 For a Fathers Day event, I was in a West U neighborhood at a store called Parker Joe- A Boys World. In the world of business and marketing there is an emphasis on owning a business that serves a niche and Parker Joe was one such place. They offer clothing but not just clothing; boys clothing. In fact not just boys clothing, but small boys clothing and I think any boys over 10 years of age would come away empty handed. However, I must confess, I was excited about their small collection of toys available; some I would have loved to have had as a kid. The day before fathers day, on Saturday, I was at the grand opening of Sunterra, a new subdivision in Katy and the big attraction was the enormous community pool. It was designed to simulate a beach, complete with white sand leading right up to the pools edge and the pool itself was hundreds of yards from one end to the other.
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 I often get comments while drawing cartoons at events that go something like, "You have a real gift for drawing" or "I wish I could draw like you, but it has to be a natural talent".
I always thank them for their kind words but they're very wrong. I'm not gifted nor naturally talented, not by any stretch of the imagination. In an unrelated incident... Ludwig von Beethoven had just finished a performance of one of his own compositions and was surrounded by a crowd of his many admirers. Each person was generous with the outpourings of praise and admiration in the direction of the famous composer. One woman gushed "If only God had given me such a gift of genius." to which Beethoven turned an unfriendly look in her direction and said coldly, "It isn't genius, madame. Neither is it magic. You can be as good as I. All you have to do is practice on your piano every day, eight hours a day for forty years." Mad Magazine was my preferred literature of choice It may be odd for many people to hear this, but I never had an ambition to be a caricature artist. It has never crossed my mind in all the years prior to finding it to be a profitable venture. At the same time, no one should make the mistake of thinking I didn't like drawing and making my own gags since childhood, but it was somewhat of a personal thing that I kept mostly to myself. A hungry Pauper However, the possibility of drawing caricatures of others, live and in public, with dozens of people watching me do so, was the certainly not on my list of things I wanted to do. Without going too deeply into it, I decided to give it a try only when unemployment compelled me to do so. It didn't just come to me, though. It's taken many thousands of tries to get to the point where the public will pay for it. I sometimes tell people after receiving their gracious comments about my "natural gift" that it's no gift. It's lots and lots of practice.  Most of the events at which I am hired to draw are usually quite low keyed and involve something like a simple kid's birthday party, a company party, block party or any other proper gathering where there is little likelihood of heavy drinking becoming an issue...but not always. This past Friday was one such occasion.
The behavior wasn't an over-the-top, good old fashion brawl, but since wine was the main attraction (HEB Food and Wine Show) there were many quite buzzed party goers and lucky me, I was positioned near the DJ and dance floor. It's hard enough to draw well in the middle of a crowd under normal circumstances, but when said crowd is well-juiced on endless glasses of wine, it's doubly difficult, especially when I'm stationed so near the action. As the night progressed, and the more inebriated the guests got, and as more and more people were staggering to the dance floor, I found myself pushing away the dancers to prevent them from stepping on my gear and knocking over my drawing table. The positive thing was that because my drawings suffered a tad because I was working while pushing away the drunks, the customers I was drawing were also well soused, so they didn't notice any flaws. Besides that, drinkers tip better. Why We Laugh at Exaggerated Faces Why do we enjoy seeing ourselves drawn with oversized heads, cartoon noses, or exaggerated expressions? As a professional caricature artist, I’ve seen firsthand how people light up when they view their “alter ego” on paper. But what’s behind the reaction? Let’s explore the fascinating psychology of caricatures—and why they resonate with us so deeply.  