"Listen honey—the dress is by Ralph Lauren the body by chocolate chip!"—a great quip from one savvy woman to another, except it isn't. This sentiment, along with dozens of others portraying women's experiences with a twist of humor, is the creation of decidedly male cartoonist Emerson Quillin.
In the studio behind his shop at Lexington's Victorian Square, Emerson plucks moments of universal truth from ordinary life and turns them into hilarious cartoons. Then, before you know it, these same cartoons have found their way onto products and into places throughout the United States and foreign lands.
"It all started back in Bloomfield, Indiana," said Emerson, where for 50 years his mom, Jeane, owned a beauty shop. For most of those years, the shop was located in the basement of the family home, so as a kid, when Emerson wanted to spend time with his mom (or to ask her for money), he usually found himself immersed in the gossip and commentary of the town's womenfolk. And because one of his favorite pastimes was to doodle, the inspiration for some of his first drawings came from the material at hand: beauty books with head shots of women's hairdos.
Years later, after majoring in art at Indiana State University and getting a master's in textile design at the Rhode Island School of Design, Emerson was still doodling. In fact, while at Rhode Island, he supplemented his studies with freelance jobs ranging from designing logos to creating rock concert T-shirts. And he loved every minute of it, often arriving at school before the janitors. After graduation, Emerson moved to Rochester, N.Y., where he was creative director for Champion Products, an imprinted apparel company. The Midwest was calling, however, and after three years at Champion, Emerson moved to Cincinnati where he became creative director for Velva Sheen Sportswear.
His work in the apparel industry gave him the opportunity to meet a variety of folks, including Charles Schulz, the father of "Peanuts," whom he visited in California when working on a deal to produce Snoopy pj's. Meanwhile, Emerson was refining his own cartooning style, most specifically his "Listen honey" character, a composite of all those Bloomfield matrons he'd observed growing up.
In 1984, Emerson's work reached a wider audience when his "Listen honey" comic first appeared in the Cincinnati Post, where it has run continuously, six days a week, ever since. Producing the strip, Emerson said, "made me realize I had to keep it up or it could be a failure, and it had to be good every day." At first, he found the pressure intimidating, but after several years, he said it got easier.
"Easy," in fact, is the word that first comes to mind when watching Emerson at work. His pen seems to have a mind of its own, laying down what look to be random lines and then tying them together seamlessly in a marriage of picture and caption. But as anyone who has given it a try can attest, it is anything but easy, and there is a discipline driving that pen that takes years to perfect. "I never use an eraser," Emerson said. His decades of training and experience have given him the ability to draw in a fluid motion that he compares to a pianist who practices a piece until he can perform it flawlessly, without hesitation and without a mistake.
Emerson said he draws everywhere, always has, and it is this combination of desire and constant practice that makes an artist. When asked if he believes people are born with artistic talent, he replied that he attributes success much more to perseverance than to any innate gift. "I wasn't all that good as a kid," he said, "but I drew all the time." He also learned by studying the work of other cartoonists. "I especially admire Jim Unger, creator of 'Herman'," Emerson said. Both men draw their characters in a similar fashion.
The result of all this practice can be seen in the skill and variety of Emerson's work. His cartoons grace everything from cocktail napkins to rubber stamps, greeting cards to nightshirts, and his messages appeal to all ages. For years, Emerson said, he concentrated on women almost exclusively, including his famous "Listen honey" character, but now he draws about an equal number of women and men, along with an increasing emphasis on animals. Inspiration for some of the animal antics comes from his Jack Russell terrier, but he has also created a variety of dogs and cats, each of which has its own compelling personality.
In fact, most of his ideas—people- and animal-oriented—come from everyday life. "My mind is conditioned to pick up on what people say," he said, and Emerson is never without a pen for capturing the offbeat moment that could be destined to turn up on a T-shirt or tablet. His wife, Claire, is also on the lookout, since she knows the kinds of material that provides her prolific husband with grist for the mill.
One of the greatest challenges for any artist is to market his or her creations effectively without having the business aspects of the profession overtake the artist's creative force. Emerson has tackled this problem by teaming up with Emerson Street, his licensing arm located (honest) on Emerson Street in Rochester, N.Y. Through the efforts of the Emerson Street staff, the consumer can now find his designs on over 200 products in more than 13,000 venues, ranging from hospital gift shops and small boutiques to Dillard's and other major department stores. In addition, catalogs like Casual Living offer his designs, as do Internet sites like the Web-based arm of Woman's Day magazine. And those who want to merge the artist's creativity with some of their own can purchase Emerson designs that have been converted to needle art packages by Twisted Threads in Cincinnati (www.twistedthreads.com).
Last May, Emerson's first franchise opened in the Village of Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Sandestin, Fla. Called "Listen honey, an Emerson Signature Store," the shop features a variety of merchandise selected to appeal to the beach-goer. Zandra Wolfgram, director of public relations for the resort, said the shop "fits right in and people love it."
One of Emerson's most popular products at Sandestin, and almost everywhere else, is his nightshirt in a bag, a one-size-fits-most, 100% cotton garment that has even been featured on ABC's "The View." The front of the shirt (and the bag it comes in) are silk-screened with an Emerson design, and there are dozens of designs to choose from. "It's official," says one character, her hair frazzled as she clutches her coffee cup wearing a flowered-print mumu and lace-up tennies, "I've become my mother."
The idiosyncracies of human experience often transcend geography, language and culture, which may be why Emerson products are popular in states from Maine to California and countries from the U.K. to Japan. "Listen honey, if friends were flowers I'd pick a bunch of you!" celebrates the value of friendship the world over.
For the future, Emerson intends to keep on creating his own work (he has two books coming out this summer), looking for new product ideas and relaxing by watching the Reds, basketball and golf. He also enjoys the work of some of his favorite competitors, including Jim Borgman, creator of "Zits" and an editorial cartoonist for the Cincinnati Enquirer, and Vic Lee, author of Pardon My Planet.
"I've had a really good life and have been able to do the things I've wanted to do," Emerson said. When asked what he would say to the current generation of aspiring cartoonists, he stresses three things: "Be aggressive, learn the business, and practice, practice, practice"— sound advice from a man who has proven that working hard at what you love can be the secret to success.
On other subjects, Emerson's characters offer their own words of wisdom. "Do you have any advice for getting through the teenage years?" one distraught mother asks another. The answer: "Pray!"
You can learn more about Emerson and view samples of his work by visiting his Web site at www.emersons humor.com or visit his store in Victorian Square.
This article first appeared in Business Lexington's sister publications Chevy Chaser and Southsider Magazines. To read more about interesting people and happenings in your neighborhood, look for these magazines in newsracks throughout the community.
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