Ralph Hagen
Ralph Hagen can remember the actual moment he started cartooning as if it were yesterday. Hagen says that he was about four when he saw a cartoon pencil sketch hanging on his grandfather’s porch drawn by a second cousin of his, who eventually grew up to become a commercial artist. The drawing was a rendering of Alfred E. Neuman of MAD Magazine, exclaiming, “What, me worry? “
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The young Hagen would cut open paper grocery bags for drawing paper and draw until there wasn’t an inch of space left. In first grade, Hagen would turn over the handouts and draw before he had done the school work on the other side. “Now, why wouldn’t my teacher and her wooden yardstick approve of that?” he kids.
Hagen sold his first cartoon at age 17, and thought, “Cool! People will pay money for these? Bonus!” He was hooked and couldn’t stop cartooning if he tried. Hagen said that if he lost his hands, he would draw with his feet —“those cartoons would just have to come out”.
Hagen has been procartooning since 1976 when he landed a job as editorial cartoonist at his local paper. Hagen also did the color work on the strip, ‘Mudpie’ for renowned artist Guy Gilchrist, of ‘Nancy’ and ‘Muppet Babies’ fame.
Hagen says that he owes Guy Gilchrist many thanks for entrusting him with his panel and all the support Gilchrist gave him over the years. “He truly is one of the best”, says Hagen.
In the early years, ideas and punchlines were harder to come by said Hagen. He really had to work at it. But after 23 years of professional cartooning, Hagen seems ...
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Originally published
X-Ray Mag #13
Travel: Bernardo Sambra and Jason Heller takes us on an adventure to amazing Galapagos, while Barb Roy guides around Vancouver Island. Drysuits! Dressing up right for fall diving: 13 packed spreads with (almost) everything you ever wanted to know about drysuit diving. And to cater for the after-diving, a Dive Fall Fashion section. There are some very cool watches too. As for side dishes we got plenty of News about people, training issues, Whales & Dolphins, Sharks and Turtles, New Books and oh... Did you know why Water is Blue? Also in the science section: Medicines from the Ocean. Cedric Vedier takes us down on a WW2 Japanese Battleship and as t he eye candy in the end some amazing paintings by Carlos Hiller