Sao Paulo and Barcelona. Does that mean  you are moving back and forth?

My mother’s family is from Barcelona. I was born in Sao Paulo but always had wanted to live in the Catalan capital for a while. So in 2007 I went there to finish my studies and to work. I stayed in Spain until earlier this year.
Today, back in Sao Paulo, I stay connected with Barcelona regardless of physical presence. The two cities are very disparate, both have their positive and negative characteristics, but they are also both very inspiring. That’s why I try to keep my presence in both places. With a little bit of luck and planning, I believe it is perfectly possible for now.  Maybe one could say that my profile does not so much tell about “where I am” as about “places that I belong.”

How long have you been using computers for your art?

Since the age of 14. I was lucky to be invited to work in an illustration and internet studio in Sao Paulo where I learned how to use the digital tools I’m still working with today: software such as Illustrator and Photoshop, Mac computers and Wacom tablets. At the same time I had a job doing live caricatures at events. In my vector portraits I combine my experience from both jobs.

The James Brown caricature you posted on toonpool.com shows that you do scribbles with a pencil before using your computer. Could you explain the steps on the way to a finished caricature?

I believe that hand sketches give a natural and special gesture to the final vector work, different from purely digital works. That’s why I prefer to do some free studies on paper before moving to the digital media. These studies preview the “geometric deconstruction” of the character I am drawing that forms the base of my work. For me it’s the most fun part of the work … it’s just like a game! Once I have solved the geometrical question on paper, I use the vectors to confirm and adjust the forms and to generate the colors. Finally I adjust tones and light effects in Photoshop.

Can you describe that process of geometric deconstruction?

Actually, the process is quite simple: I try to structure the image with the fewest lines possible, to reduce it to geometric forms. What I try to do is to preserve complex characteristics such as personality and expression during this deconstruction and perhaps even have them exaggerated that way. Sometimes it works!

When looking at some of your work I couldn’t help but feel reminded of three-dimensional polygon characters – as in older computer games. Would you say that when geometrically deconstructing the characters you have a three-dimensional construct in mind or rather a two-dimensional set of color-fields?

Perhaps my considerations while drawing are related to he mathematical simplification of form, similar to the system of triangulation of the 3D process. I do not limit myself to just one angle of the subject – to only one photograph, for example. I imagine it 3-dimensionally and this is reflected in the final result, that’s what creates the sculptural effect. I also consider other “dimensions” beyond form. The personality and body language of the person pictured are two of them. The 4th and 5th fundamental dimensions of my work, so to say. Bu regardless of this “mathematical” aspect and the fact that I finish my work on a computer, the whole thing is a very organic process for me. I observe the fluidity of the lines and play with it.

Is your method of deconstruction influenced by any specific art form or artist?

Cubism, especially Synthetic Cubism, is a great source of inspiration to me. I also like the aesthetics of Pop Art and Russian Constructivism. Since deconstruction is also the main characteristic of caricature, I would say that I’m also influenced by a number of cartoonists and caricaturists like Cassio Loredano. There are some digital artists that I admire, too. This week, for example, I discovered a French artist named Niark1 whose work is really interesting.

Is there something you especially like about working with vectors? Something that makes you prefer it to “traditional” media?

Yes. I’ve always liked the “sharp” look of the forms. Vectors provide a synthetic texture that would only be possible in traditional media with many hours of work and high precision in the finish. Moreover, the digital tools allow me to model the forms until they seem adequate to my intentions. In the traditional way, this process is also more complicated.
Regardless of these concerns and the fact that the market is much more focused on digital solutions — that’s what I have observed —  I always have a piece of paper and a handful of pencils and watercolors by my side. I believe that developing traditional techniques adds quality in digital final work and adds some value to an artist’s production. Still, I don’t finish as many works with traditional media as I would like to. I have studied a little traditional techniques such as oil painting and watercolor but still feel very much tied to the digital world..

Thanks for your time!

Click here to read part 1 of the vector special.

Paul Hellmich

An interesting thing happens when artists link the Berlin wall to the Israeli West Bank barrier, as in this piece by Paolo Lombardi referencing “Test the Best” on Berlin’s East Side Gallery. The strong appeal of a wall as a symbol of injustice apparently overrides all difficulties that arise when you compare the historical background of the two walls. On the other hand, comparing them anyway might lead to interesting new insights as happened accidentally in the comments to this 2008 piece by Ben Heine.

