Local cartoonist to release book
Douglas Laubacher shows some of the drawings for his “Unbound” cartoon series.
“It was all serendipity; it all kind of just happened,” Douglas Laubacher said of his entry in the world of working as a cartoonist. The Minerva artist is set to release a book featuring the strip in January 2020.
The comic strip, “Unbound,” is about animals running a library and is published each week in the Bargain Hunter newspapers and the Wooster Weekly News.
"Unbound’s" two characters, Leaf and Galley, are members of a library staff, and they explore themes of customer service, literature and situations that tax their patience in the library.
Laubacher could tell, at first, that some people didn’t take him seriously. “Telling people you are going to be a cartoonist is like telling people you are going to be in a band. They don’t think it’s a real job,” he said.
Now fans are urging Laubacher to go nationwide with “Unbound,” and the book will provide an opportunity to get “Unbound” into the hands of more readers.
Laubacher, a member of the National Cartoonist Society, drew inspiration for the strip through his many visits to the Minerva Library. “I have a lot of memories of going to the library,” he said, adding that his mother insisted her children went to the library whether they wanted to or not.
The artist also enjoyed the selection at the library, especially the videos. “It was like a movie store. That gave me the incentive to go and explore and see how things work,” he said.
From a young age Laubacher was always interested in watching cartoons on television and reading the comics in the newspaper. At the age of 12 he received a book of "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoons, which really piqued his interest in the genre.
“By age 15 I thought I should really buckle down and do this,” Laubacher said of his career as a cartoonist.
His interest in art was reinforced throughout his middle and high school years through private art lessons with a nearby artist that were arranged by his mother, who homeschooled Laubacher until he attended the University of Mount Union, where he earned a B.A. in fine arts.
There is no formal cartoon school. “The cartooning was self-study, looking at what others do and how they do it. No two cartoons are the same,” Laubacher said, adding that in addition to "Calvin and Hobbs," some of his favorite cartoons are "The Far Side," "Bloom County," "Peanuts" and "Zits." He also is inspired by Japanese comics.
In addition to drawing “Unbound,” Laubacher has taught cartooning, pen and ink, and other classes at many places including the Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts, the Canton Museum of Art, Malone College, the Rocky River Senior Center and many libraries throughout the state. Ninety percent of his students are age 8-13, but at the senior center he finds willing students age 50 and up.
“Cartooning is an interesting and fun way to introduce art to kids,” Laubacher said.
Laubacher prefers old-school methods for drawing “Unbound.” “I like the process of putting ink on paper, so I keep to that part of the process as much as possible. Then I scan it into the computer to do the coloring,” he said.
Depending on the amount of detail needed, Laubacher averages anywhere from four to 12 hours to draw each strip.
The most difficult part of doing “Unbound” is the writing. “It takes anywhere from 30 seconds to days. I’m constantly writing; it never stops. I always carry a notebook. Then I hang the ideas on a bulletin board to pull from,” Laubacher said. “Writing is like fishing: You show up some days and nothing is biting.”
The Dover Public Library will have a display of framed original art by Laubacher during the month of January. The Massillon Museum will display his work in May. Laubacher also is planning a book tour at libraries once his collection of "Unbound" is released. Check Laubacher’s social media links for tour announcements and upcoming class schedules.
More information can be found at www.inkwits.com, www.facebook.com/inkwits and on Twitter @inkwits.