The above cartoon won't make sense on its own. That's because it's not meant to. It's one panel I drew as part of six in a 'comic jam'.

 

These jams were started by a cartoonist known as @crashsuit on Twitter. The premise is simple. He tweets asking for participants, draws the first panel and sends it to the first on the short list of volunteers from around the world. That cartoonist draws a panel, then sends it on to the next one, and so on till it's done.

 

The results have been amazing, in my opinion, and are a testament to the talent of those involved. Each panel has added a unique and hilarious twist as a plot unfolds, and been completed with full consistency with everything that came before. Click here to see the full six panel comic strip in all its glory and narrative clarity!

 

This is the second comic jam I've participated in. The first one is here. I'm looking forward to being in my third very soon.

 

To me, these jams are a quintessential representation of the supportive, affirming and collaborative cartooning community that exists on Twitter. I really appreciate all the feedback and encouragement I get from other cartoonists for my work, and I love to follow other cartoonists, read and enjoy their cartoons, see how they do things and discuss their process.  

 

To any budding cartoonists out there, I would highly recommend doing the same. I had been a cartoonist for 24 years before I finally got onto Twitter and met dozens of others from around the world who were just like me. In the last year, I feel like I have learned more and grown more as a cartoonist than I had in all the previous years combined, thanks largely to those interactions.

 

So, my thanks goes out to @crashsuit and the many others on Twitter in the 'Buns and Wieners Society' – the collective banner under which the comic jammers gather . Thank you for the challenge of participating in the jams, and the creative energy you generate and inspire.