Everything I Need to Know About Cartoon Comedy, I Learned From My Pets

If you've ever looked at your cat doing something ridiculous and thought, "There has to be a joke in that somewhere,” Scott Metzger probably understands exactly how you feel.

For decades, Scott has been creating cartoons inspired by everyday life, but over the years, cats and dogs have become some of his favorite subjects. Through his single-panel comics, books, and social media channels, he's built a loyal following of pet lovers who recognize their own furry companions in the characters he creates.

We're honored to share Scott's story with our readers as he reflects on a lifetime of cartooning, the pets who inspire his work, and why animals continue to provide an endless source of comedy.

I've Been Drawing Since I Was a Kid

I've loved drawing since I was a kid and always read comic strips. My favorites from my childhood were Peanuts, The Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes, Bloom County, and Garfield. Those strips are what inspired me to become a cartoonist.

I started cartooning way back in the '90s. It's weird to think back to that time—the beginning of the internet and no social media. It was harder to get your stuff out there, to get noticed.

I sent packages to syndicates, trying to get various comic strips syndicated in newspapers. Some ideas I sent were terrible. A couple of ideas were good, but I was told they wouldn't work for a mainstream audience.

When the internet came along, it was easier to gain an audience, and if a comic wasn't "mainstream," it was fine. Social media made it even easier to reach people within your niche.

Finding My Niche

In the early years, I'd only draw a cat comic every once in a while.

But around 2012, a friend of mine (who liked cats and my cat comics) said to me, "You should focus on cat cartoons. I think that's your niche."

I wasn't sure about that, but as I started drawing more cat cartoons, I realized he was right. I started drawing more dog comics soon after.

Ideas can come directly from things my pets do or from my life. Sometimes one of my cats or my dog will do something ridiculous, and there's a cartoon idea right there. Other times, I'll get an idea from something that happened to me and put it in the "cat world" or the "dog world."

This cartoon is an example of the latter. I always see people at the gym taking their time between sets, and this idea came to me.

Why Cats Are So Funny

Cats are just funny to me.

They have this aura of superiority and dignity, so if they accidentally fall off a table or something, it's hilarious. They're just as loving as dogs, but they tend to be more casual, more nonchalant. That's where the humor is for me.

I've always been a cat person.

I grew up with a black cat named Samantha. My family adopted her when I was 5, and she passed away when I was a senior in high school. We got a dog, a Golden Retriever, after Samantha died.

My humor has definitely changed over the years. In the beginning, I would sometimes use swear words in my cartoons. These days, I rarely do that because I think curse words are unnecessary most of the time. But I'm not against swear words in cartoons. Every now and then, a well-placed F-bomb can make a comic hilarious.

Meet Piper, Freddie, and Dobby

I have two cats—a black cat named Piper and a tuxedo named Freddie—and a mid-sized black dog named Dobby, who's a mix of who knows what.

We adopted Piper in 2023, a few months after our cat, Hannah, passed away. And we adopted Freddie last year, a few months after our tuxedo cat, Max, passed away.

Piper is a black cat, and Freddie is a tuxie.

We adopted Piper because she seemed more "mellow" than her sister. Then we quickly realized we were duped. Piper is a little devil, but she's sweet and will cuddle with you.

My wife saw a photo of Freddie on the shelter's website. He was so cute. We drove 25 miles to get him. Freddie was as advertised: mellow and a love bug.

Piper is a sweet cat, but you have to be careful around her. You can't just pick her up and hold her. She'll come to you and go on your lap or lie down on your legs.

Freddie is almost the opposite of Piper. You can pick him up, hug him, rub his belly...he's fine with everything. He's a chill cat.

My dog, Dobby, is super sweet and loves to play. Sometimes he gets a bit too enthusiastic and wants to play with the cats, but they don't care.

For now, Piper rules the roost.

Dobby gets along with Piper and knows not to mess with her. Dobby doesn't like Freddie for some reason. He does this low growl when Freddie lies next to him.

The Real Side of Pet Ownership

Cats breaking or destroying things—sometimes valuable things.

We have a leather chair that has a bunch of scratch marks and holes in it. My cat Freddie has also broken a few houseplant pots.

My pets have taught me at least one important lesson: never leave food uncovered.

And when it comes to creating cartoons, people don't always see what happens behind the scenes.

My cats attack my pencils.

I sketch my comics in pencil before coloring them on the computer. Both cats love to attack my pencils and bat them around. They often bat things under the couch.

This comic was inspired by that.

Building a Community Through Humor

I really enjoy my followers on social media. People post photos of their pets and leave some pretty funny comments.

I especially love the community on my Patreon page.

Recently, one of my longtime Patreon members posted that her cat died, and there were several comments of sympathy and support. It was very sweet. It's cool that people can connect with each other in that way.

A couple of months ago, I was feeling depressed about how the market is being flooded with AI cartoons. AI slop is everywhere, and sometimes it feels like people don't care if the content is AI-generated.

As I was feeling down about it all, I got an email from a guy named Gene.

It said:

"Just found you. Awesome. Very entertaining. Not liking new AI crap. You are a great thinker. Much appreciated."

That meant a lot, and it came at just the right time.

Supporting Shelters and Rescue

I'm a huge fan of adopting from shelters, but I haven't used my cartoons to spread awareness about it as much as I probably should. I'd like to do that.

I do regularly donate my books and signed prints to animal-related nonprofits and animal shelters for auctions and other fundraisers.

My wife and I also donate to the local Humane Society.

A Few Final Thoughts

If you're thinking about getting a pet, make sure a pet is what you really want. It's about a 15-year commitment, so don't do it on a whim.

For aspiring pet creators, my advice is simple:

Draw what you think is funny, practice every day, and do it for the love of it.