1. Our Brains Love Faces—Especially Distinctive Ones Human brains are wired for face recognition. We instantly pick up on key features—like a bold nose, high cheekbones, or a crooked smile, or in the case of Giles, a long, white beard. Caricatures take those features and amplify them, creating a “supernormal stimulus.” Believe it or not, research shows people often recognize caricatures of celebrities faster than their actual photos. That’s because exaggeration makes the face more… well, them. 2. Simple Shapes Speak Volumes Caricatures strip a face down to its most iconic elements. This visual shorthand is tied to Gestalt psychology, where the brain seeks patterns and fills in gaps. A successful caricature doesn’t just look like someone—it feels like them. That’s the magic: capturing a personality with fewer lines, not more.  3. Exaggeration + Surprise = Laughter Caricature is visual comedy. It thrives on incongruity—the delightful mismatch between what we expect and what we see. Your mind expects a typical face. Instead, it gets a goofy twist. That moment of surprise creates a laugh or smile. The brain loves resolving that tension with humor. 4. A Playful Mirror: Safe Self-Awareness Why do so many people enjoy seeing themselves exaggerated? Because it’s a playful reflection. Caricatures give us permission to laugh at our own quirks without feeling exposed. Since the image is clearly stylized, we don’t take it too seriously—but it still feels personal.  5. Expression Matters—Even in Lines Even simple doodles can carry huge emotional weight. We instinctively read character into visual cues: arched eyebrows for mischief, narrowed eyes for skepticism, slouched posture for apathy. That’s why a good caricature isn’t just funny—it’s you, in cartoon form. 6. When Caricature Becomes Commentary Political and editorial cartoonists use caricature as satire—exaggerating features and behavior to critique culture, leadership, or public figures. Here, humor meets message. It’s not just for laughs—it’s about saying something loud, clear, and visual. Final Thoughts
Caricature is more than a party sketch or comic-style portrait. It’s a reflection of how our brains interpret faces, emotions, and humor. At its core, it’s a celebration of uniqueness—and a reminder that laughter often comes from seeing ourselves in a new (and slightly twisted) light. Want to see yourself in cartoon form? I offer custom caricatures for individuals, couples, events, and brands—each one drawn with heart, humor, and a bit of artistic mischief. At The Greater Houston Sports Club, where I've been invited for the past three years for Independence Day celebrations, there were plenty of people willing to get lampooned in the midst of a fun day. There was a hot dog eating contest, an expert shotgun shooting demonstration, live music, face painters, balloon artists and after sundown there was a terrific fireworks show.
 A neighborhood Independence Day celebration was the scene and the crawfish being served was delicious. There was a DJ, jump houses and face painters. Many times a neighborhood will throw a celebration for most any event.
 In the spirit of nostalgia, sometimes, when I feel like walking down memory lane, I pull out my old comics and drawings from days past. Pictured above are some mail-order, oversized books for which I saved up my allowance ($1.oo a week) to purchase. It was 1974, I was 12 years old at the time, and it took the standard 4 to 6 weeks for delivery and I was one happy boy when they arrived! I got hours of enjoyment out of them.  In the center of one of the comic books was a two page "how to draw Superman" insert which I practiced. It was one of my earliest attempts at real drawing.  Surprisingly enough, I still have one of my attempts at Superman on the now yellowed and tattered notebook paper. What do you think of for a 12 year old?
Normally I have a standing policy at gigs: no drawings from photos. However, when I was drawing at a clothing store in Memorial City recently, things were slow and when someone asked me if I could draw their kid from a photo, I agreed.
This opened the gate for others to request the same, and to my surprise, asked me to draw their dogs from a photo and it turned out I drew more dogs than people! It was a first. Never, in all the years of my career as a cartoonist have I gone to an event, expecting to draw only people but ending up to draw more dogs. The Marriot Waterway was the scene for the 20th annual Wine and Food week. It was a sizable auditorium full of delightful wine and food vendors and after I had my fill of delicious lamb sausage (to good to describe) and samples of pecan pie, I turned to drawing patrons for three hours. Boy! This is better than ditch digging!
Dann Dunn Paint Jam put on a show who is astounding to watch create high quality works of art on stage which were then auctioned off and the proceeds given to charity. The weather is certainly heating up for this neighborhood party. The boy in the drawing on the left fell dead asleep in his mother's lap while I was drawing them, and on the right is Robby, my buddy. He was present during the entire four hour event and I drew him twice; early with his family and later on near the end of the event.
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