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Humor Illustration Design,

a Summary of Illustrations, Designs, and Projects

Jochen Gasser

BahnhofstraBe 10, 39040 Vahm (Bz), Italy

info@j ochengasser?com

Abstract. This paper summarizes my work as an illustrative designer; it

covers details of my inspiration, ideas，final works，and specific projects that

I have worked on throughout my career. This paper is organized in parts;

Humor Illustration Design as a Solution Mechanism for Various Problems

describes my view on how humor functions in the world today and how it

alleviates issues. Illustration as a Tool is where I explain the workings behind

and the outcome of an ongoing project and the goals Fm aiming for as a

designer in terms of reaching my audience. I then show how I incorporate my

work into marketing strategies in Humor Illustration Design as Marketing

Strategy. Finally I focus on the project that I will present in Las Vegas in July.

Keywords: Humor Illustration Design, Humor, Andreas Hofer, Humanity,

Emotional Connection, Gondola.

Humor Illustration Design as a Solution Mechanism for

Various Problems

In a powerful and function-oriented world, it is more important than ever not to come short on emotions and humanity when it comes to design and illustration. The motto “Sex sells’’，is an evident example of how humor functions in our society; at first the directness of this motto seems crude and grabs our attention, then it eases and brings about a laugh. Humor is a concept that can be used to reach audiences within seconds, and draws them in through amusement and emotional connection. Illustration is a way to depict humor; it is an ideal means of expression as themes can be apprehended and understood with no specific boundary. In other words, illustration allows individual opinions and views on certain themes through imagination.

2Illustration as a Tool

Since the beginning of my career as a freelance illustrator in 2(X)8，I have been interested in innovative ways to apply the concept of “Humor Illustration Design”. I worked together with a historian named Norbert Parschalk on my first project. It was based on the idea of historical story telling through a new style. The main idea was to

A. Marcus (Ed.): DUXU/HCII 2013, Part III, LNCS 8014, pp. $13-gl9]2Q13.

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514 J. Gasser

create 44comics ,\ in which history and humor were combined, without questioning the significance and plausibility of a given storied contents.

The first story I transformed into a comic was the biography of “Andreas Hof er ”，a local freedom fighter and hero in the South Tirol (a small region of Italy, far north in the Alps)(Fig. 1 shows an exerpt from the book). In this region of Italy - in my homeland the status and importance of Andreas Hofer can be compared to that of Abraham Lincoln in the USA. I designed the illustrations and Norbert

Parschalk helped me formulate the texts.

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Fig. l. Exerpt from the Andreas Hofer book

But there were consequences that came with animating this historical figure and things went through the roof when the storybook was first published and released; as quoted, one cannot make “Serious historical figures into comical her oes ?” However the book was soon accepted and became a best seller. It also serves as an educational tool for many middleschool students and a number of others in general.

The concept of this project was simple and came down to one question and goal: How could I get people from each age group who were historically ‘uninterested ’，to want to experience and learn history? The solution lay in the combination of texts and matching cartoons and comicstrips; I recreated each story based on tms combination, with the intention of finding a way to give people no option but to learn the history; they would have to read the texts in order to understand the illustrations they were looking. And this worked!

I designed the humorous elements of my story books with the purpose of “reward- ing ’，the reader ，who had been ‘‘f or ced ’’ to do something undesireable (i.e. to read) in order to understand the story. Tnis concept takes after the motto: “You can learn and also laugh!”. I didn ’t want to undermine or question the seriousness of the biographies however, and so, I only chose scenes that are either proven or unverifiable. This is how the subtitle of my book series, “An IIlustraded History ”，was founded. Based on this subtitle ，my books can be considered “subjective history ” rather than as “joke ” or “satire ”.

My work focuses on and is demonstrated through the concept of “humanity ”， which is the

central theme and a crucial building block in the thoughts and procedures

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Humor Illustration Design, a Summary of Illustrations, Designs, and Projects 515

that go into my ideas, texts and illustrations- In these re-created stories, my intention is for heroes to be seen as humans that have strengths and weaknesses! With this method, which is not always met with sympathy or understanding, I aim to convey these characters not as dismantled or lesser heroes, but rather as heroic figures to whom readers of any age group can relate. The simplicity of the combination of the illustrations and texts, allows readers to have a better understanding of these heroes and the things that led them to the honorable and heroic decisions they made.

Every product, every service and every action is, when it comes down to it, based on “humanity” and can be communicated as just that. Consider times when you have viewed a situation or experience，a conversation, or an emotion，from another person or friend’s perspective. You probably discovered the different possibilities of meaning or intention and were able to feel what might be felt “under one’s skin” rather than only seeing the what’s on the surface.

