When Rob Kernachan of Saltair opens up today’s Chronicle, he’ll find his 2,000th published cartoon in its familiar spot on page six.
Kernachan remembers that his first cartoon for the Chronicle more than 20 years ago was on horse logging. It was one of five he had submitted to the Chronicle’s editor in hopes of getting the cartoonist job, and this was also when he got his first letter, when his neighbour was upset with the cartoon.
Kernachan got his start with the Chronicle when he heard the editor at the time in 1991 was looking for someone to draw some cartoons on local issues. He remembers that Jean Mowat, who was good friends with his mother, saw the ad in the paper and told his mother, and then his mother told him because he had done cartoons for a while. He submitted five cartoons to the editor, and all five were published.
“I thought it might be fun,” he said. “I didn’t have any long-term plans.”
Kernachan was drawing cartoons for the Chronicle when John McKinley was the editor here, and when McKinley moved on to the Cowichan News Leader Pictorial, Kernachan recalls that McKinley decided he wanted a local cartoonist, and Kernachan was one of three contributors. Ted Zemek recently retired from cartooning, and as of July 30, Kernachan has been the sole cartoonist for the News Leader Pictorial. He recently published his 704th cartoon for that paper.
Over the years, Kernachan has won numerous awards for his cartoons. The B.C. and Yukon Community Newspaper Association awarded him a silver in 1992 and a gold in 1993. He also won a bronze from the Canadian Community Newspaper Association in 1993.
Kernachan recalls that drawing was just always something he did.
“Apparently, I was always artistic,” he said.
Kernachan works at the Western Forest Products mill in Chemainus, and before this, when he was working at the old mill that was shut down before this one opened, as it was winding down, they were going to terminate the employees, and he remembers he did cartoons about that.
“When I started at the new mill, once I started doing cartoons for the paper, I would draw all the time and I started doing cartoons for work,” he said.
Kernachan says ideas come to him all the time, and he always has an iPad so he can write them down and remember them later.
Kernachan’s artistic talents go beyond the black and white cartoon. His passion is now painting. He paints in acrylics, often inspired by photos of his West Coast adventures, and he will be showcasing his artwork at this Sunday’s Arts on the Avenue.
Kernachan says cartooning for the newspaper is kind of like therapy.
“It’s kind of like a release, and rather than just complain about it in a coffee shop, I can do it on a larger stage,” he said.
Kernachan says many of his ideas for cartoons come from reading through the paper’s letters to the editor.
“When I cartoon, I often see people who were adults when I was a kid, they’ll come up to me and say ‘I really like your cartoon,’” he said. “It’s great because it’s the people I grew up with.”
Kernachan hopes his cartoons are sparking some discussion.
“When I see an issue, I have to form my own opinion,” he said. “If I think it’s wrong, that gets me interested. I’m fairly calm and I’m pretty laid-back, but if anything is attacking kids — don’t mess with the kids; that will get you some attention. I’ve never liked people ragging on the kids because I was a kid, and I’m pretty sure they were kids.”
Humour is what keeps Kernachan interested in cartooning.
“I try to put humour in my cartoons, and it’s a great vehicle to get my humour out there to more people,” he said. “I guess I am kind of interested in what goes on.
“To me, the deadline is nothing — there’s no pressure,” he added. “I just know I have to have a cartoon. It’s easy for me, as opposed to things that are hard for me, like anything mechanical or construction or mowing the lawn, all the tough stuff.”
Kernachan say he cartoons for his Aunt Eleanor because every Tuesday morning, she sits with a cup of coffee and reads the Chronicle for his cartoon.
“She lives in Ladysmith and was really pleased I was a cartoonist for the paper,” he said, adding he also cartoons for everyone who reads the paper.
Kernachan says he looks up to pretty well any cartoonist he sees. He likes Farside and Gary Larson, as well as Raeside cartoons, and he appreciates any cartoon that is humourous.
“I can read more in a cartoon that most people, probably,” he said. “I love the colour funnies. I can go through them like they are a novel.”