Introducing…

Continuing with the West Bank theme, I would like to introduce new artist Ramzy Taweel, who actually lives in Palestine. He drew these two cartoons about his thoughts on the issue (note the one-legged background guy on the beach). Apart from fitting this week’s topic, Ramzy totally qualifies for this column by his art – a clear message, a clean, professional style and effective use of colors. My favorite among his non-political cartoons is about Henson-folk and flu. Apparently, I missed out on the passing of Big Bird some time last year.

I further would like to introduce Mallorca-based German artist Nicki Wambolt. I don’t want to write about great and innovative use of colors again (I feel that I always do), but then again, Wambolt’s use of color is great and innovative in a way different from the other artists’ individual great and innovative ways. So, yeah. Be sure to check out the dog-eared audience, the dangers of play-doh, the plate of chilies and the glass-house guy.

Cartoons of Interest

This week’s favorite is plain and simple. “Naufrago” (”Shipwrecked”) by Karlo from Chile. Things like these probably happen all the time.

Paul Hellmich

Michele Rocchetti is a young artist from Macerata (Italy), who is still in art school. A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon his “Hollywood Bestiary” – a collection of vectorized portraits of actors-as-animals. To me, these caricatures present an interesting combination of clear line drawings and geometric shapes: reminiscent of classic pen-and-paper caricatures but at the same time clearly digital.

Michele, all of your work on toonpool.com was done with vector graphic programs. Do you use “classic” hardware at all?

Usually I make some chaotic sketches with a pen: during school lessons, before going to sleep or when I’m sitting at my computer. It’s the fastest way to collect ideas and to find a point to start from.

Is there something special about working with vectors that couldn’t be done without a computer?

This is a hard question… I think that if vectors make a difference, it is because the final product, the original work, is more “ductile”, due to its digital nature. This means that you can experiment with various kinds of filters and printing methods and still have perfect, clear lines and shapes.
Finally, I believe it’s a different approach, a different way to think. I think it’s wrong to try to use vectors so as to make a fake copy of traditional techniques. The final print must have consistency, you must be able to see its digital soul.

Could you explain the way working with vectors allows for a different way of thinking?

I think that working with vectors is closer to graphic design than it is to traditional painting. You are not constricted by a specific size since you can print our works in any format without quality downgrade. Also you can easily transform an illustration into an animation.

What is it you are trying to do in your Hollywood Bestiary project?

Hollywood Bestiary was born as an exam project. Actually it’s a more complex work with specific narrative parts for each character. What I’ve published on toonpool.com is only the illustration element.The project is based on medieval physiognomic theories about the similitude between people’s behavior and the way they physically resemble specific animals. Personally I don’t believe that these theories are credible but I find them very funny and interesting.
I chose Hollywood characters in order to have a smaller thematic range, but I went on from there and maybe I’ll continue with others subjects. For example I just added animalized portraits of Alice Cooper and Bob Dylan.

For influences you mentioned Al Hirschfeld. What is it about his portraits that you like most?

I found Al Hirschfeld by chance: I love traditional rock and have always been impressed by Aerosmith’s portrait on “Draw the Line”. Last spring I looked up the artist and found Al Hirschfeld’s name.
In my opinion Hirschfeld is the finest of all famous caricaturists in the world. His perfect use of the pen, the light, fluid lines that contrast with the decorative textures for clothes, and the classic fine atmosphere of his works are unique.
My favorite caricatures are his Frank Sinatra portrait and the portrait of Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in Annie Hall –  also one of my favorite movies. I think there is a kind of similarity between Al Hirschfeld and Woody Allen in the way they describe society and stereotypes.

Do you use something you’ve learned from Hirschfeld for your Hollywood portraits? Or, the other way around, is there something you can do with vectors that he couldn’t do with a pen?

I try to use something he has taught me in all of my works, not only in the bestiary project – his delicate and free way of drawing. I hope that with my means, that is with vector drawings, I’ll someday achieve something he did not: I’ll become a rock star.

Thanks for your time!

Click here to read part 2 of the vector special.

Paul Hellmich

On a lighter note: fall has come and so has the second wave of deadly Swine Flu. This also means new Swine Flu cartoons, this time mostly about the various vaccination projects. I liked, for example, new member Mert Gurkan’s take on vaccinations in Turkey. While this view seems to be shared by German Kostas Koufogiorgos, syringes seem to be a  much rarer good in the US , a situation countered in Canada by alternative means of protection.

