Illustrator Pete McDonnell draws his way through life

Editor’s note: This is the first in a four-part series to profile the interesting lives of a few Argus-Courier freelancers.

Growing up in the 1960s and ‘70s, Pete McDonnell was immersed in the golden age of illustration. From Marvel Comics to Mad magazine, the art form was approachable yet celebrated, and it made a big impact.

“It’s not art with a capital ‘A,’ it’s pop art. It’s commercial,” McDonnell said. “Charles Schulz said it was the most disposable form of artwork.”

His interest as a child led to a lifelong career, doodling original art for everyone from National Geographic Kids and Cracked magazine, to the weekly editorial cartoon in the Argus-Courier. It was the “funny pages” as a kid that first caught his eye.

“I started out drawing [comics] I saw the newspaper,” he said.

Soon he was creating his own comics, which were admittedly derivative, like a Spider-Man-inspired character called Tarantula. McDonnell filled out sketchbook after sketchbook, many of which still sit in his studio today.

“My brother and I were always fascinated with the drawings,” he said. “But with comics, the drawing has a story with word bubbles. So you need a joke, a joke in four panels.”

The combination of bright, bold artwork and the chance to tell a story or a joke appealed to both McDonnell and his twin brother. Growing up in their tiny Manhattan apartment, the McDonnell twins honed their passion in pencil and ink. Ultimately, they both became successful illustrators.

“My brother really made it big,” McDonnell said. Twin Luke McDonnell inked art for both Marvel and DC Comics, working on iconic books like “Iron Man,” “Suicide Squad” and “Justice League of America” in the 1980s.

When the brothers were 15, the family moved to California, following their father’s job at IBM to San Jose. That led to California College of the Arts in Oakland, before Pete McDonnell began shopping his work across the country, sending his portfolio to publishers and advertising houses. He got an agent, and soon he was hired for assignments that sent his artwork all over the globe.

He drew a monthly two-page spread for National Geographic Kids, detailing the adventures of a young photographer exploring the planet. He created a spokes-character for a European lighting manufacturer. He did the artwork for three editions of “The Darwin Awards” books. He had regular assignments drawing TV and movie parodies for Cracked, the humor magazine that ran from 1958 to 2007.

“I actually just found this file of glossy photos of Chevy Chase,” McDonnell said with a laugh.

He explained the photos were for a Cracked assignment to spoof the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life,” with Chase as George Bailey and John Belushi as a schlubby angel. The magazine would send McDonnell a pile of headshots to reference while drawing. Back before the internet, McDonnell had to track down the source material for his illustration, heading to the newsstand to grab a magazine or the library to copy a photo.

“Illustrators had files and files of images,” he said. “If you needed a photo of something, you needed it in your files. It’s a lot easier today.”

In 2003, McDonnell and his family moved to Petaluma, seeking more space than the city could offer. He continues freelancing from his home studio, but when the recession hit in 2008, he saw his commercial work begin to evaporate. To keep the bills paid, he had to pivot, and began drawing cartoonish caricatures at weddings and special events. He works at rapid pace, producing 15 to 20 pictures an hour, all hand-drawn in front of the crowd.

“That’s really become my meat and potatoes,” he said, adding that in the pandemic, he’s taken the business online. “On Christmas Eve I was doing a Zoom, drawing a family who couldn’t be together.”

In 2013, longtime Argus-Courier cartoonist Steve Rustad stepped down, and suggested McDonnell as his replacement. Since then, he’s worked with the paper’s editors to create original artwork for the Opinion page. While the concepts and commentary come from the editors, McDonnell brings it to life with his artistic eye and sense of humor. His work is regularly honored in the California Journalism Awards.

See Pete McDonnell’s portfolio at petemcdart.com.