#20: Portraits, protests, and payment

Hello thill-seekers,

Yes, no, maybe? Whatever the answer, it’s time for another set of cartoons.

This week we look at the uncomfortable steps to corporate portraits, the need to switch off from the world outside, and how everyone deserves fair payment.

Kicking goals,
Chris

Like what you see? Follow me on Instagram (@chrisshorten), or talk a friend into following me on Instagram.

Caption: “Now from this angle you will feel unnatural and uncomfortable, but everyone who sees your photo will think you look normal.”

Who here has this photo? I’ll take a show of hands, or likes.

A few years back my work paid for us all to get corporate profile photos taken and I found myself in this exact pose, sitting to the side and arching my neck. Apparently it’s normal in portrait photography, but every time I see it I just think of how unnatural and uncomfortable it felt at the time.

And now you can think about it too.

A little artist’s note: If I’m honest, the biggest selling point of this cartoon for me is the look on the subject’s face as he’s waiting for his photo. The lines all happened in almost one fluid take and you can see the awkward smile, the slight lean, and the expression that reflects that he really doesn’t know what he’s doing here. But stepping back from this, I considered adding a background to it, but when I, myself, stepped back from it, I realised that as long as it had the rug underneath, it really didn’t need a background to feel complete.

Caption: “Hey, could you switch the channel?”

The world can feel a little hairy, and sometimes you just need to step away.

There are protests and there is chaos everywhere, but mostly we only really see it on the news and often we get to avoid it altogether. But with so much happening, it is inevitable that we will get up close to them at some point. And sometimes you just want to change the channel to something else.

Or get another drink.

A little artist’s note: With this cartoon, I really wanted to show the protest in full force and it was surprisingly effective to do so using these signs. I had considered including other things in there, you know, Godzilla and aliens, that sort of thing, but I felt like it needed to feel somewhat grounded to have the most resonance.

Caption: “No residuals, no photo.”

If you’ve been following the writer’s and actor’s strike, then you’ll know exactly what residuals are and why this cat might be refusing to pose without them.

Quick summary: when a writer or actor writes or appears in something, they typically get a residual payment every time that thing is shown. It’s the type of payment that keeps them afloat and can help to make a living. However, with the advent of streaming, current agreements don’t really include these residuals, leaving artists struggling to make ends meet.

I’m sure I’ve missed something here, but the bottom line is that people deserve to be able to make a living from their craft, and residuals are a key aspect of that. Get behind the writers or actors you know or follow, or get behind this cat. Whatever works.

A little artist’s note: Cats are very fun to draw, and I’ve drawn quite a few. But this is the first instance where I’ve drawn a particularly grumpy, annoyed cat in this much detail. However, given the reason, I think you can understand why. I like this visual for so many reasons, though, but I think my favourite part is the cat’s paw appearing up close on the phone screen. It’s a level of detail I don’t normally do, and I was grateful to be able to do it here.

Thanks for reading MiddleSquiggle!

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