Rebecca Hendin is a world-beating, award-winning illustrator and political cartoonist. Go look at her website to see just how good she is. She tore herself away from her pens and stuff long enough to have a quick chat.
Hey Rebecca, how are things? Back in the freelance world eh?
Yep. Fabulous to be back. The weather’s nice here.
As a political cartoonist do you wake up every morning and think, “What the fuck are they going to make me draw today?”
Ha! I have full creative control over my cartoons, so thankfully no one is making me draw anything. It’s at the whim of whatever batshit insanity the week has brought, and that is certainly something that makes me often wonder ‘what the fuck.’
I interviewed Ralph Steadman a while back and he said he set out to change the world with his art. And he’d succeeded, it’s worse now than it ever was… do you think about changing the world with your political art?
God, Steadman’s great. Personally, I’m a bit of a cynic, but moreover a believer in collective power. So I kind of doubt my own ability to single-handedly ‘change the world,’ for good or for bad. (Though to that end, I could recycle more.) With some of my work I’m certainly in a position to spur conversation and debate, so there’s that. And any cynicism I hold about my ability to create Big Change doesn’t mean I plan to stop trying anytime soon.
You don’t just work with a political eye do you, you’re an illustrator, animator, cartoonist, designer. You’re a one-person creative hub, that’s what you are. What do you like doing best? Or do you like doing a bit of each at the same time?
Too difficult to decide. I like that I get to do all of it. That’s what keeps it fun. If it was the same every day, I’d fall into dramatic despair.
Where can we see more of your work?
Glad you asked. I’ve got a website, I tweet from @hendinarts. I also post all art to my Facebook, which I keep public for people to follow my work. I have an Instagram @rebeccahendin but… I’m not great at Instagram. Working to better at it. I’ll be better at it soon. Very soon. Promise.
