Each week, The Queens Courier features an editorial cartoon by accomplished cartoonist Bill Kresse, whose work was recently recognized by the New York Press Association.
“It’s my feeling that the job of the editorial cartoonist is to attract the reader and thereby provide an inducement to read the weekly editorial, which, however well written (and The Courier’s are a weekly exercise in excellence) can’t help but benefit from a dramatic visual…,” Kresse wrote.
Kresse, who has been a cartoonist for many other publications, including The New York Daily News, also explained that “the cartoonist will skewer the politicians, the celebrities or whomever manages to make the news.”
In the beginning of his cartoon-making process, Kresse said he first reads the editorial and digests it. After he has done so, he finds a paragraph, sentence or phrase that he feels “would lend itself to a good visual.”
The two most important tools that Kresse, a resident of Jackson Heights, said he uses to make cartoon are imagination and exaggeration. A series of rough sketches are created using his imagination. He will then select one to work on to become the final product.
The last step involves the “exaggerating of the situation and adding the finishing touches.”
“Creating a cartoon is very much like directing a scene in a movie. The cartoonist creates the character. They can be tall, short, fat, slim or whatever is necessary to make the point,” Kresse said. “Then we can create an environment in which they can function. Finally, we put the words in their mouths, either funny, sad or profound, depending on the situation.”
Kresse’s work for The Queens Courier was recently recognized by the New York Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest. His cartoon that was part of the Sean Bell verdict coverage received a first place award.
“It’s local, timely and has attention to detail,” the judges said of Kresse’s work.
Along with creating the weekly editorial cartoons for The Queens Courier, Kresse does different cartoons for other publications as well. These include The Tablet, The Teamsters Paper and a public relations magazine.
Kresse also makes designs for various items. For instance, he submits “a steady supply of original color/black and white designs to the Zippo lighter company.”
Additionally, he has designed a series of collectibles that are now on sale. The items include snow globes, plates, key chains and mugs, among others.
He is currently in the process of illustrating a series of children’s books and posters for church events. He is also hoping to start doing a new version of his comic strip, “Super Duper.”
Although all of this doesn’t leave Kresse a lot of down time, he said that he enjoys it and that he is always looking for the next venture.
Throughout it all, Kresse said that his inspiration has been his wife, Lorraine, who is also an artist. In fact, the two met while they were in art school.
Kresse also said that the couple’s schnauzer, Rowdie, acts as his artistic director.