This concept plays an important role in my approach of communicating humor; in my illustrations, heroic figures become happily-seen and read about companions because people see that these figures once existed in the real world and therefore feel that they can relate and connect to the heioe’s achievements，struggles，enjoyments，etc. on a more personal level. Thus, these humorous illustrations and texts allow the “gray and serious every day life”of the reader to be forgotten for a short time and bring a smile to his or her face. Tve come to see this as the best medicine for anything and everything!

In describing my experience with readers Tve shown my take on the importance of being able to relate to a person or a character in order for success. For a story to succeed, it9s important that the readers can relate to its contents. For busines^s (in my case), this type of connection is equally important. In my opinion when it comes to design，possibility is created through the simple method of studying one’s customers; learn about their products and services, and know, understand and then focus precisely on their weaknesses. Here is a phrase that I believe to be quite relevant: "Only a person who can laugh about oneself，shows one’s ‘true colors’ and thus one’s true greatness^. I have learned to follow this method: get to know customers on a deeper level and gain their interest by working with not only what you think they are looking for, but also what they believe they will benefit from.

Something that I find important in my work and that sets my ideas apart from a great deal of illustrators like myself, i^s that I disagree with the idea that maintaining the 'character9 of a product is a 4'no go^, a popular idea in the general efficiency- oriented business philosophy. In fact, on a maybe slightly emotional level, I think that maintaining the character of a product is a “must do” and that putting an emphasis on the difference of a product and distinguishing it from competing products while simultaneously maintaining success, is an actual possibility.

As an example of Humor Illustration Design and my method, Fd like to describe the evolution of the design that is currently on my car. In this case the product was the vehicle and the client or customer was myself. I wa^s looking for a different way to show my illustrations and decided that I wanted to print a design on a large object. I had to begin by asking myself what this ‘objec t’，w it h which I would like to show off and promote my work could be, I chose my car! This seemed like a good idea, since everyone sharing the road with my car would of course also see my work. But what difficulty did I find when it came to putting a print on my car...? Well, due to the specific model the Materia Daihatsu which has a high vertical 4snout\ thousands of flies and insects would encounter a fatal end every summer, smooshing and splattering against the front of my car.

This led me to establish an animated illustrations of a 'gentle9-looking, oversized flyswatter that is stretched across the hood of the car, counting it^s 'victims9 in a very unfazed

516 J. Gasser

manner. I found the backside of my car to be the ideal advertising surface for the targeted onlooker, which is, of course, whoever drives behind me.

Every car has a ‘rear’ part. Mine however，is decorated with a “Buttf’ace” with the phrase u Please don^t rear me in the butt v (translated from Italian). This phrase, to many people, has a double meaning... and i^s another example of where humor and illustration work well together in portraying a certain meaning. In this case, one of the two interpretations of the phrase serves as a request to watch out for the back of my car.

The quickly successful effects of this advertising method were due to and achieved by numerous photographs (especially of the 'rear') and resulted in an additional 'side- effect9: Being stopped by the police has become a very rare occurrence since the installation of the design on my car, in fact, police encounters have since only ended with a friendly goodbye. And this Td like to assume, happens because even Policemen and other figures of authority are, when it comes down to it, also just 6t human,\ This is further proof of a common appreciation for humor that can have a positive influence on anyone.

3Humor as a Marketing Strategy

So far in my career cus an designer the fact that humor functions independently from product or service has become clear to me. When properly combined with “customary”marketing strategies，a product can become a popular item or idea，and thus can lead to an emotional connection with the customer. My illustrated characters create a sense of connection and understanding for my clients and allow them to dive into a somewhat realistic comic world that really doesn’t seem too unbelievable.

1 have displayed my illustrations and work in various ways，from simple T-shirt designs to interior designs of entire facilities. The range of possibilities seems to be endless. As an example, I have incorporated my work in restaurants where humorous details have found their place on anything from beer barrels to napkins and from bathroom walls to garden furniture.

Another example of a ‘Humor Illustration Design’ project that has come about in last few years in an entertainment performance based project called, in German, 44die Zupprmandor^, which combines music and drawing. In a performance, a projection appears on a large screen in tront of an audience. Before their eyes appears an illustration, which I draw live, accompanied by a matching and timely coordinated song, which is written by a local song-writer (Markus Dorfman). This is a new type of live- performance that leads the audience on a journey of discovery with it9s captivating creation process. The “Zuppimandor”entered into the Austrian television talent- show, 'die groBe Chance' (in English, The Big Chance), similar to the show 4x- f act or’，and even made it to the semi-finals!

Regardless of whether it comes to marketing, entertainment，or simply amusement，my personal desire for challenge remains to be the driving force of Humor Illustration Design, especially when it comes to opportunities in which one would not expect work like mine to appear. And with this, I would like to introduce my project-in- process.

