Line #25 Webcomic/SoYoureACartoonist


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3	[[quoteright:264:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/syac_point_by_tompreston_d7j2ez8.jpg]]
4	[[caption-width-right:264:Portrait of the artist as a young bear.]]
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11	''[[http://www.syacartoonist.com/ So... You're a Cartoonist?]]'' was a {{webcomic\|s}} started by Tom Preston (real name Andrew Dobson) in 2011. SYAC is a comedic autobiographical comic about Tom Preston's life as an unemployed cartoonist and the challenges he faces day-to-day, both on and off the net.
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13	Until June 2015, SYAC was available on Dobson's website and [=DeviantArt=] page. From 2015 to 2017, it was updated only on his website. In 2017, the comic went on hiatus, and later, every strip was deleted. Some strips have survived, thanks to blogs discussing Dobson's work.
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15	!! ''So... You're a Cartoonist?'' provides examples of:
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17	%%* AccentuateTheNegative: Both Preston and his critics.
18	* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Cartoon!Preston looked younger and had more hair than the real deal, [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/q-and-a-hair more so as time went on]]. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160318001613/http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/its-very-stylish Noting this in a comic]], he eventually changed himself to be a bear so his appearance wouldn't matter anymore.
19	-->'''Preston:''' Honestly, [[BaitAndSwitch it's like no one's ever seen a HAT before]]...
20	* AdaptationalBadass: He has admitted that, in real life, he's quite timid and shy, compared to how he portrays himself in the comics.
21	* AlliterativeName: Persistent Pam and Curmudgeonly Carl.
22	* {{Animesque}}: The girl in [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/subverted-expectations this strip]]. Also, Dobson's early art style itself, which was obviously inspired by Creator/RumikoTakahashi's.
23	%%* AnnoyingArrows: [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/treasure Here]].
24	* ArtEvolution: Preston drew himself as a human in the older comics, but later pages show him as a blue bear.
25	** In general, his art style as a whole shifted drastically at the beginning of this [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160216060006/http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/so-you-re-a-cartoonist 17th August 2012 comic strip]] by using thicker line art and more cartoony proportions for faces.
26	* ArtShift: This happens occasionally. [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/powered-up Example]].
27	** Downplayed with the New SYAC comics (i.e., a series of strips starring an aspiring female cartoonist named Emily), which has a brighter color palette, a flat coloring style, and uses colored outlines instead of the usual black in the Classic SYAC comics (i.e., gag-per-day strips).
28	* AsianSpeekeeEngrish: When he was younger, he had a Chinese roommate who had immigrated recently and thus didn't speak English very well.
29	%%* AsideGlance: Done sometimes.
30	* AuthorAvatar: Tom Preston, a.k.a, Andrew Dobson, is the protagonist of the comic. He originally represented himself with a cartoon version of himself, then a younger-looking man, only to end up as a small, blue anthropomorphic bear.
31	* BerserkButton:
32	** Preston's is artists thinking they can skip learning the basics because they [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/the-manga-artist draw manga]]. In fact, manga and anime seem to be Berserk Buttons for him in general.
33	** He also hates misogyny and sexism.
34	%%* BigNo: [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/persistent-pam-is-persistent Here]].
35	* BlackBeadEyes: One-shot characters often have them, and Persistent Pam has these as part of her design.
36	%%* BrainBleach: Google images can be [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/reference treacherous]].
37	* [[invoked]]CaptainObviousAesop: Brought up in [[http://tompreston.deviantart.com/art/Quote-Unquote-368116247 this strip]]. Preston says he's considering making a comic addressing terrorism or gun control. His friend argues that criticizing something everyone already hates takes no real effort. Preston thus decides to give himself a challenge and deliberately unleash a flame war... about [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]].
38	%%* CausticCritic: Preston has both tangled with them over his own work and been one himself.
39	* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Andrew Dobson's former girlfriend was a recurring character in the strips, but she stopped appearing when she and Dobson broke up.
40	* DisembodiedEyebrows: [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160216000412/http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/high-brow In this strip]], Persistent Pam mentions her dislike of this trope when she points out Preston utilizing this occasionally. [[InvokedTrope He reacts with exaggerated surprise]], much to her annoyance.
41	* DoubleStandard: Andrew Dobson has a recurring problem with empowered female characters and how they tend to be called boring or Mary Sues, while male characters with similar attributes don't get this reception.
42	** [[https://64.media.tumblr.com/5133beb09e95cf7333b2fc8f2d6a7002/d628032412b72b44-9d/s1280x1920/e2f70de10f5a76c74c98ee20e7f0606b66f79c25.jpg This strip]], for example, has the StrawCharacter complain that ''Film/{{Captain Marvel\|2019}}'' is boring and overpowered, asking who would want to watch that. Dobson looks at how there are eight ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' movies and point out the double standard.
43	** [[https://64.media.tumblr.com/fc0be05704b0aeda6df9740cd1bf8aae/tumblr_inline_p5gbecigzW1r7r8ub_1280.jpg In another strip]], he defines a Mary Sue as an "idealized and seemingly perfect fictional character. Often this character is recognized as an [[AuthorAvatar author insert]] or WishFulfillment". He then complains about how the biggest Mary Sue is ComicBook/{{Batman}}.
