SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Local man Jeremy Collins’ recent trip to the beach became an impromptu moment of self-discovery and reflection while sitting down to have his caricature drawn by a boardwalk cartoonist, sources close to the walled-off man confirmed.
“I’ve heard people say that they were unhappy with their boardwalk cartoons, that they hated the way they look, but I have to say that this was life-changing. For the first time in a long time I feel heard,” said Collins after the 15 minute session. “It was so nice to be asked about my hobbies and about how I spend my time. So when I saw that drawing where I was riding a surfboard while eating a giant hot dog I got a little emotional. The way she captured my prominent nose, chin and my thin mustache was truly special. That’s me in that photo, that’s who Jeremy Collins is.”
When asked about the session, artist Ken Daniels seemed less than affected by the experience.
“Yeah, a lot of folks pour their souls out to me, and it can get pretty intimate. That’s something I wasn’t ever prepared for when I decided to make a few extra bucks drawing tourists on the pier,” said Daniels while drawing a man with a walrus mustache. “A lot of times, I need to change the subject when people bring up how their father never brought them to the boardwalk or that they gave up their hobbies when they had kids and secretly resent them for it. It just gets too heavy, so I started keeping a box of tissues with me because some of these men really start opening up, and the sadness is real.”
Local therapist Erika Laghari seemed perplexed when asked about the concept of caricature therapy.
“What I do is an attempt to help people become their better selves through conversations, exercises, and sometimes, bookwork,” said Dr. Laghari. “My profession takes years of schooling and I’m constantly learning new techniques to serve my patients needs. I have a hard time believing that an art school drop-out drawing people with heart-shaped boxers and enormous ears can get the same results as me and my colleagues.”
At press time, Collins is sitting for his fifth caricature in three weeks, sobbing about losing his chinchilla while being drawn as a cowboy with bananas for guns.