My name is Johnny Hawkins, and I draw one-panel comics to increase exposure for hundreds of publications and dozens of online businesses. I create cartoons for life or death, whichever comes first. I’m working hard on the 2025 Dog Cartoon Daily Calendar. Here some of the previous episode.
My journey as a cartoonist began when I was very young. I drew everything, including the walls, the piano, my sisters, and the dog. My mother was a huge influence because she was an artist. She painted wildlife – me and my brother. Although my drawings were very different from her realistic depictions, my mother supported me and gave me a book called “How to Draw Cartoons” for Christmas when I was about 8 years old. I followed this closely and also loved drawing Disney characters. At some point, I decided that I wanted to become the next Walt Disney. I made a map of Johnny Hawkins’s World and everything that I still have. I created my characters, wrote simple children’s books, and acted out funny movies for my sisters.
Eventually, I discovered that there is something called “freelancers” and they sell their photos to magazines and things like that. So, I put together a batch of cartoons and sent them off. And he was refused. And he rejected it. And he rejected it. Kind of like my basketball shooting and dating life. But I came to terms with it and eventually sold the cartoon for $15 to Scripture Press when I was in college in 1986.
Credit: Johnny Hawkins
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
You could say that marketing is the hardest part… and it’s always difficult to find places that will buy my work. But maintaining discipline is the biggest challenge I face every day: it’s so easy to get distracted and not prioritize your daily drawings. But when I force myself to sit and draw… the creativity flows… I’ve had writer’s block a few times… and luckily it didn’t happen, although I almost created 100 Cartoons a Day Calendars.
#6
#7
#8
#9
#10
#11
#12
#13
#14
#15
#16
#17
#18
#19
#20
