Brian Gordon (cartoonist)

Brian Gordon is an American cartoonist, and creator of the webcomics Fowl Language and Chuck & Beans.

Brian Gordon
OccupationCartoonist
Known forFowl Language,
Chuck & Beans

Chuck & Beans

Gordon worked as a cartoonist at Hallmark Cards for 18 years.[1][2] While at Hallmark Cards, Gordon maintained a blog its web site called Brian's Brain.[3]

Gordon used many different cartoon characters on the blog.[3] People particularly loved the unnamed rabbit and dog characters.[3] Gordon originally considered naming the characters Frank and Beans, but he discovered that name was already being used for a pornography web site.[3] When Gordon mentioned the name to his wife, she thought he had said Chucking Beans, which gave him the idea to name the characters Chuck and Beans, and the name was set.[3]

Gordon started drawing Chuck & Beans, a comic strip about a rabbit and a dog in their 20s who were obsessed with pop culture and dating.[4][5] The characters appeared on many Hallmark greeting cards.[4]

Fowl Language

Amidst Hallmark Cards' financial troubles, Gordon's friends urged him to create a new comic that he owned.[5] Gordon was also finding it increasingly difficult to write comic strips for characters who were single and in their 20s while he was in a different stage of life.[6] In July 2013, Gordon started a new comic, Fowl Language, as an outlet to vent about parenthood in a way that was edgier than Hallmark Cards would allow.[4][7] The first comic strip began with four expletives, partly in order to draw a bright line between the new comic and Gordon's more family-friendly work at Hallmark Cards.[8]

With ducks as all of the characters, the comic focuses on the frustrations and failures of parenthood.[9] Rather than pretend that parenthood is easy or a competition, Gordon's cartoons openly depict how raising kids is a struggle filled with both wins and losses.[10] Gordon said he chose to draw the characters as ducks because ducks were one of the few animals he did not draw very often for Hallmark Cards.[7]

Hallmark sent Gordon an email notifying him of his lay off on June 1, 2015.[7] Two hours later, The Huffington Post contacted Gordon asking to publish some of his comics on their website.[7] The comics and accompanying article increased the reach of his work.[7]

Fowl Language quickly became one of the most shared comics on Facebook.[11] Gordon's online popularity led to several offers to publish his comics as a paperback;[11] Andrews McMeel Publishing released Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting, a compilation of Gordon's comics, on March 22, 2016.[12] In the introduction, Gordon says that every parent is scared and makes it all up as they go along.[7]

Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts, The Far Side, and Bloom County were some of the newspaper comic strips that influenced Gordon from an early age.[13] Gordon cites The Oatmeal, Lunarbaboon, We the Robots, Heart and Brain, Sarah's Scribbles, Up and Out, and Owl Turd as some of the webcomics that inspire him today.[13][5]

Personal life

Gordon was raised in Brockton, Massachusetts.[4][8] Gordon wanted to be a syndicated comic artist from a young age.[5]

Gordon graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design.[14] After freelancing for some time, Gordon earned a master's degree from Syracuse University in 1997.[14]

Gordon moved to Kansas for a three-week internship for Hallmark Cards in 1997, which was followed with an offer of employment.[6][14] Gordon worked for Hallmark for 18 years.[6]

Gordon lives with his two children, Max and Phoebe, in Westwood, Kansas.[4][15] Gordon's children inspire the material for Fowl Language.[15]

References
  1. Olson, Elizabeth; Carr, David. "To Compete with E-mail Greetings, Funny Cards Try to Be Topical". The New York Times. August 20, 2007. p. C1.
  2. Willard, Laura. "15 hilarious parenting comics that are almost too real". Upworthy. October 19, 2015.
  3. "Chuck & Beans – An Interview with Cartoonist Brian Gordon". Comic Pond. January 11, 2013.
  4. Novascone, Dawn Bormann. "Meet the KC comic creator soaring with his 'Fowl' ducks". The Kansas City Star. May 6, 2016.
  5. Mierau, John. "Brian Gordon Fowl Language Extended Interview". Patreon. November 23, 2013.
  6. "Take Eight with Brian Gordon Archived March 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine". Bay State Parent. April 12, 2016.
  7. Kraske, Steve; Alexander, Danie. "'Fowl Language' In Front Of The Kids". KCUR. April 25, 2016.
  8. "Naked Diner Ep.3-Brian Gordon Archived March 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine". Naked Diner. ZXH Creative. November 16, 2015.
  9. Miller, Hollis. "12 Hilarious Comics That Nail The Reality Of Parenthood". The Huffington Post. April 14, 2016.
  10. Borison, Susan. "Fowl Language Comic: Interview with Creator Brian Gordon". Your Teen for Parents. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  11. Bruner, Alyson. "Kansas City cartoonist takes a forceful trip back to the drawing board and it's been a colorful one". KSHB. May 2, 2016.
  12. Gordon, Brian. "Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting Archived March 12, 2017, at the Wayback Machine". Andrews McMeel Publishing. March 22, 2016. Accessed March 10, 2017.
  13. Cate, Chris. "Ep. 29 Interview with Fowl Language Webcomic Creator Brian Gordon". The ParentNormal. April 6, 2016.
  14. McFee, David. "S02 E18 The Funnies, Man! An Interview w/ Brian Gordon of Fowl Language Comics". Sahdpod. October 17, 2017.
  15. Coffey, Laura T. "'Fowl Language': Dad's cartoons show what it's REALLY like to be a parent". USA Today. April 5, 2016.
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