A Bedford Park resident, who has a passion for drawing, was recently recognized for his art, as he was named the winner of the Trader Joe’s Fearless Flyer Cartoon Contest.
Scott Carr, 30, does graphic design for an education non-profit in Lower Manhattan and does illustration on the side.
Carr, a frequent shopper at Trader Joe’s, saw the grocery store’s contest for its holiday flyer on Instagram and immediately upon the suggestion of his girlfriend, Kate Lashua entered.
He drew the Trader Joe’s Everything Bagel Seasoning being poured on bagels with a with a caption of ‘Tis the Seasoning’, written by Lashua.
“I love their everything bagel spice,” Carr said. “That’s the first product that came to my mind when I thought of Trader Joe’s.”
The contest required people to create an original, TJ’s-themed cartoon with a clever, corresponding caption (or dialogue) for its annual Fearless Flyer Holiday Guide. Then, post it on Instagram with the hashtag “#FlyerCartoonContest” for the chance to win a $200 gift card and have the cartoon featured in the Trader Joe’s 2019 Fearless Flyer Holiday Guide.
The guide will be in stores and online Monday, December 2.
Carr, who just had his first comic published in the New Yorker, said the past few months have been quite eventful.
The comic was titled, ‘Sandwich of the Future,’ and depicted a slot machine giving out sandwiches.
“I love making artwork, doing illustrations and comics,” he said to the Bronx Times.
Carr grew up in Hartford, CT, and fell in love with art at a young age. In fact, in third grade he was making comic books for his friends.
His mother Deborah Carr also impacted him.
“My mother used to do a lot of illustration and artwork,” he recalled. “She used to do a lot of crafts with us when we were kids.”
He studied graphic design and illustration at Central Connecticut State University. Carr lived in Brooklyn for eight years, but relocated to the Bronx a year and a half ago.
“I’m really glad I’m in the Bronx,” he exclaimed. “It’s an awesome part of the city.”
Since moving to New York, he has been plugging away at his fulltime job and steadily making and selling small comics online and at Desert Island in Brooklyn.
But, with his recent comic in the New Yorker and this contest, things could be headed in a different direction, he said.
In a week, people will know his artwork nationwide.
“It’s a really good feeling,” he said. “I want to keep pushing and see how far I can go.”
Looking ahead, he plans to continue drawing and eventually one day write full-length comics and become even more known. He enjoys drawing anamorphic animals, which is quite different than his favorite childhood comic Calvin and Hobbs.
While it isn’t an industry where he will be rolling in cash, he loves it.
“It’s (art) always a fun thing to do,” he said. “It’s always an easy way to tell stories and communicate. I love the aspect of combining a visual with text.”
