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The Man Behind the Scrawl
  
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Cartoonist and Illustrator Doug Davis Gets a Gallery Show
by Richard Guzmán, City Editor
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - Doug Davis was one of those kids who was always drawing something, especially monsters.
Davis still loves to draw, and now he makes a living at it, working as an illustrator and cartoonist. He keeps drawing monsters too, even if they’re not a regular money gig.
The Echo Park-based Davis, whose editorial cartoon Urban Scrawl appears weekly in Los Angeles Downtown News (where he also worked as art director between 1992 and 1996), is the subject of a show at the Broadway gallery Take My Picture (run by Downtown News photographer Gary Leonard). The exhibit, titled Inking Outside the Box, starts Thursday March 11 at 7 p.m. with a reception and runs through May 28.
The show holds 28 works, most from the Urban Scrawl cartoons. Also on display are nine pieces from Davis’ Creature Comfort series, which features monsters hanging out in Downtown.
Davis, who has received awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the Los Angeles Press Club, described the creative process behind some of the work in the Downtown show.
1) Bench Brawl: The cartoon depicting Vin Scully talking about the split of Frank and Jamie McCourt came as the situation erupted last fall. “We get comments being made by Vin about something going on off the frame, and you can just use your imagination about what an actual physical brawl might be like between the McCourts,” he said. The cartoon was also a comment about the effects a divorce will have on the Dodgers. “The divorce is going to affect the game in spite of the protestations of the McCourts. We don’t know how, but I think it’s going to have an impact on how they play.”
2) Bratton Rides Off: Looking like a mix between Yosemite Sam and John Wayne, former LAPD Chief William Bratton rides off to new adventures as sad locals say their goodbyes. “I thought it would be a funny take because he’s been looked at as kind of the uber-sheriff coming into town,” Davis said. “It seemed like there were a lot of Angelenos who thought he would be missed, and I thought the old sheriff leaving town after he’s cleaned it up would be a good parallel.” Davis also earned some recognition for the work. “Bratton’s office called me and asked for an autographed copy to present him at his final press conference, which I did.”
3) Home Sweet Home: With housing developers desperate to fill their units, Davis offers suggestions on incentives they could offer. “It’s just kind of a goof on the goings-on of Downtown, not necessarily political,” he said. “But certainly with the real estate market and incentives the real estate developers are offering now, how much further can they go?” While most of it came from Davis’ imagination, some elements were inspired by real life. “I’ve seen an iguana on the shoulder of someone walking Downtown. I just try and take what I see and push it a little further.” And why is the man smiling as much as the girl when the Chippendale’s doorman opens the door? “That’s one of those bonus things I like to throw in for people who read carefully enough that they might see another level of humor.”
4) Monster Mash: Part of his Creature Comfort series, this piece features a swamp/sea monster enjoying a good read. “I hope there’s just a little smile from the fact that there’s a sea creature reading a book about another sea creature who puts up a heck of a fight,” Davis said. The series is also an excuse to keep drawing monsters. “It’s an expanded sketchbook in a sense. I’m certainly not seeing these monsters Downtown.”
5) Power of the Bean: Coffee’s restorative powers take over in this piece. “I was going for some contrast: big monster, little cup. I also wanted to imply some kind of exchange between the big monster and the regular guy walking behind him but not being really clear about what that might be,” Davis said. But where would the monster go for a cup of Joe? “Urth is cool,” he said. “Starbucks? I don’t think so.”
Inking Outside the Box is at the Take My Picture gallery, 860 S. Broadway, (213) 622-2256 or takemypicture.com.
Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
©Los Angeles Downtown News. Reprinting items retrieved from the archives are for personal use only. They may not be reproduced or retransmitted without permission of the Los Angeles Downtown News. If you would like to re-distribute anything from the Los Angeles Downtown News Archives, please call our permissions department at (213) 481-1448.
Davis still loves to draw, and now he makes a living at it, working as an illustrator and cartoonist. He keeps drawing monsters too, even if they’re not a regular money gig.
The Echo Park-based Davis, whose editorial cartoon Urban Scrawl appears weekly in Los Angeles Downtown News (where he also worked as art director between 1992 and 1996), is the subject of a show at the Broadway gallery Take My Picture (run by Downtown News photographer Gary Leonard). The exhibit, titled Inking Outside the Box, starts Thursday March 11 at 7 p.m. with a reception and runs through May 28.
The show holds 28 works, most from the Urban Scrawl cartoons. Also on display are nine pieces from Davis’ Creature Comfort series, which features monsters hanging out in Downtown.
Davis, who has received awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the Los Angeles Press Club, described the creative process behind some of the work in the Downtown show.
1) Bench Brawl: The cartoon depicting Vin Scully talking about the split of Frank and Jamie McCourt came as the situation erupted last fall. “We get comments being made by Vin about something going on off the frame, and you can just use your imagination about what an actual physical brawl might be like between the McCourts,” he said. The cartoon was also a comment about the effects a divorce will have on the Dodgers. “The divorce is going to affect the game in spite of the protestations of the McCourts. We don’t know how, but I think it’s going to have an impact on how they play.”
2) Bratton Rides Off: Looking like a mix between Yosemite Sam and John Wayne, former LAPD Chief William Bratton rides off to new adventures as sad locals say their goodbyes. “I thought it would be a funny take because he’s been looked at as kind of the uber-sheriff coming into town,” Davis said. “It seemed like there were a lot of Angelenos who thought he would be missed, and I thought the old sheriff leaving town after he’s cleaned it up would be a good parallel.” Davis also earned some recognition for the work. “Bratton’s office called me and asked for an autographed copy to present him at his final press conference, which I did.”
3) Home Sweet Home: With housing developers desperate to fill their units, Davis offers suggestions on incentives they could offer. “It’s just kind of a goof on the goings-on of Downtown, not necessarily political,” he said. “But certainly with the real estate market and incentives the real estate developers are offering now, how much further can they go?” While most of it came from Davis’ imagination, some elements were inspired by real life. “I’ve seen an iguana on the shoulder of someone walking Downtown. I just try and take what I see and push it a little further.” And why is the man smiling as much as the girl when the Chippendale’s doorman opens the door? “That’s one of those bonus things I like to throw in for people who read carefully enough that they might see another level of humor.”
4) Monster Mash: Part of his Creature Comfort series, this piece features a swamp/sea monster enjoying a good read. “I hope there’s just a little smile from the fact that there’s a sea creature reading a book about another sea creature who puts up a heck of a fight,” Davis said. The series is also an excuse to keep drawing monsters. “It’s an expanded sketchbook in a sense. I’m certainly not seeing these monsters Downtown.”
5) Power of the Bean: Coffee’s restorative powers take over in this piece. “I was going for some contrast: big monster, little cup. I also wanted to imply some kind of exchange between the big monster and the regular guy walking behind him but not being really clear about what that might be,” Davis said. But where would the monster go for a cup of Joe? “Urth is cool,” he said. “Starbucks? I don’t think so.”
Inking Outside the Box is at the Take My Picture gallery, 860 S. Broadway, (213) 622-2256 or takemypicture.com.
Contact Richard Guzmán at richard@downtownnews.com.
©Los Angeles Downtown News. Reprinting items retrieved from the archives are for personal use only. They may not be reproduced or retransmitted without permission of the Los Angeles Downtown News. If you would like to re-distribute anything from the Los Angeles Downtown News Archives, please call our permissions department at (213) 481-1448.
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