Introducing…

First, I would like to introduce new member Taravat Niki from Iran. Apart from making great use of toonpool.com’s mascot, she (she must be female – she’s wearing a ribbon) she draws some nice and funny cartoons. Check out this one on crime in heaven. Her political cartoons about her home country’s Green Movement (not the Müsli kind) are obviously not that funny. Here, she does drawn cartoons as well as collages using famous works of art to portray the brutal politics of Mahmud Ahmadinejad and his supporters.

This week’s second featured new artist is Zaliko from Georgia. Zaliko does classic caricatures in various media. It was this retro-Saddam that got me in the first place, but there are other cool one such as this one of former UN chief secretary Kofi Annan or this one of billionaire George Soros. I admit that I had to look up who Ilham Aliyev was, but I sure like his caricature and the vibrant colors Zaliko used in it.

Cartoons of Interest

My favorite cartoon this week might seem controversial at first. The caption of Til Mette’s cartoon “Mehmet” translates to “Mehmet only just learned to laugh about himself. If he does so, please don’t laugh with him.” Since Til is a German cartoonist, the dominant reading of the cartoon would be that a German couple is visiting a Turkish-German friend.
On one hand the caption refers to the stereotype that Turkish people take themselves too serious at times. So far, so good. What makes the cartoon special is the whole situation it depicts – the ridiculous pre-dinner briefing which I’m sure takes place in all cultures, the ever-so-slight condescension of the wife while at the same time she’s just trying to make the evening nice for everyone. All in all a great piece about the troubles of cultural contact.

Paul Hellmich

Sal, can you tell me how you ended up as a caricaturist?

I was born in 1966 in a small village in Mexico and drawing has always been my passion. I remember when I was around 10 or 11, I used to draw caricatures of my father’s coworkers , and I still can see the smile on his face. Back then it was all natural to me, I didn’t know what a caricature was.
For some reason or another I did not pursue a career in the art field, I never took an art class, but I developed a strong passion for caricature. So I can tell you that I am a self-taught artist who deeply enjoys altering and deforming other people features.

Most of your caricatures pencil drawings, if I’m not mistaken. Is there something special for you about pencils, something that makes them better than, say, pens, brushes etc.?

The main reason I started drawing with pencils is out of convenience. I can do it anywhere, anytime…there is something so basic about it. I have tried other mediums but I always go back : Pencil drawing is where I really feel comfortable.
Something else that I like about working with pencil is that I can always erase a mistake, while when working with other mediums, trying to undo your wrongdoings can become a nightmare.

What kind of pencils do you use?

I have been using a mechanical pencil with a 0.5 mm 2B lead. I tried different thickness of lead but this is the one I stick with. Sometimes it becomes very frustrating and tiresome to develop the blackest areas in a drawing since the lead is so thin, but I always enjoy the end result.

What would you say is the most important thing to look out for when working with a pencil?

To me the most important thing and what I enjoy most is the actual creation of the sketch. I find it very rewarding in itself, if you take time to work in your sketch before you start working on the final piece the chances of being satisfied with the end result are much greater. Sometimes I rework a sketch up to eight times until I feel I finally got it.

How long does it take you to draw a caricature, from choosing a reference picture to the final product?

I would have to estimate the total time to be an average 5 hours from conception to completion. I seldom can spare that much time on a single drawing, most of my pieces have been drawn over the course of several sessions.
Which is no good for many reasons, mainly because it usually takes me up to 30 minutes to get a flow going. If you were to analyze any of my caricatures you could possibly see the variation in strokes and the struggle that took place while trying to become consistent.

At what point of you career did you begin to concentrate on pencil art?

I could say that it just happened: the pencil was there, and so was the paper…then I stumbled across some excruciatingly pencil works of art by great masters, especially Jean Mulatier. I could not help it but to be inspired.

What is it that makes Mulatier’s drawings special to you?

Back in 2000 while I was trying to establish my caricature style, I was introduced to Jean Mulatier’s work by the late Ismael Roldan. I was awestruck by the precision and mastery of his technique. It seemed to me that every single line had a purpose and that there was only the exact number of lines to represent the different variations in texture and value. To this day I am still hypnotized by his work.

Did you ever try to emulate your pencil style digitally? If it wasn’t for the restrictions through hardware, could artificial pencils replace the real thing?

