Today we’d like to introduce you to Ray Russotto.
Ray, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born in Brooklyn but moved, along with the rest of my family’s belongings, to South Florida at the age of four. In grade school I earned pocket money drawing funny pictures of my classmates and teachers. Upon graduating from Florida Atlantic University with a B.A. in English, I was recruited into my brother’s rock band to play the bass guitar. After seven years of playing in night clubs and lounges I accepted an honorable discharge and began the relatively “secure” career of a freelance cartoonist–I do magazine illustration, book illustration, children’s book illustration, editorial cartooning, comic strip creation (my strip “It’s the Humidity” ran in the Sun-Sentinel,) advertising illustration–whatever pays the bills. And a big component of my business is doing live caricatures at parties and special events.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being a freelance artist is always a challenge; you start every week with no guaranteed income and that can be very daunting. I’ve seen what once were my primary sources of income (magazines, newspapers, and ad agencies) decline dramatically, but after more than 30 years I’m still making a good living at it.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Caricatures and Cartooning by Ray Russotto – what should we know?
I’d say the ability to produce quality work and meet tight deadlines is one of my main assets as a cartoonist/illustrator. As a live caricaturist, I think it’s my ability to get an animated likeness of my subjects–one that they won’t find offensive but will still make them laugh.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I guess primarily my parents. They never said “art is nice hobby, but you can’t make a living at it.” They were always supportive.
Pricing:
- Illustration work is priced by the job.
- Traditional caricatures (pen on paper) at special events is $125 per hour.
- Digital caricatures at events start at $200 per hour–my website explains what digital caricatures entails.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2463 SW 12th Court
- Website: www.cartoonsbyray.com
- Phone: 954-570-9256
- Email: ray.russotto@gmail.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caricaturesbyray/
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
