[Editor’s Note – In collaboration with Mark Kaufman, Illustration Age is bringing back the popular comic series for illustrators, I Drew This Thing. To prepare for the relaunch we thought it would be nice to take a 3-part look back at some of the greatest hits in this collection. Please enjoy Mark’s always hilarious, sometimes painful look at the life of an illustrator and get ready for more awesome to come.]

The short-lived illustration series I Drew This Thing was originally commissioned in 2011 for the (now discontinued) Escape From Illustration Island blog. I had a blast doing these, so I was delighted when Thomas James approached me about doing a monthly reboot for Illustration Age. You can read my original outline for the series below. Five years on I think these still resonate with anyone who picks up a pencil for a living. I look forward to writing and drawing a few more.

Illustrators. You know them. You love them. You’d like to hire them, but, you know… I Drew This Thing is my feeble attempt to delve into the illustration game and those brave souls who practice the craft. Like actors, writers, and sad clown paintings, illustrators bare their souls for all to see, and what do we have to show for it besides superior hand skills and a second job? Creativity, passion, and a misplaced sense of insecurity and self-doubt that’s what. Say it loud. Say it proud. I’m an illustrator dammit! And I also teach. Later weirdos, Mark Kaufman

Check back for Volume 2 and stay tuned for the relaunch of I Drew This Thing! You can also get your grubby hands on one of these as a print or other product here.