4Project in Las Vegas

In searching for a perfect project for the Las Vegas event, I came across and interesting object in Las Vega^s which is currently being established. This object is called The High

Humor Illustration Design, a Summary of Illustrations, Designs, and Projects 517

Roller Observation Wheel, an enormous ferriswheel at Caesar’s Palace on the Las Vegas strip. This is the world's largest observation wheel at 550 feet，with large round cabins, or gondolas，that each fit up to 40 people and allow for a 360 degree view of the city. One regular ride on this ferriswheel ride lasts 30 minutes, but a gondola can also be booked for groups and parties for much longer rides.

This is not the average for a Humor Illustration Design project. I think that

I found this object appealing for this very reason; trying to find a way to connect my work with and object like the High Roller Observation Wheel would be a completely new and interesting undertaking. So I set to thinking about ideas that could combine my humor and illustration with this object. In my opinion the most stand-out aspect of this object is the large scale gondola. So I started to think of ways to transform these gondola's into my own version of gondolas with my Humor Illustration Design. In accordance with Las Vegas5attempt to become a more family-friendly destination, my idea of illustrating a variety of themed gondolas was established. I will elaborate on my first idea, which is the 4wedding-gondola1. In this gondola, a couple can exchange their "I do\s'5 in a heavenly setting above La^s Vegas9 famous strip. This idea is simple and maybe a little less than exciting for this city, given its well-known wedding and marriage possibilities. However my personal focus and challenge lies in the execution of my idea. Since my illustrations take place within a gondola, the surface space and portrayal of my ideas are confined to the inside and facade of the gondola, a small area.

This illustration is a 3-D comic strip that tells the stories of a couple in love and concludes with a happy ending upon exiting the gondola; a funny depiction of love, as all of us have at one time or another experienced it, that will show the path towards finding k true' love with amusing images of both past, unsuccessful relationships and a future of happiness. With few written words, the illustrations will communicate the story of the comic strip, which allows for an international understanding as well as an opportunity for self-reflection for the observer who is looKing at ‘Gondola number 9’ (based on cloud number 9).

The facade of the round gondola resembles a 4Cloud # 9' on which a welcoming ‘Amor’sits and greets guests. The couple enters their Cloud # 9 through the，entrance of the gondola, which looks like Heaven\s gate. Upon arrival, the illustration expands left and right and tells both of the character\s stories on the way to their final happiness, which they simultaneously find on the opposite side of the gondola. The illustration symbolizes both the helplessness the main characters experienced when it came to falling in love and the love they each find as it comes to their wedding day. This comic strip resembles relationship situations in which love must first be stumbled upon before becoming a possibility!

This illustrations incorporates many details, like depictions of blind love, high flying emotions, hesitations towards the <4I do\s'\ the heavy back pack of loneliness, which all resemble experiences faced on the path towards finding true love. As the motto goes，“Everything happens for a r eas on’’，t he two characters travel on their own, with butterflies in their stomachs, on the path to each other. (Figure 2. Shows an example of my illustrations).

518 J. Gasser

Fig. 2. Example of my 'Love5 illustrations

The ride in the wedding gondola shows a funny and emotionally exciting romance, a happiness and love that is shadowed by the less happy past. At the end of the ride and at the exit of the gondola，the illustration suggests a ‘typical’ situation where the wife is in the lead，dragging the husband behind her. In summary of this project，Humor Illustration Design transforms the function of a transportation device and creates an experience, as we see in this wedding-ride that is full of amusing highs and lows (laughing, crying, suffering and loving).

Themed gondolas of this type are by no means a must have unsuccessfully securing this project, however, the individual elements of my illustrations can shine a new light on the overall awareness and experience of the High Roller Observation Wheel.

Regardless of the theme, whether it is a wedding-gondola, a football-gondola, or a casino-gondola, there is no limit when it comes to imagination and production of these illustrations. My illustrations act as an imaginative High Roller Observation Wheel for those who observe my project. In seeing each imaginary gondola, they experience different ‘gondola rides’，which becomes their own experience，and strengthen the appeal to i re-enter, the ferris wheel on a different gondola in order see yet another comic world.

To summarize what Tve written, projects like the ferriswheel project can probably be viewed as luxury items since they are sure to succeed just as well without illustration design. However, illustrations like mine provide humor and character to an object and allow for yet another aspect of the object and experience to be engrained in ones memory, which is of course very important for every designers work.

Like so often in life, the most important thing is not ‘what’ but ‘how’. Humorous，illustrated designs are no ground stone for success, but are a great addition to any project and enhance the memories that one will have in walking away from an experience with almost anything. My illustrations offer customers and observers a a chance to smile or laugh for a moment and also creat a connection to an object or a place by shining a positive and humorous light on whatever it is.