Paul Mason: an artist with paddle and pen

CANOES AND CARTOONS.

These are Paul Mason’s passions. Few can lay claim to combining a good draw stroke with drawing good strokes. Paul is the son and former paddling partner of the late Bill Mason. Paul appeared in his fathers’ Path of the Paddle series of films and books and he co-authored the instructional canoeing book, Thrill of the Paddle.

Ottawa Outdoors Magazine pulled him back from the edge of a waterfall recently to find out how one of Canada’s most famous whitewater thrill-seekers combines life as a professional cartoonist.

OOM: You play in a lot of waterfalls. Paul: I like the challenge and adrenaline rush. Waterfalls can be very dangerous; no one should paddle them unless they are very experienced. The first waterfall I went over was in 1989; it was only about a foot high. Four years later, I entered my first competition. OOM: How do you run waterfalls or whitewater rapids? Paul: There are lots of skills to learn, most of which you can practice on flat water. It’s important how you set up your approach. Usually, I practice an hour on flat water before taking the plunge. For waterfalls, because of risk of injury, I won’t run anything more than 20 feet. The condition of the river, the current and the water level are all things to keep in mind before making a run. I might look at a run one day and decide it looks fun; a few days later, because of changing water conditions, it might be dangerous. I like to do challenging rapids, but not ones with serious consequences. Sitting in an eddy at the top of a waterfall or wild stretch of whitewater, I visualize my run – play it

like a video in my head. If I can’t do that, then I won’t. Sometimes I get anxious sitting up there on top of the falls. Then, I peel out of the eddy and do it. OOM: You’re not just a crazy canoeist. You’ve competed in three whitewater canoe championships. Paul: I won a bronze medal in OC-1 (Open Canoe) in 1993, and I’ve competed in Germany, New Zealand, and other countries. An OC is like a whitewater rodeo, paddling in an open canoe. You drop into a hole, a hydraulic or other feature in the river to do tricks and manoeuvres. The competitions are a lot of fun. OOM: Tell me about your canoeing these days. Paul: Hog’s Back Falls is one of my favourites. And Bonniebrook (north of Montreal) is another favourite. It’s a small, narrow creek in the spring. Northern rivers are beautiful, being sometimes steep as well as narrow. If you’re up for the challenge, it’s another great adrenaline rush. Location doesn’t matter much to me, as long as I can do freestyle paddling and learning something new. OOM: You’re also a guide. Paul: I work as a guide for the Black Feather Company, taking people to local areas like the Madawaska and Dumoine Rivers. It’s demanding, but very satisfying. One time, I took a 72-year-old man down the lower part of the Nahanni River. He had been on the river in the 1920s with a friend, hunting and trapping, and they had lost most of their gear rafting down the rapids. When I took him down the river he wore welding glasses as sun glasses, had a cigarette stuck between his lips, and had a terrific time. As we neared the rapids, he turned around in his seat, gave me a toothy grin, and yelled, “Just Giv’r!” OOM: What advice would you give to someone new to canoeing? Paul: First, take lessons. A bit of instruction can save hours of frustration, and unnecessary harassment from paddling partners. Second, don’t just buy any canoe and hop in. It takes time to find the right canoe. OOM: What inspires your cartooning? Paul: I draw what I know, which usually means canoes, kayaks and the outdoors. I get the best ideas in the morning. The punch line usually comes first and I work from there. Often, I’ll start an idea and another will pop

up. The wall by my desk is full of little ideas I have posted, and have yet to fit into a cartoon. If I’m really stuck, I’ll start writing about the scenario; that usually helps to generate more ideas. OOM: You also draw cartoon caricatures from photos. Paul: Originally, I didn’t paint personal caricatures. Then people started asking for them. So I thought, why not? I start by sending out some examples to give people brainstorming ideas. We discuss specific details to make it funny. These details can include comical stories, funny facts and exaggerated quirks. Often, these traits are “inside” jokes that I don’t get until they’re explained to me. I draw several versions, run them by the customer, then paint a final version in water colour. OOM: Tell me about Bubble Street. Paul: Bubble Street is my online comic strip that I created. The comic strip can be seen on most paddlesport web sites. There is also plenty of merchandise out that sports Bubble Street comics, including magazines, posters, t-shirts, and even trailers. Web sites receive the latest Bubble Street comic every two weeks. Right now, Bubble Street is mainly canoeing and kayaking, but I hope to have it targeting rafting and other paddlesports soon. The bubble street is actually the path that the bubbles follow down a set of rapids, so I thought the name fitting for my comic strip. This is the first time that I have actually had a set of characters. OOM: Clyde, Soggy, Flipkick, Garb and Bailey. These are all character you invented. Which one is your favourite? Paul: Wow, that’s a hard one. I can relate to aspects of each character. I look at them and I can say, “Yup, I’ve done that.” Each one is unique. My favourite has to be Flipkick, the fish. He has the funniest things to say. Often, if I have something I want to include in the comic, but can’t really fit it in, I’ll let Flipkick say it. It acts

like a side thought. Flipkick was completely accidental. In fact, at first he was a cat! But as I drew more water scenes, a fish made more sense.

OOM: Do you have a favourite cartoon? Paul: The ones I like are the ones I snicker at. The humorous situations sometimes make the reader think of something similar that might have happened to them, which puts on the personal touch that I can’t do. Although most readers don’t look at the quality of the drawing, some of my favourite cartoons are ones that I feel have turned out well. If I really like a style of drawing or an aspect of the painting — like how I drew the water, for instance — I will make a copy of it, and stick it up on the wall by my desk, so I can use it again.

OOM: What influence did your dad have on your canoeing? Paul: According to my mom, the first time I went in a canoe was the day she and dad took me home from the hospital. Dad taught me how to paddle. Repetition is a great teacher, and my family certainly had plenty of practice. It’s a different style of learning how to canoe, but it’s effective. These days, canoeing is made a lot easier because of the new plastic and fiberglass canoes. When I was paddling with my dad, we had an older cedar strip canvas boat that was sometimes very hard to paddle due to the fact that it would start to absorb the water. My father always encouraged us to do our best, and to learn so we could improve.

OOM: Your father was a painter. Did he influence your cartooning? Paul: I’ve always loved cartooning, but dad encouraged me by saying that cartooning was an art. Then, as with any kind of art, you start by copying someone else’s style; eventually you develop your own. That’s how my dad helped it happened.

OOM: What does the future hold for Paul Mason? Paul: There are three things in particular; the new OC (open canoe) free style boats have phenomenal performance! I’ll be able to meet new challenges and have more fun! Second, is that as my kids get older, we can go on longer canoe trips. Up until now, the canoe trips with the kids have been their speed, considerably slower then my wife and mine. Now, trips will get much more intense and exciting. Lastly, Bubble Street is a real challenge, but I can’t wait to see where it will go.

WANT TO FIND OUT more about Paul Mason or look at his Bubble Street comics? Check out his web site at: www.bubblestreet.ca Chantal Macartney is a regular writer for Ottawa Outdoors Magazine.