Actually I have tried, but working digitally is a completely different can of worms. Seriously, there is no way to emulate the look or the feeling of working with the real thing. Having said that, I must add that the boundaries set by the hardware are changing rapidly especially after the introduction of software designed for use with mobile devices like the iPhone. These programs allow the artist to bring art creation “on the go” to a whole new level My mechanical pencil has been collecting dust and fearing for his life for the last couple of weeks… Is this the end of an era ? Only time will tell.

Thanks for your time!

Paul Hellmich

Introducing…

I would like to introduce new toonpool.com member Sinann . I really like the way Sinann enhances the black and white contrast in his cartoons by adding grey areas. Take, for example, this cartoon referring to last week’s balloon boy hoax. A great drawing – especially that couple in the background. I also liked the one on the feathered dinosaur fossil. When checking wikipedia for some smart statement about palaeontology to throw in or at least for  some information about recent feathered dinosaur finds, I stumbled upon this article. It’s… detailed… and Im not going to read all of it. But maybe someone else wants to. And then post a smart statement.

Cartoons of Interest

My favourite cartoon this week is another simple gag cartoon. Writing this thing really tells me something about my kind of humor. Oh, well. In any case, Cartoonkiss got everything right in “Zahnarzt” (”Dentist”). I admire how he directs the readers through the single panel cartoon: First, there’s only the caption (it translates to “Next, please!”).. and then your eyes wander down the page… Also a great use of a highly underestimated color: glow-in-the-dark greenish.

Paul Hellmich

Klaus Stuttmann zeichnet seit 2000 täglich für den Berliner Tagesspiegel, seine Karikaturen erscheinen außerdem in etwa 20 weiteren deutschen Zeitungen. Stuttmann, Jahrgang ‘49 und seiner Website zufolge “Schwabe”, wohnt seit 1970 in Berlin (West).

Herr Stuttmann, seit dem 18. Oktober 2009 läuft im Wilhelm-Busch-Museum in Hannover die Ausstellung “Klaus Stuttmann: Karikaturen aus der Hauptstadt”. Was genau ist dort zu sehen?

Eine Auswahl meiner Karikaturen seit 1989, chronologisch geordnet. Bis ‘89 hatte ich hauptsächlich Sachen für die SEW gemacht. Mit dem Mauerfall war das vorbei und ich musste mich neu sortieren. Insofern ist das Jahr auch für mich persönlich ein Einschnitt, ich habe vorher anders gearbeitet als jetzt.

Sie haben vorher aber schon Karikaturen gezeichnet?

Ja, aber ich konnte davon nicht leben. Ich habe nur für Die Wahrheit, die Zeitung der SEW, gearbeitet und die haben kaum etwas zahlen können. Ich habe mich damals mit Plakaten und Layoutjobs über Wasser gehalten. Mit dem Mauerfall hat sich die ganze Szene, für die ich gearbeitet habe dann aufgelöst; die SEW war ja ein “West-Ableger” der SED und natürlich voll finanziert vom Osten. Als sich die SED auflöste hat sich hier auch alles aufgelöst und ich war arbeitslos.

Haben Sie sich dann gleich beim Tagesspiegel beworben?

Nein, zuerst bei der TAZ und kurz darauf bei der Leipziger Volkszeitung und bei der Jungen Welt. Bei der Leipziger und der Jungen Welt musste ich zum ersten Mal in meinem Leben täglich etwas abliefern. Damals dachte ich, das sei gar nicht zu schaffen.

Es hat mich überrascht zu erfahren, dass Sie ausschließlich digital arbeiten – ihre Arbeiten sehen sehr “handgezeichnet” aus.

Naja, digital heißt natürlich trotzdem “alles mit der Hand”. Ich zeichne ganz normal, nur eben auf einem Bildschirm anstatt auf Papier.

Wann sind Sie auf digitale Zeichnungen umgestiegen?

Ungefähr 2000. Vom Preisgeld, das ich bei der “Rückblende ‘99″ bekommen habe, habe ich mir einen Apple und ein Zeichentablett gekauft und angefangen mich mit Photoshop zu beschäftigen.

Hat sich durch die neue Technik etwas daran geändert, wie Sie zeichnen?

Ich würde sagen, dass ich jetzt besser zeichne. Man hat nicht mehr so eine Angst, einen falschen Strich zu machen. Alles geht schneller, lockerer. Ich zeichne einfach lieber und ich glaube, das merkt man. Der Stil selbst hat sich allerdings nicht sehr verändert.

Sie zeichnen jetzt lieber… heißt das, dass sie früher nicht so gerne gezeichnet haben?

