By The Interstellar Housewife
A few weeks ago, I posted a link to a website called The Ufologists, a collection of cartoon-art by the very talented Dennis Rano. A former political cartoonist, Dennis has taken the sacred art of the caricature and combined it with the field of UFO study ">INTERSTELLAR HOUSEWIFE: Dennis, I guess first-off I'll ask the obligatory question: When did you begin drawing?DENNIS RANO: Like everybody else, I drew as a child, but "never stopped".IH: Why did you choose caricatures as your specialty?DR: It's fun to pull and tug at peoples faces!
IH: You are a member of the AAEC (The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists). Was there a process involved?DR: I joined the AAEC by simply applying and submitting political cartoons.
IH: Speaking of political cartoons, on your site you expressed a disappointment while working within politics. Have any of your political cartoons caused any "stir" or upset particular parties?DR: Oh yeah! I've upset both parties and their Liberal or Conservative followers! At one time in my career I had to have the Secret Service watch over me because I pissed off a third, or fourth party candidate for President. I have 80% Liberal and 20% Conservative views.IH: The "Secret Service"? Jesus. I can't decide if I should hug you or give you a "high-five"!
IH: Who are some of your favorite cartoonists, and of them, which were inspirations?DR: Al Hirschfield I would say has inspired me the most. My style has been called 'minimalist' by other caricature artists and I'd say that comes from admiring "The Line King". Other cartoonists would be Johnny Hart (BC), Larry Wright, Tom Toles, Ann Telnaes.IR: Minimalist or not, you catch the likeness of your subjects extremely well.
IH: Do you create any artwork outside of cartooning?DR: Nope. I dabbled in airbrushing but never got really excited about it. I'm strictly a pen and ink kinda cartoonist. I've been told to try tattooing but I'm not a fan of blood.IH: Yes, I imagine that would probably present a problem ;)
IH: Have you ever worked on a caricature of an individual that you felt you just couldn't capture the likeness of?DR: Yes. This usually happens when the person I'm caricaturing reminds me of somebody else that I know. That's when my mind begins to mix the faces together.
IH: Aside from the personal experiences listed on your site, what lead you to begin drawing caricatures of UFOlogists and other UFO-related individuals?DR: The world of politics, after 30+ years, wore me out! UFOs always interested me, so I changed my website around from dumb-ass politician caricatures, to that of Ufologists, real down-to-earth people.IH: Well, there are a few that I'm not sure are "entirely grounded", but compared to politicians, I totally understand.
IH: Do you listen to any music or a specific kind of music while working?DR: Not really. The only background noise is the TV on the National Geographic or "Discovery" channels. If I do have music it's Bluegrass because it's upbeat!IH: Personally, I have a soft-spot for Bluegrass myself, along with Irish Folk, Western Swing, Americana and Rockabilly.
IH: On your website, you mention a few sightings you've had over the years. The first took place in Iceland -- can you tell me more about that?DR: I was outside one night, burning trash and admiring the Aurora Borealis, when I saw an object that I "thought" was a shooting star. But where it stopped, it then took a "90 degree turn to the left" followed by "another" 90 degree left turn, then "another"! It made a perfect square, ending up where it started! I went back inside :)IH: I think I'd probably feel ok with classifying that under "Crafts that are Non-Conventional", lol.
IH: Do you believe that the beings/entities/whatever piloting UFOs are here to help us, or do you believe they are probably somewhat indifferent?DR: I don't believe they want to harm us or they would have cleaned us out by now. I think they might just be studying us. I wish them luck with that.
IH: In your opinion, are the UFOs extra-terrestrial in origin or other (some people feel they are inter- or hyper-dimensional beings, or possibly even "terrestrial" beings we have not discovered)?DR: I believe they're ETs and they arrived a long, long, long time ago. And like Carl Feindt I believe they live in the "oceans".IH: I've often wondered about that, myself.
IH: While we're on the topic of ETs, what are some of your favorite UFO/Abduction cases?DR: Travis Walton. And especially Betty and Barney Hill because they were abducted about 90 minutes from where I live.
IH: Dennis, as crazy as it may sound, I hear that some people actually "have a life" outside of UFO interests -- what activities or hobbies do you enjoy outside of cartooning?DR: Watching football ("Philadelphia Eagles" fan) and hockey ("Flyers" fan). In the Summer, I like to visit the ocean.IH: I'm a Minnesota Wild fan, myself -- my partner and I are both hockey enthusiasts. Interestingly, I cannot stand any other sport.
"So, there you go - my lite interview with cartoonist Dennis Rano. I'd like to thank Dennis once again for not only the caricature he drew of me, but also for taking the time to answer my little questionnaire!"
"*And no, the hat in the photo of me is not every-day wear. The picture was taken on Halloween of this year."
