To become a professional cartoonist you need to have a combination of innate talent and experience. For centuries, newspapers and magazines have turned to cartoonists to make sense of everything from politics, science, technology, social issues and more. It seems that with only a few crosshatches and light watercolor brushstrokes, kings and queens have been reduced to humorous fodder, dictators have been taken down to size – literally – and sociopolitical issues have been laid out in a simple depiction than anyone can understand, young and old, instead of having to read a multiple page journalistic editorial. Not to mention cartoonists have created some of the most famous cartoons and comics of our time. Here is what it takes to become a professional cartoonist.

For one, you need to have the talent. This doesn’t mean just being good at drawing. If you want to get a job with a magazine or periodical, you will also need to have a grasp of political and social issues combined with a sharp wit and an excellent sense of humor. If you have enjoyed making people laugh with your cartoons from a young age, there is a chance that you have a bright and promising future ahead of you as a cartoonist.

Next, you need to know exactly what field you want to pursue. You could just as easily get a job with a newspaper or you could go off and create your own graphic novel. Knowing what field you want to focus on is important so that you can decide whether or not going to school or going off on your own is the best option. However, you could do both just to expand your options or to have a backup plan. Perhaps you are in a position as a cartoonist that you don’t particularly enjoy and you want to start your own comic? Or what if your comic isn’t doing as well as you hoped it would and you want a more stable job?

If you decide to go to school there are a number of programs and courses you can take. It is recommended that if you want to get a high paying position as a cartoonist that you don’t sign up for an online course. For instance, an online college that takes less than a month and has a click here option to receive your degree won’t be taken as seriously as an actual degree from a real college. You could even study art history or a number of other mediums – the more knowledge you have the more of an advantage you have in the field and the higher your chances of landing a job.

Lastly, before you start looking for a position it is important to build your portfolio. You could set up a website with all your previous work or you can set up a blog featuring a unique character that you have developed. If you update the blog everyday with a new adventure in that character’s life you might start to build a following – this is a great way to get more exposure to your art. At the end of the day, if cartoons are your passion, you have more than what it takes to become a cartoonist.