Ali Solomon, a cartoonist and writer based in Queens, New York, brings everyday experiences to life through her single-panel comics. As a regular contributor to The New Yorker, her work often explores the chaos and humor of modern life, offering sharp observations on the world around her.
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Ali Solomon, a talented and insightful cartoonist, recently shared her thoughts and experiences in an interview withBored Panda. Known for her contributions to The New Yorker and her unique blend of humor and observation, Solomon’s journey from college cartoonist to a respected voice in the industry offers a rather fascinating glimpse into her creative world.When asked about what inspires her cartoons and how she balances humor with meaningful messages, Solomon explained, “I try to draw humor based on observation, and that includes the minutiae of daily life, as well as the larger issues that I’m constantly thinking about. I don’t set out to make a cartoon “meaningful” per se, but it’s very hard to separate who I am as a person from who I am as an artist, and certain themes find their way into my work. I find humor can arise from a profound sense of identification, and it really is a complex balance between someone reading a cartoon and going ‘Yes! THIS!’ or someone thinking ‘Ugh…THIS.'”
Ali Solomon, a talented and insightful cartoonist, recently shared her thoughts and experiences in an interview withBored Panda. Known for her contributions to The New Yorker and her unique blend of humor and observation, Solomon’s journey from college cartoonist to a respected voice in the industry offers a rather fascinating glimpse into her creative world.
When asked about what inspires her cartoons and how she balances humor with meaningful messages, Solomon explained, “I try to draw humor based on observation, and that includes the minutiae of daily life, as well as the larger issues that I’m constantly thinking about. I don’t set out to make a cartoon “meaningful” per se, but it’s very hard to separate who I am as a person from who I am as an artist, and certain themes find their way into my work. I find humor can arise from a profound sense of identification, and it really is a complex balance between someone reading a cartoon and going ‘Yes! THIS!’ or someone thinking ‘Ugh…THIS.'”
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Reflecting on her evolution from The Cornell Daily Sun to The New Yorker, the artist said to Bored Panda, “While drawing for the Daily Sun, I was working within the confines of a comic strip, so I had multiple panels over multiple days to tell a longer story that could build over time. With New Yorker cartoons, they’re all single-panel gags, so I’ve had to learn to convey a lot within a smaller framework.I’ve also learned some valuable lessons from my college comics days, such as:Artwork doesn’t have to be drawn the exact size it’s printed.Working right up until a deadline is a terrible idea.If you’re doing this right, someone will eventually get mad at you.”
Reflecting on her evolution from The Cornell Daily Sun to The New Yorker, the artist said to Bored Panda, “While drawing for the Daily Sun, I was working within the confines of a comic strip, so I had multiple panels over multiple days to tell a longer story that could build over time. With New Yorker cartoons, they’re all single-panel gags, so I’ve had to learn to convey a lot within a smaller framework.
I’ve also learned some valuable lessons from my college comics days, such as:
Discussing how teaching middle school students influences her work, Solomon remarked, “Middle school students are the toughest audience, humor-wise. They fall somewhere between juvenile hijinks and wrapping their brains around more sophisticated concepts, so as a teacher, I’m constantly having to re-evaluate how to best reach them. I have to constantly think on my feet, be willing to change and adapt, and learn to appreciate fart jokes on a higher level.Coming up with art projects for middle schoolers is similar to coming up with cartoon ideas: it has to appeal to a variety of learning abilities, backgrounds, and skill levels; it has to be understood, and it has to befun.”
Discussing how teaching middle school students influences her work, Solomon remarked, “Middle school students are the toughest audience, humor-wise. They fall somewhere between juvenile hijinks and wrapping their brains around more sophisticated concepts, so as a teacher, I’m constantly having to re-evaluate how to best reach them. I have to constantly think on my feet, be willing to change and adapt, and learn to appreciate fart jokes on a higher level.
Coming up with art projects for middle schoolers is similar to coming up with cartoon ideas: it has to appeal to a variety of learning abilities, backgrounds, and skill levels; it has to be understood, and it has to befun.”
On the most challenging aspects of her career and her proudest achievements, Solomon shared, “One of the biggest challenges has been finding a balance between parenting, working full time, and carving out space for cartooning in earnest. I try to be “all in” when I’m at work or with my kids, so cartooning becomes something I fit into the cracks of my schedule, like creative spackle.
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