When most comic strip animals talk, they don’t exactly scream “realism.”
But the animals that populate “They Can Talk,” the wry, brilliant weekly webtoon by local cartoonist Jimmy Craig, don’t just sound authoritative — they’re downright relatable.
Jimmy Craig is interviewed by Peter Chianca of Boston.com in anticipation “a Q&A session at Harvard Book Store in Cambridge on April 6 with another local cartoonist who’s no stranger to talking critters: Mark Parisi of Gloucester, creator of the comic panel ‘Off the Mark.’”
Regardless of where they’re from, fans of both comics and animals are clearly listening to what Craig’s creatures have to say. In the seven years since he launched the strip, it’s amassed 615,000 followers on Instagram, 658,000 on Facebook, and has spawned two books; the latest, “Are You Gonna Eat That?” from Ulysses Press, hits shelves this month.
From the Boston.com interview:
… But I just could tell from the first comic that people enjoyed it. I got an instant response from it, and I was probably four or five comics deep into it when it was like, “Oh, wow! Not only do people like this, but I think this might do really well.” I was like, I’m gonna do one a week. That’s it. Very small commitment. But I’m gonna stick to that schedule, and for seven years now I’ve done it — some weeks for better or for worse. But I think really sticking to that helped me get to the point that I’m at now.
Another Talk Show
Join in for a talk via Zoom, with cartoonist Harry Bliss about his career, humor, comics and his recent collaboration with Steve Martin in this webinar. Register on our website to receive the link for this Comic Chat on Thurs., April 13, at 7 p.m.
A week later and further north is Harry Bliss‘s virtual “comics chat.”
Join MBTS Public Library Director Sara Collins and Librarian Maddy Willwerth as we chat with cartoonist Harry Bliss about his career, humor, comics and his recent collaboration with Steve Martin in this webinar.
More Talking The Talk
Darrin Bell was 6 years old when his mother told him he couldn’t have a realistic water gun. She said she feared for his safety, that police tend to think of little Black boys as older and less innocent than they really are.
Two months after the top talk, giving you time to get across the country, is Darrin Bell at The Commonwealth Club.
Join us in-person in downtown San Francisco for an in-depth talk with Bell about his experience—and the experience of millions of other parents and children in this country—which he has now told in his new graphic novel, The Talk. Through evocative illustrations and sharp humor, Bell examines how The Talk shaped intimate and public moments from childhood to adulthood. While coming of age in Los Angeles?and finding a voice through cartooning?Bell becomes painfully aware of being regarded as dangerous by white teachers, neighbors, and police officers and thus of his mortality.
Details of the June 14 event at The Commonwealth Club of California.
This program has 2 types of tickets available: In-person and online-only.
For online viewing, pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream event.
I’ve already read ‘Are You Gonna Eat That?’ and I highly recommend it, both to support the cartoonist and for the content. Even the title is relatable for us dogfolks.