Portrait of the artist as a young bear.
So... You're a Cartoonist?
is a webcomic 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 net.
Until June 2015 it was available on the artist's DeviantArt page but is now only being updated on his website.
Both Preston himself and SYAC are controversial among many circles, so please exercise discretion.
So... You're a Cartoonist? provides examples of:
- Accentuate the Negative: Both Preston and his critics.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Cartoon!Preston looked younger and had more hair than the real deal, moreso as time went on. Noting this in a comic, he eventually changed himself to be a bear so his appearance wouldn't matter anymore.
- Alliterative Name: Persistent Pam and Curmudgeonly Carl.
- Animesque: The girl in this strip.
- Annoying Arrows: Here.
- Art Evolution: In the older comics Preston drew himself as a human but later pages show him as a blue bear.
- Art Shift: Happens occasionally. Example.
- Asian Speekee Engrish: When he was younger he had a Chinese roommate who had immigrated recently and thus didn't speak English very well.
- Aside Glance: Done sometimes.
- Author Avatar: Tom Preston a.k.a Andrew Dobson. As a small, blue anthropomorphic bear.
- Berserk Button: Preston's is (or was) artists thinking they can skip learning the basics because they draw manga. In fact manga and anime seem to be Berserk Buttons for him in general.
- He also hates misogyny and sexism.
- Big "NO!": Here.
- Black Bead Eyes: One-shot characters often have them.
- Brain Bleach: Google images can be treacherous.
- Captain Obvious Aesop: Brought up in this strip. Preston says he's thinking of 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 Mario.
- Caustic Critic: Preston has both tangled with them over his own work and been one himself.
- Flame War: In-Universe. He demonstrates his "talent" to start an instant flame war by yelling "Metroid: Other M rocks!" Cue exploding computer.
- Flat "What": Twice in one page.
- Form-Fitting Wardrobe: Mocked here and here.
- Four-Fingered Hands: Humans have five, funny animals have four.
- Funny Animal: Preston's later blue bear appearance.
- G.I.F.T.: He's made a bingo card.
- Head Desk: He has a list.
- Hypocrisy Nod: Here.
- Imagine Spot
- It Makes Sense in Context: 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.
- Limited Wardrobe: Before he became a bear anyway.
- Male Gaze: Preston is not a fan when it reaches a pandering level.
- Message in a Bottle: Played with here.
- Nerd: Tom Preston and a lot of his customers are out and proud nerds.
- Nice Hat: Preston wore a fedora in both bear and human forms. Later on he got rid of it after fedoras became associated in the internet with Small Name, Big Ego.
- Oh, Crap!: Preston has had a few. Usually related to looming deadlines.
- Potty Emergency: Here.
- Protection from Editors: Preston's not a fan since he believes restrictions on a creator help fuel their creativity.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: After one of his Berserk Buttons (misogyny) finally breaks him.
- Small Name, Big Ego
- Stuffed in the Fridge: Mocked mercilessly here.
- Take That!: Against George Lucas.
- The War on Straw: One of the biggest criticisms of the comic is Preston's use of Straw Men to represent those who disagree with him. A rather infamous example can be seen here.
- Wingding Eyes: Here.
- Yaoi Fangirl: Emily is one.
- You, Get Me Coffee: Played for Laughs here.
- You Gotta Have Blue Hair: The anime fans that visit his booth usually have odd hair colors.
- Young Future Famous People: He's pretty surprised to hear years later that his old roommate now works at Disney.
