The Obscure Gentlemen

When I first found Twitter and started following some web comics I saw that each of them would recommend Winona Bearman Comics every Follow Friday. I just kept thinking who the hell is this http://nghomes.com/2021/05/31/should-invest-in-bitcoin-now Bearman? I started reading his comics and grew pretty fond of them. In what takes me 6 panels to tell this man can does it in one. If you look around the web comic community you will find that Bearman supports the big and small with his religious commenting, Retweets, Google plusing, and possibly trading kayaks for a casual encounter just to support other webcomics on Craig’s list. It’s rare to find such great support in an angry jaded internet world.

Bearman also handles political topics without being ham fisted and over the top as most political cartoonists do. Head over to Bearman Comics after you read this; his blogs are just as entertaining as his comics and he’s a hell of a guy.

The OG: You’re a big supporter of other web comics. What is it that makes you enjoy the medium?

Bearman: As a kid you grow up reading the comics in the newspaper.  The problem is that as you age the jokes remain targeted to the same age so it begins to lose appeal. When I first discovered webcomics, I was amazed at the number and style of voices in the comics.  Even the all age’s ones have a little more edge.  There is something that appeals to everyone.  I am more of a short form, hit me between the eyes with the humor and then let me move on kind of guy.  If you are going to go long form, I want every update to be funny.  George Ford of Addanac City and Aidan Casserly of Scapula do that well.

Also, I know how much my artwork has improved over the years.  But I am amazed at people like Tony McGurk of Mental Pills.  This is a guy who I followed his blog posts because they were entertaining.  Then about a year ago he decides to start cartooning inspired by me and some others.  To see other creators come into their own and move forward with their success is great to support.

The OG: A lot of your comics are current event driven, what inspires you to lampoon the various topics you handle?

(This is where Bearman says fuck this 6 question shit I’m answering 2 of them at once!)

The OG: How did you go about choosing a one panel editorial format instead of the multiple panel set up and punch line direction?

Bearman: I’ll answer these together because they relate.  I have undiagnosed adult A.D.D.  I can’t stand trying to draw the same characters over and over again and I don’t like to get stuck in a topic loop.

I am an avid news follower.  About 6 years ago I was following some local political blogs and commentary from people on both the left and the right irritated me because neither could see the hypocrisy of what they were saying.  So I sent a cartoon to the owner the site and he posted it.  It got some reaction.  Eventually I started my own site because I wanted to cultivate my own audience.

My inspiration comes from stupidity.  I am the smartest man in the world and my cartoons are my voice to let other people know how stupid they are while making them smile at the same time.  My coworkers tell me that I have the innate ability to let someone know they are being an asshole in a way they still feel good about themselves.

The OG: You have a pretty big following with overflowing comments for each of your posts. How does it make you feel to be so loved by your fans?

Bearman: As any cartoonist will tell you, the loneliest thing is to post something and get NO reaction, good or bad.  I remember being so excited with that first comment that someone actually found my site in a sea of editorial cartoons and webcomics.

So as part of my way to cultivate an audience I started going to some of the bigger webcomic sites.  Instead of just commenting there I started paying attention to the people commenting.  Those were the engagers I wanted to come to my site.  So I would check out their site and start commenting.  They in turn returned the favor and a whole incestuous group of bloggers started engaging with each other.

Yet, people are surprised when I tell them the relatively small number of visits I get to my site but I would hold up the number of commenters and engagement up to even some of the biggest webcomics.

The OG: When all is said and done what type of legacy would you like for Bearman Cartoons to have?

Bearman: That someone will actually start paying me for doing this shit.  But more altruistically, that people can look to me as inspiration that we can disagree politically or otherwise without being hypocritical jerks.

The OG: Who wins in a battle to the death? Wolverine or Ron Paul?

Definitely Ron Paul.  That man keeps coming back from the abyss.