Three by Three: Guest Artists in Focus

QUESTION 2.    Many of your figures feel distorted, cosmic, or slightly unhinged. What role does exaggeration play in saying something truthful about human experience?

• ANSWER 2.     I think exaggeration helps people see how flawed things can be. It also helps that the world can be cartoony at times, like I once worked with a guy who you’d think was straight out of a cartoon. All he talked about was money, and one day, I kid you not, he showed up with a shirt with a design that was half a heart and half a dollar. Overall, I owe a debt of gratitude to Mad Magazine for my exaggerated humor.

Joe Collins
Psychedelic Cartoonist

MEDIUM:    paint markers

BIO:    Hello, I’m Joe. I hail from the Midwest and I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. Having grown up on Mad Magazine, I love to incorporate satire into work that reflects upon my views on certain things. My goal is not to preach, but rather give people food for thought.

INSTAGRAM:    @The.Joco

QUESTION 3.    Humor and satire run alongside introspection in your work. How do you know when a drawing has landed emotionally, not just visually?

• ANSWER 3.     I think when a piece lands emotionally is when it stems from something personal. For example, “Drink Up” is probably one of my most personal pieces, and it’s remained one of my favorites. The reason is because growing up, I always had somewhat of a chip on my shoulder. I was very much an outcast at my school, so as I got older, I would do things out of spite to show people that I wasn’t the same geeky kid. However, it took some time to realize that seeking validation from others—especially those who don’t care about you—does more harm than good. Believe it or not, it was actually a Reddit comment that inspired that piece, basically saying that it’s like drinking a slow burning poison.

QUESTION 1.    Your psychedelic cartoon style looks playful at first glance, but it’s loaded with meaning underneath. How do you decide how much symbolism to embed before an image risks becoming too opaque?

• ANSWER 1.    That’s actually a great question. With references, I’ll make sure that if it’s to something rather obscure, people can still get it. For example, I’m a big fan of the British rock group, Slade. Unfortunately, nobody in the States, especially in my demographic, have heard of them, as they didn’t really fare well in the American market. In one of my more recent pieces, I slipped in a reference to one of their songs, “Slam the Hammer Down”, because it tied in with the dark theme of lobotomy. That way, people can get the joke without even knowing that it is in reference to a song.
  
  

“DOPE-A-Mine”, 2025, Posca markers on watercolor paper, 9x12

All copyright and reproduction rights are reserved by Joe Collins.
Artwork may not be reproduced in any form without the artist's express written permission.

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“American Beauty 2: Electric Beautyloo”, 2025, Posca markers on watercolor paper, 9x12 (blue girl with melting face)

“Drink Up!”, 2024, Posca markers on watercolor paper, 9x12