The people, places, and things of David Cowles’ world are lively, funny, and sometimes grotesque, animated with synergy so powerful you’d like to harness it to heat your home. Witness Exhibit A, the caricature of yours truly that accompanies this post.

Cowles’ illustrations and caricatures have been featured in such esteemed publications as Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Vibe, Time, Newsweek, Playboy, People, The Village Voice, Money, Worth, Fortune, Fast Company, Los Angeles Magazine, New York Magazine, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, The New Republic and Vanity Fair, among others.

He’s an animator too, and among his many projects he produced four videos for They Might Be Giants’ Here Come the 123s DVD (2008) and four more videos for They Might Be Giants’ Here Comes Science (2009).

Cowles graciously answered a bunch of questions from ITCH.

Let’s talk about your roots. Was there a particular caricaturist who produced a life-long love and appreciation of caricaturing in you, and when did you first see his or her work?

I would have to say that my first exposure to caricature would have to have been Mort Drucker’s work in MAD magazine. I feel like I’ve always been aware of his stuff, so I must have been pretty young when I first saw it. So, let’s say “from birth.”

Who do you think is the greatest caricaturist of all time? Why?

Tough question, but my all time favorite, and the one who had the biggest influence on what I do now, is Miguel Covarrubias. The argument could be made for plenty of others, like David Levine and Al Hirschfeld, but for me this guy is it. When I first saw his stuff in the 80s, in an article about a show they had of his at the Smithsonian, it was such a revelation to me. In his work, beginning in the 20′s, you could both see the influence of Mayan art from the past, and the direction caricature would go for the next thirty or so years.

How about cartooning? Suppose you wanted to teach a roomful of skeptics to appreciate the fine art of cartooning. Who would you use as an example?

Not sure I’d want to be in a room full of cartooning skeptics. Okay, let’s say somebody had a gun to my head and I had to engage them. There’s another one that would be tough to whittle down… As a kid I was obsessed equally with the art of Peanuts, Pogo, and Dennis the Menace. So I’d probably start there. And if their hearts aren’t melted by wise-crackin’ kids and animals, then screw ‘em.

Is there a particular animator who inspires you? Can we see his or her influences in your own work?

There have been a ton of animators that I’ve been inspired by, and the style of the old UPA cartoons have cast a big shadow on my work. But my all time favorite animator is probably Tex Avery. His sense of humor was so extreme and his timing was so perfect that he makes me laugh consistently more than any other animator. I want his influence to show more in my work.

Was it a total blast to work with They Might Be Giants?

They are hands down the best experience I’ve had so far in the animation business. I mostly deal with John Flansburgh, who is a director himself and also worked as a graphic artist before the band took off. So, he actually taught me a lot as we’ve worked together. It was also an amazing experience where the executive in charge of the project (Flansburgh, who commissions all of the videos) has given notes that actually make the project better. There doesn’t seem to be any ego involved, just everybody trying to make the best end product. So, yeah, a total blast basically sums it up.

Explore Cowles’ multiple awesome portfolios here.