“If you like the book, you’d probably like me. So he said all the characters of ‘Peanuts’ were aspects of his own personality, and I sort of took that to heart,” he said, adding that it’s apparent in his work. “He said you can't base them on other people because you don't know anybody well enough to base a fully rounded three-dimensional character on them. United Feature Syndicate, which also published “Peanuts,” liked his work and debuted his strips in 2002, kick-starting his career, which would require him to expose parts of himself in his characters, as Schulz once personally advised. He soon resorted to his dream of being a cartoonist, facing years of rejection starting in 1996 before Pastis got his break in 1999. Instead, he took a “more dependable route,” banking on his promising high school debate skills to become a lawyer in hopes of practicality and more money.īut once he got it, “I did not enjoy it at all,” he said. “I wanted that kind of life, but I knew even at a young age that the odds of syndication were mind-boggling,” said the Santa Rosa, Calif., resident. It was cartoonists like Watterson and Charles Schulz, the late creator of “Peanuts” and the Charlie Brown gang, who fueled his passion for cartoons at a young age. It’s sprinkled with colorful and candid commentary about the stories behind the cartoons and the author’s most memorable moments - most notably, the collaboration with Bill Watterson, the veteran cartoonist and author of “Calvin and Hobbes,” who returned for a stint from a 19-year hiatus.įor Pastis, 49, who refers to Watterson as the “Bigfoot of cartoons,” it was a dream come true. The treasury, available since Tuesday, is Pastis’ ninth compilation of 18 consecutive months of comics.

Secondly, I’ve never done a signing, so it’s the butterflies,” Pastis said. On the seventh stop on his nine-city tour, Pastis stops in Baltimore to promote his latest book “Pearls Hogs the Road” at The Ivy Bookshop, and it’s safe to say Pastis is looking forward to his visit. Stephan Pastis’ cartoon strip “Pearls Before Swine” has been featured in The Baltimore Sun’s Sunday section for over 10 years, depicting quick-witted and memorable characters like Rat, Goat and the ever-athirst Pig, each exploring a range of themes like modern technology, breakups, jobs and politics with a twist of humor.īut Sunday will mark the cartoonist’s first local signing.

Pastis comic