Long before he became a novelist, Joseph captured the lighter side of airline life with pen and ink. During his years as a commercial airline captain, he sketched cartoons inspired by the people, personalities, and everyday moments that made his aviation experience unforgettable.
What began as a creative outlet became a unique chronicle of life in the cockpit, preserving the humor and humanity behind a profession often seen only from the passenger's seat.
Today, the pen and ink have given way to digital tools, opening a new chapter in Joseph’s cartooning. While the way he creates has evolved, his inspiration remains the same: the colorful personalities, absurd situations, and unmistakable humor of everyday life. The tools may have changed, but the pilot behind the cartoons hasn’t.
Cartooning has been a steadfast companion in my life for many decades. During my grammar and high school years, I often found myself in trouble for doodling cartoons, instead of focusing on mundane tasks like solving equations or practicing verb conjugation. Surprisingly, a few highly successful professional cartoonists provided me with encouragement through their own experiences. Charles Addams, the brilliant mind behind The Addams Family cartoons published in The New Yorker, once humorously shared the challenge of convincing his wife he was working while gazing out the window. Another well-known cartoonist noted the irony of being paid millions for something that had once gotten him kicked out of class. While I’ve experienced the feeling of getting kicked out of class, the millions have eluded me, thus far.
I embarked on a career as a pilot, serving as an aviator in the Marine Corps and flying with a commercial airline. As an airline pilot on the road, I had ample free-time to indulge my passion for drawing. I spent most of those moments sketching to keep myself out of trouble and engaged in something creative. As part of my freelance work, I had the privilege of contributing to a cartoon section titled “Lite Flight” for Air Line Pilot and creating cartoons for Leatherneck, a publication for the Marine Corps. Additionally, my cartoon “The Wrong Stuff” graced the pages of several major airport newspapers. The world of freelance cartooning opened up a plethora of opportunities and allowed me to satisfy my love of cartooning while engaged in other pursuits.
Featured Cartoon
