I mean especially with a cartoon character, it’s all in the eyes and the mouth. In my case, the eyes because Timmy doesn’t have a mouth. But it’s all in the eyes. So yeah, you convey a lot. I mean think of Peanuts. Think of – I mean I could just rattle these off and you’ll know every image I’m saying.
You know, Charlie Brown with the broken kite walking home or Charlie Brown laying on the mound having just had all his clothes knocked off or laying on the ground after kicking the football or waiting for the little red—haired – I mean, all those images are stuck in your head. There must be something powerful about them. Cartoonists are artists and in the case of Schulz, he was a great artist.
That’s another prejudice I want to get past. I don’t know why we don’t look at them that way. Because it’s simple? To me, simple is harder than complex. When you only have two lines to convey emotion, you better not waste anything because they’re all there. And if you think it’s simple, try to draw Charlie Brown. It is shockingly hard. Even the shape of his head. I mean that’s great art. Maybe someday we’ll see it that way.