44	* DrosteImage: Downplayed due to a lack of the infinite mirror effect. [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160216060949/http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/by-any-means This strip]] where a power outage reveals that he's working on a drawing that resembles the strip's first panel. In short, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment he's drawing a drawing of himself drawing]].
45	* DumbBlond: [[https://www.reddit.com/r/ComedyCemetery/comments/6xhv1r/lesbian_kick/ In a strip]] using the cast of ''Alex Ze Pirate'', author Andrew Dobson depicts the winner of a beauty contest, who is blond, as a dumb broad.
46	* FlameWar: InUniverse. He demonstrates his "talent" to start an instant flame war by yelling, "''VideoGame/MetroidOtherM'' rocks!" Cue exploding computer.
47	* FreudianExcuse: Andrew Dobson, [[https://64.media.tumblr.com/6f630aadce91c572a5b6b878fbbc8cee/a075fad96ee1f26a-c7/s1280x1920/1586e2b46d3d06326729a57c95f5d57a5aff668c.jpg in his words and artwork]], suggested that his dislike of blond people comes from a bully he had when he was a kid in school. This grudge is intense enough that when that bully reached out to him to become friends on Facebook, he rejected it.
48	* FlatWhat: Several comics invoke this, with characters responding this way to various ridiculous antics around them.
49	%%* FormFittingWardrobe: Mocked [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/how-to-design-a-superhero-costume here]] and [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/suck-it-up here]].
50	* FourFingeredHands: In the comic's art style, humans have five, while [[FunnyAnimal funny animals]] have four.
51	* FunnyAnimal: Preston's later blue bear appearance, portraying himself as a small anthropomorphic blue bear wearing glasses and a nice hat. It's funny that in an earlier strip, he mentions he doesn't understand furries.
52	%%* HeadDesk: He has a [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/headdesk list]].
53	%%* HypocrisyNod: [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/mistakes Here]].
54	%%* ImagineSpot
55	* ItMakesSenseInContext: [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/eat-that-pencil-running-like-a-dog In one strip]], his roommate abruptly ran into their room and screamed, "EAT THE PENCIL! RUNNING LIKE A DOG!" The next day, it was made all clear; his roommate was referring to a new invention of his, a model car that could transform and grow legs if you stuck pencils in it.
56	* LimitedWardrobe: Before he became a bear anyway, Preston only represented himself wearing a blue shirt and a pair of pants. As a bear, he goes full commando.
57	%%* MaleGaze: Preston is [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/pandering-gaze not a fan when it reaches a pandering level]].
58	%%* MessageInABottle: Played with [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/sos-bottle here]].
59	%%* OhCrap: Preston has had a few. Usually related to looming deadlines.
60	%%* PottyEmergency: [[http://tompreston.deviantart.com/art/SYAC-Bathroom-Breaks-196789138 Here.]]
61	* [[invoked]]ProtectionFromEditors: Preston's [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/textbook-example not a fan]] since he believes restrictions on a creator help fuel their creativity.
62	%%* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: After one of his [[BerserkButton Berserk Buttons]] (misogyny) finally [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/over-and-out breaks him]].
63	* ScullyBox: [[invoked]] Parodied [[https://web.archive.org/web/20160320190223/http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/keep-it-clean-extra in this strip]]. A fan sent a doodle pointing out how the height difference between Bear!Preston and a human is inappropriate for their proportions. In response, Preston drew a sketch outside the panel, which shows [[spoiler:two dead bodies with a paintbrush to the eye and an artist's palette to the back, respectively, with Preston standing on top of the former.]]
64	%%* TakeThat: Against [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/textbook-example George Lucas]].
65	* TheyChangedItSoItSucks: One of the most notorious [[https://64.media.tumblr.com/43c4a2839d372e42b2914bfa76b9276b/tumblr_inline_p3nev32AkH1r7r8ub_640.jpg strips]] is about a Nintendo representative changing the established lore of ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'', ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', and ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}''. Mario isn't longer from Brooklyn, Link no longer has brown hair anymore, and Samus Aran no longer has green hair. The problem arises from Dobson taking inspiration from the Creator/DiCEntertainment animated shows and Samus's EasterEgg costume. Dobson [[ParodyRetcon later stated that this strip is a joke]].
66	* TitleDrop: [[https://archive.vn/jtecV This strip]] mentions the comic's title verbatim before the manga fan asks Preston, the titular cartoonist, what style he draws in.
67	%%* YaoiFangirl: Emily is [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/stay-frosty one]].
68	%%* YouGetMeCoffee: PlayedForLaughs [[http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/intern here.]]
69	* {{Yonkoma}}: Many of his gag-based strips are formatted like this, especially during his {{Animesque}} era back in 2011. Lampshaded in [[https://web.archive.org/web/20180920200512/http://www.syacartoonist.com/comic/4-is-too-many this strip]] when Preston is admonished for trying too hard to stick to the formula.
70	* YoungFutureFamousPeople: He's pretty surprised to hear years later that his old roommate, Ke Jiang, now works at {{Creator/Disney}}.

Context Webcomic / SoYoureACartoonist