10 Things with cartoonist Duane Abel
Duane Abel, Cartoonist, pictured with “Zed”, his weekly comic strip.
Duane Abel is an amazing cartoonist, now also screenwriter, who not only produces a weekly comic strip (Zed), and has now written—and cameo’d—in his own feature film, but also prioritizes traveling the country to speak to young minds about the importance of goal setting, literacy and education. We are so honored to have him as part of the IAFM team, always making us smile with his great energy and funny comics in both our print publication and e-newsletter.
Everyone, meet Duane!
Have you always known you've wanted to be a Cartoonist?
Without question I have always wanted to be a cartoonist. When I was young I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up and that created a laser focus.
Tell us about your process once you start putting ink to paper.
Well, first of all, the ink is the last thing! I am happy to report that every ZED comic strip is created completely by hand and everything starts with an idea. When I have enough ideas scribble down I hand those to my trusted editor and wife for her approval. This is where the fun begins because I get to sit at the same drawing board I've had since I was 10 years old and pencil each comic strip. When I am satisfied I then hand ink and letter everything! That is exactly the way that my hero Charles Schulz created "Peanuts" so who am I to try and reinvent the wheel?
What was the first comic book you ever owned?
Superman. While I loved comic books growing up, what really sparked my interest was the Sunday funnies so anytime I got any extra money I would be buying a comic strip book collection of Snoopy, Garfield, Heathcliff, Family Circus, Beetle Bailey, Ziggy and many others!
Was there a Cartoonist you always looked up to?
Charles Schulz - Peanuts
Mort Walker - Beetle Bailey
Jim Davis - Garfield
Dik Brown - Hagar the Horrible
Tom Wilson - Ziggy
Bil Keane - Family Circus
Brian Crane - Pickles
Kevin Fagan - Drabble
Bud Blake - Tiger
Hank Ketchum - Dennis the Menace
Geo. Gatley - Heathcliff
…. and a ton of other cartoons that I'm simply forgetting at the moment!
Who or what has been the biggest influence in your life?
I know that I'm very lucky because not only did I have amazing parents who were incredibly encouraging and supportive I also have amazing grandparents. Also, I have had many wonderful teachers throughout the years, too numerous to mention.
When did your love of writing begin?
Being a cartoonist is the perfect marriage of words and pictures. You could be the worst artist in the world, but if you are a good writer you will be considered a good cartoonist. However if you are an amazing artist but a sub par writer you will not have too much success as a cartoonist. I was able to go to college on a full theatrical scholarship as an actor, singer and dancer. This means I always had a play script in my hand that needed to be memorized. When I was in my early thirties I decided to write a play. Having never taken a screenwriting or playwriting course the best way that I learned was from actually putting pen to paper. Once the play "Jelly Jars" was produced I then began to wonder if I could write a movie...
Tell us about your latest project, The Green Oak Guardian. Who did you work with? What was the experience between writing the script to filming the movie?
Most of my time as a cartoonist is spent traveling throughout the country presenting a motivational elementary school assembly entitled DRAW YOUR DESTINY which promotes goal setting, the value of literacy and importance of education with the four words to success that all students need to hear. This is the perfect union of my skills as a cartoonist and talents as a performer. When the pandemic hit I was unable to perform so I told my wife that I was going to audition for a couple of independent movies being shot in the tri-state area because I needed a creative outlet. One of those films was the Christmas romantic comedy "Christmas Collision" directed by Lana Read and produced by the Ohio production company United Front Films. They knew of my background as a cartoonist and asked if I did any other writing. I mentioned that I had written a screenplay that was optioned by a Hollywood producer and may or may not ever see the light of day. They asked that if I had any other ideas that I send them their way because they liked working with me so much as an actor. One idea that I sent them really sparked their attention and I dedicated two weeks to writing the film that would become THE GREEN OAK GUARDIAN. Much like my comic strip I wrote the entire first draft long hand with a pencil and a school notebook. I sent them the script and completely forgot about it until 2 weeks later when they called and said that they wanted to put it into production. I told them that would be amazing but I would like them to consider filming in my hometown and I also asked to play a part in the movie. One year later we were in my hometown filming the movie and one year later the movie is now available on Amazon and Tubi!
What is your most prized possession, or moment in time?
My most prized possession is my drawing board. And a moment in time that I would love to get back (excluding anything to do with my wife or kids) is I would love to spend one more day working on the back of my grandfather's haywagon on the family farm.
Is there a book or podcast that you would recommend to our readership?
The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. I am a firm believer that anything you want to learn or improve in your life can be attained with a simple walk to your local library.
What is your favorite thing to do in your down time?
I love going for walks of my wife, attending any of my son's sporting events and something completely selfish... I enjoy swimming in the pool when it is raining.
Duane was recently interviewed on the IAFM Pod! Check out the interview and don’t forget to follow us on YouTube and Subscribe to our channel for instant access to more amazing content!