Media, Shop Talk, Books
Jason Chatfield
Guest Article on Writers Digest: “5 Ways to ...
Guest Article on Writers Digest: “5 Ways to Turn Down the Volume to Hear Your Own Voice”
Cartooning, Media, Books
Jason Chatfield
Big News: Announcing a Brand New Book Series!
Cartooning, Shop Talk
Jason Chatfield
Why I bailed on social media to focus on ...

TL;DR: I switched out Social Media for direct subscription-based inbox distribution of my work and it has yielded way more than social ever did. (+ it won’t ever be shadow-banned by a buggy algorithm that doesn’t understand satire.)

Why I bailed on social media to focus on something way better.
Cartooning
Jason Chatfield
Stories from an Aussie Cartoonist in New York
Stories from an Aussie Cartoonist in New York
Book Reviews
Jason Chatfield
2021 Book Recommendations

I’ve never really done any book recommendations. That’s likely due to the fact that I’ve barely had time to finish a book in the past 7 years. But since quitting social media in July, I’ve finished over a dozen books. Weird.

Inspired by Brendan Leonard at SemiRad and his very helpful 2021 Book Recommendation List, I’ve compiled a list of books I enjoyed this year. Many of them I started or skimmed previously but didn’t actually finish until this year. Good for me. I hope you enjoy them.

Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. That means if you buy books through the links, I will receive a small amount of cash to buy food for Morris. Where possible, I used links to Bookshop or the publisher’s website when possible. If you don’t know how Bookshop works: You can select a local independent bookstore from Bookshop’s list, and when you buy a book, that bookstore gets a small commission from the sale. If you like bookstores, and you would like them to stick around, it’s great.

Also… if you like bookstores, my friend and fellow New Yorker cartoonist Bob Eckstein did an entire book about bookstores. It’s wondrously meta.

2021 Book Recommendations

Tech Reviews

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Watch Me in One Of the World's First Films Shot Entirely on the New iPhone.

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Apple invited my favourite NYC director, David Ma, to come to Cupertino for the launch of the new iPhone15.

He flew back to NYC on a redeye with a couple of the new phones that night to write, cast, shoot, direct, and edit a short film in just five days. It just dropped on my birthday!

We shot it at a 3-Michelin-star Korean BBQ restaurant, Cote Korean Steakhouse on 22nd Street over 2 days, where I went into a full-blown Wagyu trance (I might just be the world's most inept pescatarian).

I owe a big thanks to the incredible team* that had me be part of this —and for letting me use my actual Australian accent on screen for the first time in 9 years. It was so much fun to make. I prefer the working title of “Meat Cute”, but here, in all its glory is…

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Watch Me in One Of the World's First Films Shot Entirely on the New iPhone.

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Best birthday gift ever... a lead role in a short film shot entirely on a telephone!

Apple invited my favourite NYC director, David Ma to come to Cupertino for the launch of the new iPhone15. He flew back to NYC on a redeye that night to write, cast, shoot, direct, and edit a short film in just five days.

Here’s how it turned out…

Wacom Pro Pen Slim (Unboxing, Review + Demo)


Precision pen performance with a slimmer form factor for Wacom MobileStudio Pro (DTHW1321HK0A, DTHW1621HK0A), Wacom Cintiq Pro (DTK2420K0, DTH2420K0, DTH3220K0) and Wacom Intuos Pro (PTH460K0A, PTH660, PTH860)

  • 8, 192 levels of pressure sensitivity

  • Tilt-response and virtually lag-free tracking

  • Protective case with 4 color rings, 6 nibs (4 standard, 2 felt) and a nib Removal hole

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Live Demonstration of the new Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 at the Society of Illustrators

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This week I got to demo and share the new features of the Cintiq Pro 27 for an audience at the Society of Illustrators in New York. Adorama wrote up the demonstration here.

I wrote about the unit last month if you want more details/tech specs.

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Wacom doubles-down and releases an epic BEAST - the new Cintiq Pro 27

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Note: This is not a paid promotion, I’m just a fan. I spend all day staring at a Cintiq, squeezing a stylus, and scribbling like mad. I draw when it’s stinking hot. I draw when it’s freezing cold and my boiler goes out. I use this product more than anything else I own.

 
 

I was under NDA until now and I’ve been really excited to tell artists about this new release. I finally got to see it in the flesh at San Diego Comic-Con this past July and it’s even more impressive up close. I’ll stop gushing. Or maybe…
I’ll just… start?

