Toast is not a name usually associated with the profession of cartoonist and illustrator, but Toast Cartoons has a history going back to the student days of company founder Martin. He explained, “Toast Cartoons is my own freelance illustration business and it all started when I produced a monthly cartoon strip for The Student Times newspaper in the early 2000s. I called the strip Toast as I recall toast being a staple meal when I was a student and it seemed appropriate. The name was born, and Toast Cartoons has stuck with me ever since!”
Alongside the cartoon strip, Martin really got things going with Toast Cartoons working alongside charities and NGO consultancies. He used his skills as an artist, illustrator and animator to create animated visual aids that were used to accompany training presentations, conferences and events for charities and NGOs worldwide. After some time away, Martin revived Toast Cartoons in 2020 and established the company as a cartoon and illustration business specialising in unique cartoon portrait commissions of beloved pets and their families. Martin was also commissioned to illustrate a children’s book, “Levi Journey: An Unlikely Therapy Dog”, which was published in 2021.
Toast Cartoons produces cartoon portraits of a range of animals – usually dogs, but Martin has also turned his talents to drawings cats, horses, guinea pigs, hamsters, parrots, tortoises and as well as their human owners. With his own unique skills, Martin is able to produce designs that capture the subjects’ unique characters and their greatest attributes, “I offer a unique and tailored approach to producing cartoon portraits, working closely with my clients and offering them the chance to have input into the design to ensure it is exactly what they are looking for. I offer a range of options for my final products from canvases to mugs, notepaper, postcards and greetings cards. I also provide clients with a high-resolution digital copy of their artwork so they can get additional copies made,” added Martin.
As a company that re-launched itself at the start of the COVID-19, Martin wasn’t sure how it would fare., He commented, “one thing I did notice is that, even in the darkest of times, people want to share joy and happiness. The cartoon portraits I have been producing since early 2020, and the children’s book which I illustrated and published last year, have brought joy into the lives of countless people during the pandemic. The pleasure this has brought me has done so much for my own wellbeing and happiness.”
All credit goes to Martin who has excelled in re-establishing Toast Cartoons into a young, thriving and popular business with so much potential. We asked Martin what his future plans for both Toast Cartoons and his publishing business were, he answered, “I am currently working with another client on an exciting new book project which I am illustrating and co-authoring, and the project will include a toy based on my characters. As 2022 progresses there should be more book illustration projects with my current client, and eventually I want to write and illustrate my own book for children. In the meantime, Toast Cartoons will continue accepting commissions and sharing the joy of cartoon portraits of pets and their families.”
Martin’s book, Levi Journey: An Unlikely Therapy Dog can be ordered on Amazon or Waterstones. Martin has a limited supply of signed copies available from his website.
T 07970 014576
toastcartoons@gmail.com
www.toastcartoons.co.uk