Meet George Gant

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to George Gant. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

George, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever had any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

For me, I like to think of my ability to create like a fuel. By this I mean when I hit a creative block it feels like I can’t do much, just like running out of gas in a vehicle. If you were driving, you resolve this by filling your tank with gasoline. As a creative, I guess my gasoline would be other media. I’d take a step back for a bit and do a bit of reading, watching, or gaming. This usually inspires me to get back to my desk and get back to work.

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?

Hi, my name is George. I’m a newspaper cartoonist–yes newspapers are still around. I am the creator of the comic strip Beware of Toddler. It is a humorous comic about a stay-at-home dad trying to survive daily life with a rambunctious two-year-old.

I am also the first Black American contributor to The Beano, the worlds oldest children’s comic magazine. I draw the comic strip Angel Face Investigates there as well as the classic comic strip Cuddles and Dimples in The Dandy Annual books. In addition to these, I am the illustrator for the recently released book Redman’s Muddy Waters Too, the graphic novel companion to the album of the same name.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

As far as skills are concerned, drawing is pretty much my main one. I’m not the best artist in the world, but I’ve developed a style I think I’m proud of, though I still try to improve on a regular basis. This, combined with my persistence in achieving my goals and my interest in learning about the subjects I draw about on consistently has worked wonders in my creative career.

For those looking into the arts/cartooning, I think the persistence quality is the most important. Creating professionally is like three marathons back to back. It takes a while to get going, and it can be easy to feel discouraged and want to quit. If you’re persistent, it becomes a bit easier to achieve your goals.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

As a cartoonist, most of the books I collect lean on the art of cartooning. There are some really good ones out there, but the one that’s been the most helpful to me is The Idiot’s Guide to Cartooning. Don’t get me wrong, there are much better, more recent, and more comprehensive books out there, but this was the first one that spoke to me when I began my journey back in 2004.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Beware of Toddler ©George Gant

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?

Those of us who were lucky to have someone see something in us long before

Highlighter Series
Are you walking a path—or wandering?

The answer to whether you are walking or wandering often changes from season to season

Highlighter Series
What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?

We’ve been working on our publication and platform for almost a decade because we deeply