This is an ‘old’ cartoon (from around 1991 or so I would guess), when I had definitely not quite found my own style yet.

This was intended for Playboy Magazine, and as one can see in this example, I was trying way too hard to make it look like the already existing cartoon art in the magazine, and failing in my opinion.

(The original artwork for this, is in the collection of the Karikatur & Cartoon Museum Basel, Switzerland)

The back story: I am a huge fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories and have been since early adolescence.

In the early nineties my girlfriend at the time always suggested that the two bachelors living together at 221 B Baker street were obviously a gay couple. I strongly disagreed (Not that there’s anything wrong with that) - and hence this is my rebuttal I came up with. It never got selected nor published (and I am quite happy about this actually, looking at it now).

A back story regarding Playboy cartoons: Many years later, as my work started to show a more identifyable style I started submitting cartoons to Playboy again. This time I received a very positive reaction from Michelle Urry, the cartoon editor at Playboy, who is a marvellous, classy lady who I am very honored to have met. (I read with sadness in 2006 that she had unfortunately passed away)

We corresponded for quite a while and I even had a meeting with Mrs. Urry at the Playboy HQ in New York, which struck me as a very ‘Austin Powers’ kind of place - just as I had hoped and imagined. In the end Mr. Hefner himself gave the thumbs down on my cartoons being published in the magazine. I was somewhat upset certainly, especially because Mrs. Urry was endorsing my addition to the list of Playboy cartoonists, but such is life.

Among Mad Magazine and the New Yorker, Playboy was definitely on my top 3 list of places where I always dreamed of publishing my drawings. Since the last negative reply seemed somewhat final, I haven’t submitted anything anymore since then.

(Cartoon von Ian D. Marsden: Das Original ist im Besitz des Karikaturen & Cartoon Museum Basel, Schweiz)

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Obelix, comme il était vraiment….

Obelix, how he really was.

(Cartoon by Ian D. Marsden: Original artwork is in the collection of the Caricature & Cartoon Museum, Basel, Switzerland)

(Cartoon von Ian D. Marsden: Das Original ist im Besitz des Karikatur & Cartoon Museum Basel, Schweiz)

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In case you are not familiar with the Moleskine line of Cahiers and Notebooks, might I recommend you visit their site and have a look. The site also allows you to locate shops where you purchase Moleskine items near you.

I used to buy mine at the Sci Arc art supply store (conveniently located right next to the lovely groundwork coffee shop) at 811 Traction Ave in the art district of Los Angeles (just up the road from Gottfried Helnwein’s studio).

Luckily, I am having no trouble finding them most everywhere I travel.

I like various kinds and sizes - the paper often has a yellowish/cream colored hue, which at first I was unsure about, but which I have grown to really enjoy.

I can particularly recommend the small pocket-sized books. They are ideal to carry in the inside suit-jacket pocket or even the hip pocket of your jeans and they have a convenient rubber band to hold them shut.

One would not ever want to be caught without a notepad or sketchbook when that inspiration hits on the Tube in London or that amazing character goes strolling by while one is sitting on the terrace of a café in Budapest, now would one?

PS: For the record: I am not an endorsed spokesperson for Moleskine, however if they feel like shipping me a box or two of their fine product I would most certainly not be insulted.

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