Biggest influence Quote by Tom Tomorrow
“My biggest influence growing up was Mad magazine, which is a very text-heavy form of visual satire. I didn’t grow up wanting to draw donkeys and elephants with the names of politicians written across them.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, 2015
He grew up inspired by text‑rich visual satire, shaping his style away from literal caricature.
In simple terms: He learned satire from text‑heavy comics.
Key Takeaway
Blend text and image for sharper satire.
Themes
satire
visual media
influence
creative development
media literacy
Mood
thoughtful
humorous
Type
educational
inspirational
When to use this quote
- editorial cartoons
- advertising
- graphic novels
Key Concepts
magazine culture
visual rhetoric
political commentary
Questions to Reflect On
- How does text enhance visual humor?
- When should image lead the joke?
A Different Perspective
Relying heavily on text can limit visual impact.
![“Well I've made no secret of my life long love of MAD Magazine, it's probably my first and greatest influence in terms of my comic sensibilities. I've known John [Ficarra] for many years, and we've been friends. About four or five months ago, at a dinner in New York, John made the very nice offer…” quote by Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/69c/al-yankovic-3837_comic_well-i-ve-made-no-secret-of-my-life-long_1704983.jpg)
![“I don't think that what I'm doing [political cartooning] is necessarily left versus right. What I'm addressing is top versus bottom. If I'm not spending a lot of time making fun of the more extreme elements of the Green Party, it's because what I do is to critique power.” quote by Tom Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ebc/tom-tomorrow-48236_bottom_i-don-t-think-that-what-i-m-doing-politi_1704002.jpg)
![“To keep doing this job [draw political cartoons] week after week, I think you have to want to change the world, while understanding that you can't. You have to hold both of those contradictory ideas simultaneously.” quote by Tom Tomorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f1b/tom-tomorrow-48236_cartoon_to-keep-doing-this-job-draw-political-ca_1904829.jpg)