Doch, doch. Aber ich kann nicht besonders zeichnen. Früher konnte ich verzweifeln, wenn ich etwas nicht hingekriegt habe. Das passiert jetzt eben nicht mehr.

Zeichnen Sie überhaupt noch mit Tusche?

Nee. Ich kam da mit der Technik auch nicht zurecht. Die normalen Federn sind oft hängen geblieben oder nicht mehr gelaufen, dass ich mehrfach meinen Federhalter an die Wand geschmissen habe. Später habe ich teilweise mit technischen Zeichengeräten gearbeitet, aber die haben einen “toten Strich”. Heute zeichne ich alles in Photoshop. Wenn ich unterwegs bin und eine Idee habe mache ich eine erste Skizze mit Bleistift oder Kugelschreiber, aber nur damit ich die Idee behalte.

Mir ist aufgefallen, dass Sie auf Ihrer Website viel Feedback von Lesern bekommen.

Das verläuft in Wellen – manchmal kommt tagelang gar nichts und manchmal sehr viel. Mitunter nervt das schon, wenn z. B. Schüler das Gästebuch als Forum für irgendwelche anderen Themen nutzen und ich die Beiträge löschen muss. Während des Karikaturenstreits 2006 wurde ich stark von Islamisten angegriffen. Da kam alle zwei Minuten ein neuer Eintrag, teilweise kriminelles Zeug. Nach einer Woche haben wir die Seite geschlossen, weil es einfach nicht mehr ging. Wegen der Morddrohungen musste ich eine Zeit lang untertauchen, meine Wohnung verlassen.

Von solchen Extremsituationen abgesehen, beeinflussen die Kommentare Ihre Arbeit?

Eigentlich wenig. Die Anregungen, die kommen sind so unterschiedlich, da würde man sich zerreißen. Wenn die Einträge seriös sind denke ich natürlich darüber nach und versuche auch zurück zu schreiben.

Die Ausstellung im Wilhelm-Busch-Museum heißt ja “Karikaturen aus der Hauptstadt”; hat Berlin eine besondere Bedeutung für Sie als Karikaturist?

Abgesehen davon, dass ich hier wohne, könnte man vielleicht sagen, dass Berlin als Regierungssitz wichtig für meine Arbeit ist – mein Schwerpunkt ist ja eher die Innenpolitik. Das liegt allerdings auch ein bisschen am Tagesspiegel, der sich eher auf Innen- als auf Außenpolitik konzentriert. Ich muss für meine Karikaturen immer am Wissen der Leser anknüpfen, sonst funktionieren sie nicht. Man darf nicht alles in der Karikatur erklären. Bei Außenpolitikthemen, nehmen wir Südamerika, kennt sich doch kein Schwein aus – und dann kann eine Karikatur auch nicht funktionieren.

Ist nach der Wahl die Arbeit für Sie einfacher geworden? Sind CDU und FDP ein dankbareres Ziel für Karikaturen?

Eigentlich gibt es kaum Unterschiede. Karikaturen über die SPD zu zeichnen hat mir manchmal ein bisschen weh getan, aber das ist halt so. Bei schwarz-gelb tut mir gar nichts mehr weh – das ist vielleicht der kleine Unterschied.

Guido Westerwelle hat in den ersten Tagen nach der Wahl ja schon auf sich aufmerksam gemacht…

Eine Witzfigur war er ja irgendwie immer schon, aber vielleicht profiliert er sich ja noch. Angela Merkel hat man am Anfang auch nicht ernst genommen, genau wie Helmut Kohl.

Die Darstellung von Helmut Kohl hat sich ja im Laufe der Zeit auch verändert…

… Genau wie die von Frau Merkel in den letzten zehn Jahren. Als Karikaturist stellt man immer wieder fest, dass man am Anfang versucht, die Leute einigermaßen ähnlich zu zeichnen, damit man sie wiedererkennen kann. Gegen Ende der Laufbahn von solchen Politikern ist es immer umgekehrt. Da zeichnet man sie einfach und die Wirklichkeit hat sich den Zeichnungen angenähert (lacht). Das Extrembeispiel war Theo Waigel. Da hat man nur noch zwei Augenbrauen gezeichnet. Als er angefangen hat, hätte niemand verstanden, was das soll. Später haben die Leute ihn angeguckt und nur noch seine Augenbrauen gesehen.

Danke, dass Sie sich die Zeit genommen haben!

Paul Hellmich