American Magazine March 2015

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*SOC/BA ’92, New York–based creator of syndicated comic strip Daddy’s Home, author, and fine artist (rubinocreative.com)
1. I use paint for my fine art (some of the
work is also digital). As a cartoonist, I
use ink pens for the line art when I’m
finished with the sketch.
2. I sketch on the iPad with a stylus and
sketching app. I also use it to watch TV
or listen to music. I need silence when
I’m writing, but I like to listen to music
when I’m drawing.
3. A couple years ago, I started doing
fine art—mostly pop art—and I’ve had
shows in Chicago and New York. The
city is filled with art, whether it’s public
sculpture, graffiti, or an exhibit at
MoMA. I’m so inspired by the city.
4. My reading glasses with a mild
prescription make me look smarter.
5. I work out of my apartment, but I take
the subway to meet with my agent,
publisher, and Avanti Publishing, a
greeting card company with whom I
work as a creative consultant.
6. Beats by Dre headphones are great for
blocking out street noise. I use them to
listen to music (the Rolling Stones are a
favorite) and talk on the phone.
7. I wear my lucky Communist hat while I
work. It’s not really lucky, but I like that
it makes me look like Che Guevara.
8. We’ve been doing one comic a day since
2008. Ideas come from everywhere. I
have pads to jot down an idea or quick
sketch, and I use a vellum pad for inking.
9. The worst thing I can do is stare at a
blank page. Ideas come to me while
I’m working out or walking in the city.
10. I used to drink coffee, but I find diet
Red Bull is a more efficient means of
delivering the drug. I drink four a day.
11. I’ve written 10 books. One of them, Why
Didn’t I Think of That? 101 Inventions That
Changed the World by Hardly Trying, led
to a column that’s distributed overseas
by a London syndicate.
12. I had one of the first Macs ever and I’ve
just kept upgrading. I use my MacBook
Pro for social networking and design
work and to manage all my businesses.
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artwork by Tony Rubino.
PORTRAIT BY TONY RUBINO
48 AMERICAN MAGAZINE MARCH 2015