# DMA#39: Diagon Alley for Pen Nibs, A Crosshatching Masterclass, and the 5-Line Rule with KAL!

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/draw-me-anything-with-jason-chatfield-7482418/dma-39-diagon-alley-for-pen-nibs-a-crosshatching-masterclass-and-the-5-line-rule-with-kal
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/draw-me-anything-with-jason-chatfield-7482418/dma-39-diagon-alley-for-pen-nibs-a-crosshatching-masterclass-and-the-5-line-rule-with-kal.md
Podcast: [Draw Me Anything with Jason Chatfield](https://stenobird.com/podcast/draw-me-anything-with-jason-chatfield-7482418)
Published: 2026-04-18T19:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.newyorkcartoons.com/p/dma39-diagon-alley-for-pen-nibs-a
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/191071326/5f6bbe98a7989897d27075078fd240ca.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3876

## Resource

If you joined me last time I had the legendary Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher on the stream, you’ll remember we discussed the “Cartoonist’s Paradox” - the absurd reality where cartooning is incredibly easy to start, but absolutely impossible to stop once it gets its hooks into you. This time around, our conversation shifted gears. Instead of talking about how to get into the game, we talked about how to survive it. We dug into how to stay sane in a politically fractured world, how to defend the analogue line against the digital horde, and the sheer mechanical joy of making marks on paper. I frequently have moments during these streams where I completely forget I’m hosting a broadcast. I find myself just sitting there, slack-jawed, realising how profoundly lucky I am to have an hour to pick the brains of my absolute heroes. KAL is a legend of the medium. He is coming up on his 50th year at The Economist and is currently putting together a massive retrospective exhibition of his work. Getting to draw alongside him is a ridiculous privilege. The Outsider’s Advantage: We kicked things off by talking about the absolute circus of modern politics. KAL and I both know what it’s like to be an expat trying to explain American madness to the rest of the world. KAL spent a decade living in the UK, and he noted that being an outsider gives you a unique, clear-eyed view. You aren’t tethered to the deep-rooted tribalism of the country you’re in. You can look at the idiocy on both sides of the aisle and criticise it without feeling like a traitor. It’s a perspective he brings to The Economist , which he praised for its critical thinking and reasoned assessment of global madness. The Human Line vs. The Human Centipede: We eventually touched on the unavoidable elephant in the room: AI and the i…

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## Transcript

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