The New Cintiq Pro 27 just dropped
…and it’s a Beast.

I’ve been using Wacom products for 19 years this year, and I haven’t seen anything this crazy since the first Cintiq was released. I know I sound like a broken record, but there are just 2 very simple reasons I really get behind Wacom and their products:

  1. Most importantly: They do One Thing Well. They’re not trying to make smartphones, or computers, or ergonomic desks, or cameras, or try to be everything to everyone: They make drawing tablets. That’s it. And they do it better than anyone else. They always have.

  2. Wacom always listens to their users’ gripes and feedback then works those into their next release. This time is no exception.

The TL;DR Main Points

  • High-end 4k display with 120HZ and 10ms refresh rate

  • 99% Adobe RGB and 98% DCI-P3 and HDR support

  • Modern design including 8 easy accessible ExpressKeys

  • Multi-touch and pen control incl. pen gestures

  • New customizable Pro Pen 3 experience

  • Near-zero pen & screen latency*

  • Low activation force and great drawing experience

  • Best desk integration with a small footprint and expandable bezel for even more comfort

*This is as close as they’ve ever got to pencil on paper. There’s no longer any noticeable parallax. It’s wild.

(Go full screen for this one.)

My Current Setup

I use a Wacom Cintiq 24 PT in my studio, and a MobileStudio Pro on the road, and at shows.

I work on a Macbook Pro. My Cintiq is kind of a lap desk with my Apple keyboard hung over the top left corner. Because my arm sweats in summer (even with air conditioning.I know, gross) I had to add a strip of green felt to the left side of the tablet for my forearm to rest on. You’ll see why I’m so excited about not one, but two big new features that fix this.

The Screen

From Wacom:
The new Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 is a high-end graphic display offering superior image quality on a premium class 27" LCD panel. The 4k display with 10bit color shows clear and crisp content with a high color performance and calibration options. The new design with reduced bezel size and smaller dimensions makes the Wacom Cintiq Pro more space efficient on the creator's desk. In combination with the new, improved, next-generation, customizable Wacom Pro Pen 3 every detail of the Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 has been engineered for effortless harmony between creator and tool.

From Me:
The special treatment coating to add friction makes a huge difference— I’ll get into that more when I talk about nibs below, but having a larger amount of screen real estate makes a huge difference. Also the anti-glare means no shiny reflections bouncing into your eyes like you get on other glass-surface tablets.

No More Thermal Issues!

There were a lot of complaints about fan noise and thermal issues in previous models. They’ve fixed those. Huzzah!

The Stylus

From Wacom:

From the inside out, Wacom Pro Pen 3 can be configured to your favorite feel. With customizable weight, grip thickness, pen buttons and center of balance, find the configuration that suits your style. This tailor-made approach to design delivers an unforgettable creative experience.

  • 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity, 3 side switches

  • State of the Art Pen Technology: 3rd generation Wacom Pen technology

  • Perfect Custom Fit: Customizations for weight balance, different grips or no-side-switch included

  • Tilt recognition: Improved tilt+/-60 degrees

  • Super Responsive: The Pro Pen 3 senses every nuance and every change, so even the lightest of touches will appear on the screen

From Me:

I got to hold this stylus in my hand in July and the center of gravity is PERFECT. I’ve always had a thing for fountain pens, mainly because of the attention to detail that is paid to how the pen ‘feels’ in your hand. Much of the style of an artist is influenced by the balance of the tool they use.

I’m so sorry, Wacom. I’m a monster.

Full transparency, I’m a monster: After years of working 12-hour days at the Cintiq and getting hand cramps (I’ve since learned better habits), I removed the buttons and wrapped my Pro Pen 2 in sports tape. Now that there is an actual option to have a nice bulky stylus wrap in the Pro Pen 3, I wouldn’t have to do that.

Not to mention, with the additional sensitivity of the Pro Pen 3, I may just finally learn not to hold the pen so tightly… and to enjoy the subtler tip-feel calibration. 8,192 levels of pressure sensitivity is seriously next-level. iPad Pro will never reach that level for very obvious reasons.

From Wacom:
Work as precise as never before with 120 HZ refresh rate and 10 ms response time - unique features in the pen display market. This high-end performance allows near-zero latency and parallax for maximum control even of fast-moving content in film, game design, and VFX.

