muley

TELL ME, I CAN TAKE IT!!
By Kevin L. Williams

This little article is written so that others may enjoy the peace and tranquilizer that I enjoy after asking someone for an opinion. My communication practice is this: if you don’t want to know, don’t ask! This is hopefully going to help many folks be able to ask for and accept opinions with open-mindedness and maybe even improve their talent and publication probability. I am using myself and my own experiences here as an example because I think of myself as some kind of rolled motel…I mean, roll model.

“Honey, does this dress make me look fat?”

In 1980, Muley the Mule came into existence. Originally, in 1979, he was a hound dog friend to my character Spike the Dog. When I showed the hound to my Papa Roy, he proclaimed, “He’s muley lookin’ ain’t he?” Thus, my ass was born.

For many years people would call him a “dog” while others accepted that he was called a mule. Many other folks never asked, never cared, or never even thought about it. Once, he was even called a monkey! Distraught and depressed, Muley bit my ankles and told me to find some help. I cornered MSCA Historian Greg Cravens with my P64 Mass Demodulator and asked him, “Can you give me some help and some pointers?” And in the classic style of a classy guy, he said, “Yep.” He suggested that I lose the drooped ears and put them on top of Muley’s head, making the ears more “equine.” Shorten his tail, add some 3D look to his cheeks/muzzle, among other suggestions.

Generally, after putting 20 years into a character some folks would be taken aback at such outrageous suggestions! Most people would say, “Okay, thanks,” but never implement the suggestions. On the next note, some folks would get upset at this. Me? I wanted to know, so I asked, he told me, and I accepted it and implemented the ideas and suggestions into the cartoon character and the puppet version of Muley. Quite frankly, I like the new Muley better!!

What’s my point? “Honey, does this dress make me look fat?” “Yes.” Don’t ask questions if you aren’t ready for the truth.

“Excuses, excuses, you’ll hear them everyday; and the Devil will provide them in each and every way…”

When you ask for an opinion from someone skilled and experienced and they begin to tell you how to fix your problems, don’t make excuses. It’s okay to take artistic licenses in your work as long as it makes your work work! “I meant to change that before you saw it,” “I knew that already, this is just the rough draft (and it’s already inked?!),” among other excuses. When someone is explaining something to you in response to your plea for help or review, don’t make excuses for your mistakes because even the most skilled artist made simple mistakes in the beginning. As I’ve heard others say, sometimes it takes that swift kick in the ass (no offense, Muley) to get your work edging toward that peak of perfection. But always keep in mind, like everything else you do in life, you will learn something new every day as cartooning, like everything else, is constantly changing.

“Your faces are all f****d up!”

OUCH! That was from a so-called “professional” cartoonist as they reviewed one of my best friends’ portfolio. Did it sound like tactful advice was given or did it sound like someone who was talking out of desperation in fear of future competition? There will come a day when someone will ask you, “What do you think?” and how you control that conversation will determine that person’s will to continue their art career. This is something that should be handled with care and tact so you don’t rip down someone’s inspirations and dreams; but at the same time you don’t want to lie to the person either. Keep in mind, when they ask for your honest opinion give it to them in a constructive manner so that they can build on the foundation that you give them. One of the nicest things I can imagine was, even though I had asked for an honest opinion and help, Greg said, “This may sound harsh, but I don’t know any other way to say it…” That showed he cared about me as an individual first and next he was going to tell me the truth, which is what I wanted and I think I’m better for it now, or at least Muley is.

“So, what’s your point?”

Take me home, Nellie! The final points to all this: if you want to succeed, you have to ask for advice. Ask for it from someone who is as professional as you can find and preferably someone who has succeeded. Keep an open mind and be willing to accept constructive criticism appreciatively as that person spending that time on you really doesn’t have to. Keep in mind how you want to be treated so when the day comes you will treat whoever comes to you for help or advice the same way. And never, ever give up on your dreams, as without dreams nothing is possible; with them, everything is possible.

(Originally published in "The Sketchbook Newsletter" in the year 2000, I think.)