Robin "Cartoongal" Fisher

Name: Robin Fisher

What is your DJ alias? & what are its origins?: Cartoongal.  My show is about the graphic arts, cartoons are a graphic art. The main mandate of my show is to make the graphic arts accessible to all people.  I like to say, "let me be your guide, let me be your cartoongal." (You know, like your gal Friday.)

Show: The Onomatopoeia Show

Genre: "All graphic arts, all the time."  Talk radio with music.

How long have you been at CJLO?: 3 years.

What is the best thing about working at CJLO?: The sense of community and the opportunity to reach an extremely wide audience with very little censorship.

Describe your show as a potential life partner. What are its qualities? Omg! My boyfriend is extremely dreamy! He has such great taste in music, soooooooo much variety. One time he made me a mix tape of all tunes from WWII. Another time he played underground Japanese bands all night. And he reads Everything! Like one week he's scouring a book on fashion illustration and then like today, he wouldn't stop talking about this book called "Who censored Roger Rabbit?"  Did you know that was a book and a cartoon/live action movie? Sometimes he brings his friends.  Artists, animators, writers, he knows tons of interesting people. He loves talking about Female comicbook artists, kids books, one time he ranted about how various action figures are modern sculpture.  He totally loves cartoons and graffiti........sigh, I could listen to him even on a Sunday.  He's just So enthusiastic, he's contagious. It never fails, whatever he's talking about, you want to read it, he makes it sound so appealing and fun.

Two reasons why you do your show?:
A. I consider myself a comic book activist and am compelled to make the world realize that there are comics out there for everyone.  That the simple amalgamation of art and literature, elevates the art form to more than anyone could ever imagine.
B. I listen to a lot of music and read a lot of things.  I can't stop sharing and am freakishly enthusiastic about the good non mainstream stuff.  Which makes me an ideal radio show host for a show about the graphic arts at a university radio station.

If you weren't doing your show, in what other ways would you express yourself?: Through writing articles about comic books, etc. Possibly with twitter or a website.

What was the biggest turning point in your musical journey?: Jeepers, I don't think I've ever had a musical journey.  How about what got me started in radio?  Doing an hour long Canadian Content show at Lake State University (Sault Ste Marie, USA) circa 1994/95.  Musically I've always listened to things that are not the mainstream and I relish the chance to play music people might not have heard before.  So I strive to find the best of the non mainstream.

Fill in the blanks
If I could travel back in time and bring back anyone, I would bring back Jim Henson. Because he created a new art form (The marriage of marionettes and puppets = Muppets) and because he made generations of millions and trillions of people, all over the world, happy.

Name your 2 favorite albums of all time: While I love music, my show is about comics.  My favourite comic of all time is Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children.  Currently, I'm in love with "Mouseguard" by David Petersen and "King City" by Brandon Graham

What is the one piece of technology you cannot live without?:  The combustion engine.

Describe yourself in 3 words: enthusiastic, educator & open-minded.