From Me: The shortcut button options on the pen are great— you can choose which option you want based on the kind of work you do. 3D rendering software work will be way easier with the extra button assignments. (And that’s without the additional shortcut keys on the back. We’ll get there, don’t worry.)

Wacom has tilt-tracking, so it knows when you’re tilting the pen for different brush effects — it also has this thing called “Natural Touch” which is an intuitive technology that knows what the natural weight of your hand feels like for drawing fast and slow, or shading and textural effects. This is one (of many) very big differences between the Apple Pencil and the Wacom stylus. Oh, and you don’t have to charge the stylus… ever. You also have the option of using custom nibs. I use the felt tip nibs— they run out about every 30-40 days, but they’re cheap to replace, and the feeling of felt tip on tablet is as close to Pencil on Paper resistance/drag that I’ve ever found. And there’s no hard “tap” on glass feel, like you get on something like an iPad Pro. (Throwing a lot of shade on Apple, I know, but it should be said— I tried both products and the Wacom stylus tech leaves the Pencil® in the dirt.)

The New Stuff

Finally, the shortcuts on the tablet are back!

From Wacom:

Never get lost of your creative momentum. The 8 repositioned ExpressKeys(TM) in the new rear grip of the display allow you to stay focused. Each one can be configured with your favorite shortcut and your creative work will become smoother and more efficient. Intuitive multi-touch gestures, like panning, zooming and rotating, allow you to completely immerse yourself in your creative process. Seamlessly switching between touch gestures and pen strokes in a single move.

From Me:

I made it known to Wacom how much I really disliked the Remote. I know some people liked it because it meant they could position it wherever they liked, but I just couldn’t build it into my workflow when it turned itself off every 15 minutes. (And it had to be recharged.) Having the Express keys on the tablet like in the early 21” models is SO much better, and having them on the back, where your fingers naturally rest when holding the edges makes SO much more sense. I’m really excited about this feature, especially since I use the same shortcuts on nearly every job. It may even mean I remove the keyboard altogether. (See below on that feature.)

The ergonomics of the stand are also pretty fantastic — so much more flexibility for how you move the tablet around to get the best angle. No more propping it in my lap.
Heads up— this ergo stand is not included. It’s an add-on.

The Other New Stuff

Wacom, like Apple, is often keeping things as simple as possible and no simpler. They are reticent to ‘succumb to feature creep and overload their products.

As you may have noticed above, I have my keyboard hooked over my Cintiq for keyboard shortcuts with my left hand. It isn’t ideal. BUT, you can now get an add-on (above) to hold your keyboard. It’s a small thing, but it makes all the difference. You can screw in a mount for a camera, light ring, keyboard, whatever you use. It’s a very welcome addition.

(You can also clip it onto the side)

Oh, and the new Pen-holder is perfect. I prefer to clip it on the side, instead of on the top.

The New Driver

A long-needed upgrade will be released with this device, which is the new Wacom Driver, known as the “Wacom Center” with way more control over every aspect of your hardware. I love getting into the weeds of the settings to see what I can push the tech to do.

The Price

Every time I’ve ever posted a review of a Wacom product, the number one and two gripes that comes back in the comments are “But it’s expensive!” and “What if it breaks down? I want Applecare for my Wacom!”

First off — I’m not a salesman. I don’t work for Wacom. I’ve never responded to those two gripes before because everyone’s situation is different, and it’s easy to sound like an elitist asshole no matter what you say. It’s about $3.5K. That’s a lot of money.
Here are my thoughts:

On the first point: If a.) your full-time job as an artist requires you to use this tech almost all of the time, and b.) You couldn’t do your work without it… it’s not that big of a leap to justify the outlay.

You can now also pay in installments through Klarna. I know a lot of artists working by contract or freelance don’t have the money in the bank to dump the full amount at once, so sometimes monthly payments are the only way an expense like this can be made.

If you want a pen tablet and are working towards being a full-time illustrator/cartoonist/3D Sculptor/digital painter/photographer but can’t afford this one, there are refurbed ones, and other less-expensive models you can get to start you out. The Wacom One is just fifty bucks.

On the second point: Well, there’s a manufacturer’s warranty which covers a lot. And you can get an extended policy with no-nonsense repairs and support through Extend.

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Thoughts on using UgMonk’s new ‘Analog’ Productivity System.

