So, you like reading cartoons, and have decided you want to be a cartoonist? Congratulations, you've chosen one of the most enjoyable jobs in the world - if you have enough endurance and imagination to pull it off!

This 'How To' guide will lead you through the pitfalls and choices that lay before you, and help you learn how to become a cartoonist.

In order to become a cartoonist, you need to conceive of a character and a setting, develop a storyline, and draw the cartoon. If you're looking to draw cartoons professionally, you'll also want to get published - but you'll be a cartoonist after you've completed your first cartoon!

Before you start your Cartoonist career, you need to collect some basic equipment. Here is a list of the basic tools-of-the trade:

• Pencils. Make sure you have a range of different pencils at hand, ranging from B/HB (hard top) to H/2H (soft). Depending on your preferred style, you can choose graphite, charcoal or carbon pencils.
• Eraser. You can stick with the top eraser of your pencil, but many find a separate eraser more easy to use. You might consider using an art gum eraser.
• Paper. While developing your style, you will use a lot of paper to try out new ideas. Don’t be afraid to use a lot of this. Make sure you have both white paper, and graph paper.
• Drawing board. You need something to draw on, so make sure you have a flat surface, preferably something you can tilt.
• Mirror. When drawing faces and expressions, your own features are your best tool. Use a mirror to mimic expressions.
• Wooden puppet. A puppet makes it easier to mimic movement or stances.
• Imagination. This is your most important tool. You need to be able to constantly think up new, interesting situations, jokes and punchlines.

(Creative Commons photo by chanchan222)

As a first step towards becoming a cartoonist, you need to make a few decisions. None of these decisions is final, but it is good to go through them every once in a while to set your mind.

1. What style will your cartoon be? Will it be Manga, Realistic, Simplistic, or some other style? Check out online cartoon artists you like, and find out what style they use. Good starting points for inspiration are The comic book database and the comiclopedia.http://comicbookdb.com http://lambiek.net/artists/index.htm
2. Will your cartoons be short (one to four panes), or full featured?

Imagine your main character, his/her characteristics, fellow companions and the general setting. For instance, Scott Adams invented Dilbert, an office clerk living mainly in his office booth, with Catbert the an evil HR director, Dogbert the megalomaniac consultant and his pointy-haired boss. These are all prime examples of well-thought-out characters. They are extreme, different, and each adds its own fun angle to the cartoon world.

Now that you have your character and its setting, you need to practice. Practice, practice and practice. This is also the hard part, of becoming a cartoonist. You need to get acquainted with your characters. During this practice, it is no problem to change your character, or even start out again entirely. Professionally though out characters go through many cycles of alteration. However, in the end, you have to feel entirely happy about your character, and have to be able to draw out the character exactly the same 99 out of 100 times.

When you thought out your character, you probably already had a story in mind. Now it is time to write out that story. Whether the story spans one pane, or an entire book, you need to plan ahead, to make sure you don’t waste valuable time and paper, and to ensure your comic works. For the one pane cartoon, you need to define the essence of your story. What picture is pivotal to the story you are trying to bring across? The correct image is crucial. If it fails, your punchline fails too. For a full album, write down the story arc, sub-plots, and what you expect to happen on what page.

Now on to the fun part: You are now ready to start drawing. Plan your work, plan how many pages or panes you intend to complete in a day or week. Work at a steady pace, in a well lit environment.

Next up, is to get your work published. Collect some of your best work, make a professionally looking portfolio, and contact possible employers. One good source might be Cartoon syndicates, such as Creators.com. Read their site and requirements carefully before submitting.