The Artist
Name: Jonnie Griffiths
Born: 18th July 1991
Bio:
Since an early age, drawing cartoons has always been my main hobby. In 2015, I enrolled on a cartooning course from The London Art College. After I was awarded a Distinction at the end of the course, I launched Banana Skin Cartoons on 14th April 2016. When I decided I wanted to be a freelance cartoonist, I chose to specialise in humorous greetings cards showcasing my love of witty characters, ideas, and wordplay. My medium was watercolour paint and liquid ink pens before changing to digital.
I started to sell my cards at art and craft markets. While I had many admirers but not many buyers, I moved on from craft markets and sold my card designs on print-on-demand marketplace websites such as Zazzle and Redbubble.
During this time, I approached family-run craft shops to ask if they were willing to put my cards up for sale. The first business to say yes was The Picture Framing Shop in Chandler's Ford, followed by Norris 1876 in Beaulieu a few years later.
Outside of BSC, I have produced the occasional piece of fan art based on my favourite franchises which I uploaded on my other Twitter account (@JGAdventureZone). Arguably the most successful pieces of artwork I have shared online are two Where's Wally scenes based on the popular TV show Taskmaster. I received a lot of praise and touching compliments for both designs from Taskmaster fans as well as Lou Sanders and Jack Bernhardt on Taskmaster: The People's Podcast. The following year, I stopped being a freelance cartoonist after getting a job as a retail assistant, but I continued to draw as a hobby. It was around this time I decided to move on from greetings cards and concentrate on fan art projects.
Thanks A Bunch to everyone who has continued to support Banana Skin Cartoons since 14th April 2016!