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Thoughts on using UgMonk’s new ‘Analog’ Productivity System.

True to my usual productivity geekery, I wrote up a few choice words on my experience with using the new ‘Analog’ Productivity System on Medium. Click below to read the full article.

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Drawing the Portraits for the Waking Up App

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A few months back I was approached to take on a big project for a product I had already been using for months.

Sam Harris, the creator of the Waking Up app, host of the Making Sense podcast, neuroscientist and author of some of the most insightful books on everything from Free Will to The Moral Landscape, was looking for an artist to paint/draw his guests in the “Conversations” portion of his now wildly-popular app. If you haven’t signed up and you’re curious, you can do so for free at WakingUp.com

Waking Up has undergone a total re-design, and working with his creative team has been insanely fun. Not only was I afforded a large amount of creative license, but the execution of the portratis didn’t have to be completely uniform (Iike literally every other app in this space) so I was able to make each portrait fit the tone of the person, and the topic they were talking about.

I did early explorations in pen and ink, and settled on a hybrid of scanned ink-work and digital brushes in Photoshop, using a Wacom Cintiq Pro.

One of the biggest challenges was finding a style that would work on dark and light modes and would reduce down well without losing too much detail. Knowing that most of the art would be seen on a phone screen (but needed to also work on a laptop or desktop monitor) was something playing in the back of my mind during the entire process. I needed to keep line-weights consistent, also colours and other stylistic elements.

Working digitally wasn’t as restrictive as I’d initially thought. I was using a range of Photoshop brushes that mimicked real-world tools (thank god for Kyle T. Webster) and managed to emulate my favourite hand-drawn styles very easily. The pressure sensitivity of the Wacom tablet was essential.

In preparation, I researched everything from virtual metaverse designers to old school fashion illustrators like David Downton. (Even bought his extraordinary 2015 book of art which I highly recommend adding to your coffee table immediately.)

The project took just over a month to complete, including edits and tweaks, and the redesign launched this past week. I’m so happy with how it all turned out, and I’m grateful to the Waking Up team for having me along for this project. It was a lot more work than the first project we worked on together (The Ricky Gervais / Sam Harris podcast) but I enjoyed exploring the new styles so much more.

I’ve written extensively about my experience with meditation over the years (9th November this year will mark 8 years since I started doing Transcendental Meditation, and this particular app almost single-handedly saved my mental state during the pandemic.

It pairs nicely with Sam’s Making Sense podcast (I recommend subscribing to the premium content) but doesn’t pressure you to practice any one specific style of meditation: it encourages you to find the practice that makes the most sense to you, and gives you all the information you need to know from the most knowledgable people on the topic.

I highly recommend you take a dive into the new app to see if it helps you during these insane times.

To learn more and get 30 days free,

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Wacom Workflows: How different cartoonists use drawing tablet technology to create their work

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This past weekend at NCSFest 2021, I got to showcase my process alongside illustrator Ed Steckley and MazeToons cartoonist, Joe Wos.

Ed walked us through his process of turning around a tight-deadline job for Saturday Night Live, Joe showed us how he used his Wacom tablet to draw his maze toon cartoons, and I managed to get the generous folks at Wacom to let me use the video produced for the Royal Australian Mint to show the process of turning a comic strip into a national currency. I hope you enjoy!

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(Video) Ginger Meggs' 100th Birthday, Designing the coin series for the Royal Australian Mint

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Here is a video of me in my studio talking about creating a series of commemorative coins for the Royal Australian Mint, in coordination with Wacom Australia. The process was done entirely on a Wacom Cintiq, from start-to-finish.

See more at gingermeggs.com/coin


This video was produced by CRUX / Lumley Productions Pty Ltd, Directed by Zoe Lumley, shot by Ben Wolf, Produced by Simon Marshall, Director | Enterprise & Partnerships ANZ, SEA & India for Wacom Australia/NZ and the Royal Australian Mint, 2021.

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Children's Book about Bitcoin Now Available on Amazon & Apple Books

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5 years ago, my friend Naomi Brockwell and I collaborated on a children's book about Bitcoin for young kids. It explains cryptocurrency in a very simple and understandable way through the story of a young schoolboy who gets bullied on his way to school. You can buy it on Amazon or Apple Books.

Here’s a little teaser video about the book:

…And here’s Naomi talking about it on C-Span!

 
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