Workplace Cartoons, Part 11
More mattress making hilarity. Or cringe. Depends on your perspective...
At this point, I had been a box-builder for a few years. An addition was put on at the rear of the factory and the production had moved back there, leaving the front area for the quilting, sewing and cutting part of the whole process. I would soon enter that area soon…
As I’m want to point out, the factory life can attract some interesting people from all walks of life. It was a challenge for me being a creative to navigate a world filled with people not curious about anything other than drinking and smoking. I wanted out. Most were content that they had a job. So, I cartooned my way through as a way to survive and to entertain myself. I was primarily working for an audience of one, first and foremost, me. There were probably two of us. I did have a partner in crime. I guess that I did punch down quite a bit, but would like to point out that I liked some of these guys and gals that I would lampoon. And they did seem to enjoy my antics somewhat, but were probably mostly confused.
Frank here was an alcoholic by his own admission. To his credit, he never drank at work. I even hung out with him and his wife from time to time. He was fun and personable, just had some inner demons.
This may seem mean, but I think he gave me that idea.
A lot of my toons were based on the comments that certain workers would repeat often. Then, I would take those comments and put those workers in a situation, such as being on Jeopardy.
Then, the ever popular Employee Profile, littered with actual sayings and doings. Well, popular to me, I guess.
This next one involved our Quality Control engineer, Keith. Keith was a good guy. This was done about the time that the film Anaconda came out and we wondered what Keith would sound like saying Ice Cube’s line from the movie. Then, it snowballed from there to being a Soul Brother wearing some crazy 70’s funkadelic outfit. We cracked ourselves up (that party of two that I mentioned).
Andy was a cutter for a while. I think that I took over for him after I had quit for a while and then came back (what was I thinking?!!). For a cutter, he had a weird way of using scissors that wasn’t very effective. And wanted to teach others of this method.
There were some animated and explosive personalities…
On this next one, I can’t recall just what I was lampooning. This guy was no fan of then Detroit mayor Coleman Young and he was no protester either, so I’m not sure what this was about. I thought the drawing was ok, so I included it.
Or maybe he did like him. I don’t know…
Once again, Big John was the target for hi-lo accolades. As I said before, I think that he got a chuckle out of these. I’m sure he thought that I was a little off.
This Employee Profile was about a gent from Oklahoma (in case that wasn’t obvious) who upon cashing his check every week, would go and buy porn to mail back to his friends. Apparently, it was illegal then. Life goals.
This next one, is kind of an Employees Profile…
One of the other hi-lo drivers was a nepo hire and let everyone know it. He would make fun of me for taking a vacation and not go anywhere. Away from there WAS somewhere. He didn’t get it.
More soon!
CREATIVE NOTES:
Reading: Designing A Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans Dimwood by Richard Corben
Listening: The Power Station by The Power Station