Meet Jack Kent

We were lucky to catch up with Jack Kent recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jack, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

Probably from my sports backgrounds. I spent years in basketball and martial arts. At a young age I could see that the work I put in would have its rewards. There were no shortcuts. I had to show up and make it happen.
I had a lot of: family, coaches, and teachers that instilled a good work ethic in me. It’s translated well to my adult life and the art I create.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I grew up in a small town on the Oregon Coast watching Looney Tunes and reading comics. I knew I wanted to be a cartoonist. My childhood friends and I would draw comics as often as we could. We were relentless in: drawing strips, sharing jokes, and creating worlds to laugh in.

After graduating high school I moved to Portland, Oregon. I got my degree in graphic design but knew I still wanted to create comics. Portland has such a creative spirit and I knew I wanted to be there. I’ve been drawing multiple comics over the years and they are: Gulls, Minus Tide, and Sketchy People. Gulls and Minus Tide are more of your traditional daily strips and single panel comics.

Sketchy People is more of a people watching study than a traditional comic. Sketchy People is a project that found me. I didn’t intend to start another project. In 2016 I saw someone on the train I needed to sketch. Then I saw someone else that turned my head and I sketched them. Then someone else and someone else and I realized – this is a project. This is Sketchy People.

Sketchy People goes beyond the bounds of a page. These sketches connect the community. I’ve met so many wonderful people and I’ve learned so much about the human condition. I just sketch a unique moment I see (or hear) and jot the time and place. The tagline: “You Could Be Next!” is what I say to people as an encouragement to stay yourself. To live in the moment. But also a fun mention that you indeed could be the next person I draw.

I’m about to release the ninth Sketchy People book. A portion of the proceeds goes to Meals on Wheels to help fight hunger. Last year we raised enough money to feed two people for an entire year!

My goal is to go traveling cross-country on a “United Sketchies of America” tour. I love people watching and I think this would be a great way to unite art and people across the nation.

What I’ve come to realize over the years is that Sketchy People is not my project but our project. Without the people I have no one to sketch. It’s a collaborative project. Together, on or off the page, we can make a difference.

In the meantime, stay your true lovely sketchy selves and as you know: “You Could Be Next!”

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

For me it really comes down to setting goals. Setting a schedule. And doing the work.
It’s all about persistence and determination. These two factors can be applied to anything one wants to achieve.
It sounds cliche but it’s really the fuel to my creative engine.

It’s not always easy but knowing that I am giving it my all towards a goal, on a schedule, and doing the work…and having fun (fun is key), I know this is the path I need to be on.

My advice to anyone early on their journey would be:
Set goals – Clearly identify what you want. Write it down. In fact, keep a journal. Keeping a journal is paramount!
Set a schedule – When are you going to do this? Don’t find the time, make the time. For example: 8 am every day for an hour. Make your time for success.
Do the work – Get your reps in. It’s the reps that build and build and become your goal.

Goals, schedules, and work will always change. Just be determined and persistent and you’ll be a hot knife through warm butter. Go get it!

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Calvin and Hobbes Tenth Anniversary Book by Bill Watterson. Bill talked about writing story arcs and how he rarely would have an ending written when he’d start the art. He’d let the characters surprise him along the way and thus, drive the story. Reading that insight helped me relax as a cartoonist. It was like gospel coming from one of my idols. That it’s okay to go in and not know where you’re gonna end up. Let the magic of the character and setting write for you.

I really needed to read that from Bill.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kentcomics.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sketchypeoplepdx/
• Youtube: @sketchypeoplepdx

Image Credits

Bio picture by Mollie Dorna