If Rat and Pig mean more to you than just types of animals, than you're obviously familiar and most likely a fan of the iconic cartoon strip Pearls Before Swines.
Since it first appeared in newspapers back in 2002, the strip has gone on to feature in over 600 newspapers the world over. But for creator Stephan Pastis, getting this far was something he never imagined would happen in a million years. “I just wanted to make enough money to be able to quit being a lawyer,” says the cartoonist who previously worked in insurance defence for about 10 years.
Pastis first decided to try his luck with the syndicate sometime in 1995/96 but the going was hard. It was only in 2000 that United first debuted his work on the website comics.com. But his major breakthrough came after cartoonist Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, liked his work and endorsed it on his website. After that, there was no looking back. Pastis, who has a big fan base in India as well, will be touring the country for the first time shortly and will travel through Mumbai and Goa. And he is super excited about the trip
TG: Tell us about your upcoming lecture here in Goa
Pastis: Well, I'm really coming just as a tourist because I want to see Mumbai and Goa. I have a number of people who are going to show me around. So I am going to go to all the famous tourist spots. I think I'm looking forward to the food the most and the beaches in Goa. And I want to see Old Goa as well. But on February 6 at 6 pm, I will be speaking at BITS “ Pilani. I'll be talking about Pearls Before Swine and how I became a cartoonist. I'll show some fans' favorite strips (and the ones that got a lot of complaints); and I'll talk about some of the crazy stuff that's happened to me during my career.
TG: What is it that you like most about the country?
Pastis: I love India...the films, the mystical quality, the people, the food....All I've been doing for the past 3 months is watching Hindi films...I can't get enough of them.
TG: So which are your favorite films from what all that you've watched so far?
Pastis: Oh, man, that's a long list, but some of them are: Queen, Rang de Basanti, Gangs of Wasseypur, Three Idiots, Chak de India....
TG:Let's talk about your comic strip. How did you decide on the name Pearls Before Swine?
Pastis: It actually comes from the Bible originally. Matthew 7:6: “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine.” In the case of the strip, Rat thinks everything he says is wise, and that it is wasted upon dumb Pig.
TG:Is there a reason for not giving your characters names?
Pastis: I like the blunt, stark simplicity of it.
TG:You've been drawing ever since you were a kid. Have you ever found some of your old childhood drawings and wondered what the hell were you thinking?
Pastis:All the time. I think I must have been dropped on my head. I once drew my mother and father being kidnapped by a gangster threatening them at gunpoint. I think I was six.
TG:You've mentioned that a comic strip has a rhythm and a pattern. Could you elaborate on this.
Pastis: Well, humor is all rhythm, much like music. Some days I can hear it; and some days I can't. The latter makes for some long writing days.
TG:Have there been any significant changes in the way that you have changed as a cartoonist since you first started out?
Pastis: I know more about how to do it, so that's helpful. But I'm also a little bit more conservative about it sometimes. Not quite as wild as when I started. I think that comes with success, unfortunately. But I still try to shake things up now and then.
TG:At the same time there's been this debate that print is dying out and with that print comics could perish too. Do you see this happening?
Pastis: Yeah, it's possible, but not likely. Just like radio and every other medium that was supposed to die out, that doesn't really seem to happen. The mediums just change.
TG:You've also parodied other comics.What has been the response from the creators of those comics to this?
Pastis: All but one thought they were funny.
TG:You also mentioned that you have a writing room where you draw on the walls. Could you give us a better picture of this room?
Pastis: I have a drawing studio here that is about a mile from my home. Really, it's just a three bedroom flat. And I use one of the bedrooms as a writing room and draw all over the walls. It's fun to do.
TG:Today, social media has really played a huge role in helping cartoonists gain popularity even as they struggle to get into print. What is your take on this?
Pastis: Yeah, it's been great. It puts you in direct touch with the audience. For me, that's been helpful. It also helps me to promote events that I do.
TG:What does it take to make it as a cartoonist today and is it tougher to get in today than when you started out?
Pastis: You have to be able to write funny. It all comes down to the writing.For newspapers for sure it is tougher as there a lot fewer opportunities.
TG:Any interesting fan experiences that you would like to share with us
Pastis: A woman I ran into while walking down the street in Hollywood. She screamed my name from a bar I was passing. It happens so infrequently that it scared me. But I guess she recognized me.
BOX
Apart from his comic strip Pearls before Swines, Stephan Pastis has also authored a Timmy Failure book series. His first book 'Timmy Failure: Mistakes were made' was released in 2013. Since then there have been three more installments. The book follows the story of a 11 year old clueless detective and his sidekick polar bear and their misadventures. “Kid detectives are supposed to be brilliant. I thought it would be funny to write about one who was not,” says Pastis on why he chose the detective genre. Following the huge success of the series, Pastis is now working on a screenplay for Timmy Failure.
