Corn-field born city-raised cartoonist makes millions laugh – Mark Anderson

Background

Mark Anderson had meager and meandering beginnings in Iowa.  He loved to create and draw, but was unable to quiet his lizard brain.  Through many disgruntled professional positions and multiple years of unhappiness, Mark finally took a leap of faith in pursuing his passion, cartooning.  Mark shares nuggets of success regarding pushing through negativity to achieve your true passion, being a role model for his children and never forgetting his humble coffee-table beginnings.  Mark has never looked back since he left the corporate world many years ago and loves the ride he is on.

View all of Mark’s cartoons at Andertoons.com.

Interview

Born and raised in Iowa, why did you seek to escape the corn-infested town of Eldridge, IA, for Chicago, IL?  Will you return to Iowa to retire?

As a kid, of course, and certainly as a teen, I wanted to get out and tackle the world, live in the big city and all that.  As a parent looking back, I can appreciate that kind of small town upbringing.  In the end I’ve landed in a comfy little suburb about an hour from the city, and I think it’s a nice middle ground.  As far as retiring goes, with the economy the way it is, I think I’ll be drawing cartoons ’til the end no matter where I am.

What were some of the challenges starting Andertoons.com?

I think self-doubt was a biggie.  I had a lot of cartoonists explaining to me how my business model was all wrong, how I was destroying the industry, etc.  Add that to the standard list of conventional money worries and a steep learning curve that any entrepreneur experiences and it was a lot to deal with.

How did you face those challenges as an example of leadership for your family?

I’d love to be able to say that I’m always cool and collected about business, but there are of course days when I’m not a happy camper.  I hope the lesson my kids take away is that if you work hard and persevere, you can accomplish pretty much anything.

Is formal art education over-rated?  You seem pretty successful being self-taught.

I think cartooning as an art allows an artist to get away with a lack of formal training pretty well, but I do occasionally wish I knew more about color and layout and such, if for no other reason than to stop second guessing my instincts.  Still, I have no burning desire to begin painting bowls of fruit.

What challenges did you overcome when you left your 9-to-5 job and became a full-time stay-at-home dad?

I’m still not sure I’ve overcome it, but time is my biggest problem.  Fitting in 15 minutes of drawing here and a half hour of accounting there isn’t how I like to work, but I’ve gotten pretty good at it.  I laugh now when I think back to all of the video games I purchased before our first was born.  I was sure I’d have loads of time on my hands.

What advice do you have for fathers hesitant to become a full-time stay-at-home dad?

If it’s something you feel like you want to do, ignore everyone else and just jump in.  It’s one of the best rides I can imagine.

How has being a stay-at-home dad enriched your relationship with your children and your wife?

I certainly have a very close relationship with the kids that I don’t think I’d have otherwise.  And my wife and I love the idea of raising the kids with the traditional parent at home, but in a very nontraditional way.

How do you want your children to remember you?

I hope they think of me as a dad who more than anything loved to laugh and be silly.  I’m betting these qualities won’t be valued in their teens, but I’m confident they’ll come around again later.

How is the well used coffee table holding up?

I love that old coffee table.  Probably half of all the cartoons I’ve ever drawn were drawn there, so I sort of feel like I owe the old girl a spot in the living room as long as she wants it, no matter how scratched up she is.

Tagged as: Chicago, Family, Fathers, Home, Iowa, Parenting, Stay at Home Fathers, Stay-at-home dad