Patty Wooten presents ... 
An Interview with
TOM JACKSON
From Journal of Nursing Jocularity, Spring 1992, 2(1), pp 46-47.Five years ago a nurse from San Francisco handed me a booklet of cartoons about hospital humor. I thought they were hilarious and really captured the funny side of situations. I was eager to talk with the cartoonist and after many phone calls I finally reached Tom Jackson. Tom is a delightfully funny fellow who truly believes that a humorous perspective can help us cope with some of the distress surrounding medical care. His work is enjoyed by nurses, patients and doctors. The interview which follows gives us some insight into his motivation to create these cartoons.
Patty Wooten:
Tom, I've been sharing your cartoons with nurses in my workshops for the last 5 years. They usually roar with laughter. Many of them are curious about how you capture the funny side of a situation.
Tom Jackson:
Well, I've been in the hospital 5 or 6 times -- some of those times I was very ill and not expected to live. When you come back from death's door, you look at life differently; you're grateful for everything you have.
PW: So you began your cartooning during your recovery?
TJ: Oh, NO! I started drawing when I was 7 years old. My childhood was filled with excessive beatings, fears, and anxieties. An uncle gave me my first book on cartooning. I used to sit in my closet and draw cartoons. It was like a sedative and helped to calm me down.
PW: I've read that the majority of professional comics admit to tragedy in their childhood.
TJ: Yeah, well there's a fine line between humor and tragedy. A humorist has to find that line, so as to not step on anyone's toes.
PW: Do people get offended by some of your material?
TJ: There are some people in this world who will complain about anything. I draw people with bare butts in some of my cartoons. I draw about topics that are unpleasant or personal, but that's what hospitals are about -- bareness; bareness of body and soul. And if we can laugh about it, we feel a sense of control, of safety.
PW: Do you think some people don't appreciate seeing the funny side of their hospital experience?
TJ: Oh, sure.
Let's face it -- there are some very humorless people in this world. They don't want to laugh about anything. I feel sorry for them, but it's up to the individual.
Now there are some times when it's hard to see the humorous side --like when you're in pain or afraid of dying. But, once you're on the mend again it's easier to laugh. And, sometimes when you've had enough bad news, when you just can't take any more -- then you're more ready to laugh.
PW: How do you come up with your cartoon ideas?
TJ: Oh, these are all experiences I've had or heard about in the hospital. You see, a cartoonist points out the humor that's inherent in a situation. Sometimes I have to rework an idea to find the funniest edge to the gag. See, that's why my stuff is funny to patients, because they can tell I've "been through it" too.
PW: What advice would you give someone who is hospitalized or recovering from an illness?
TJ: I'd tell them to get their mind off thinking about their problems. They should read funny stuff -- whatever it is they think is humorous.
PW: That reminds me of a quote by Voltaire: "Medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Actually, that's a bit more radical than I can accept, but I do believe we need to add amusement to our care plans.
TJ: Oh, yes; I was a real rascal when I was in the hospital. I used to stick a flower in my urinal just to see how the nurses and visitors would react. I got constipated once and the doctor told me he was ordering a stool softener. I had my wife bring in a hammer and I put a sign on it saying 'stool softener'. They took it all over the hospital.
PW: How about the doctors -- how have they responded to your cartoons?
TJ: Most of them like 'em pretty well. I've sent some in for publication in medical journals; but those places want me to show the doctors as sophisticated and the nurses in starched uniforms. But that's not realistic. -- And it's certainly not funny.
PW: I know the Journal of Nursing Jocularity readers might be interested in having you draw some cartoons especially for their facility or situation. Do you do that sort of thing?
TJ: Sure. For custom work, they should send me a description of the situation they want illustrated and any pertinent details (see Bubbly-ography on page 44).
PW: Tom, thanks for your advise and suggestions. Please keep up the funny work. We all need to remember to laugh.
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This article was originally published in "Jest for the Health of It", a regular feature in the Journal of Nursing Jocularity.
Feature columnist Patty Wooten, BSN, is also a past President of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor, author of two books related to humor, and a national speaker presenting on the benefits of humor.
