Pat Brady, the world famous cartoonist who created 'A Rose is A Rose' describes his art and his life as a cartoonist.
DM) How much of Rose is a Rose is based on your real life?
PB) The gags I write for Rose is Rose are written all from
daydreams and are based very little on actual events in my life.
Themes however, and some of the characters, are more directly
related. For example, when I was very young I had a Dreamship
much like Pasquale's... I owned a cat not unlike Peekaboo, and
I still believe in guardian angels... The name Pasquale was my
own nickname when I was Pasquale's age, given to me by a Catholic
priest... So my real life impacts Rose is Rose in definite ways,
even though the gags themselves are all fiction.
DM) My mom always tells me that she believes angels and feels
they are always around her. Do you feel your guardian angel is
always around you?
PB) Sometimes I sense a presence, other times not. For whatever
reasons, they clearly like to keep a low profile.
DM) Sometimes it almost feels as if you're looking from the
ground, the ceiling, and all other angles. What inspired you
to draw the comic with such interesting visual perspectives?
PB) Art and writing being the two parts to comic stripping,
I felt that while I was unable to always write as strongly as
I would like, I was always able to try to improve my art. Art
seems to have more of a physical structure than creative writing,
which is relatively more abstract. So improving Rose is
Rose by way of the art has been in a sense a path of lesser resistance.
Dynamic perspectives and unusual points of view are some of the
ways I've tried to go an extra mile, and I've had fun doing it.
DM) Is it hard to draw with such perspectives?
PB) Dynamic perspectives are not so hard, and they're actually
fun to do, once I get into them. Most of mine are not terribly
accurate, to tell the truth. But even when they're not perfect,
they still look interesting. Deciding to try them is often the
hardest part, because there is a fear of failure.
DM) Besides perspectives have you ever considered using other
art forms (new age, Picasso, the colors of Monet) in your art?
PB) I'd love to try many new things with my art, particularly
I'd like to learn how to do more art on the computer. At this
point, the learning curve looks quite steep, but I'm making progress.
DM) What artists do you admire?
PB) Jay Martin is doing a nice job with the art in "Tommy."
Brooke McEldowney is doing fascinating art with "9 Chickweed
Lane." Aaron Warner is doing wonderful art with "The
Adventures of Aaron."
DM) I saw that you seem to mention angles and the such a lot.
Are you a religious man?
PB) I grew up Catholic and yes, I think of myself as a religious
man although I'm going to need my share of mercy on Judgment
Day. I do believe in guardian angels, but in Rose is Rose my
goal is to entertain. I haven't a religious agenda to inject
into the strip. Pasquale's guardian angel is great to work with,
not for any evangelical purpose, but because he is unlimited
by any of the laws of physics that bind the other characters.
He is free to do any fantastic thing I can think of.
DM) Pasquale seems to be a pretty Italian name for a man with
a last name of Brady . How did that come about?
PB) Pasquale was the nickname the priest gave me. He said
I reminded him of a character on a comedy radio show in the late
1940's or early 50's. There were two characters on the show;
one was Pasquale, the other Luigi. I know absolutely nothing
else about the show, but my nickname stuck for several years.
