Long time cast member of the Crossroads Comedy Theater show, Study Hall, Jacob Todd, has a not so secret identity. When not on stage making people laugh or working his day job as a webmaster, he’s operating as his alter ego Poorly Drawn Arsenal in a variety of mediums. Ahead of his appearance at Untitled: Art Meets Improv on Wednesday 12/13 @ 8:30pm, we asked Jacob a few questions to give people some insight into the artist behind the “poorly drawn” art.
How did you get started with Poorly Drawn Arsenal?
I started Poorly Drawn Arsenal 8 years ago. It started as an entirely personal project. I was struggling with a panic disorder amongst other things and I decided that I needed a daily task that was something other than a panic attack. That became drawing about my favorite soccer team, Arsenal. I gave myself a task to draw something about Arsenal for a year straight. I called it Poorly Drawn Arsenal and released it to the public as a way to say to myself ‘This isn’t perfect, but it doesn’t have to be’.
To someone who knows nothing, how would you describe Poorly Drawn Arsenal?
I like to describe it as “I have questionable artistic skills and a love of Arsenal. Here is where I combine the two.” I don’t do the daily drawings anymore because, turns out, that’s a lot of work. So, now I do a cartoon, or animation, or an animated podcast after each match.
Why do you think PDA has gotten the attention it has and how, if at all, has that increased attention influenced your process?
All the attention feels very absurd to me. I’m just a dude that spends his free time drawing about his favorite sports team because he struggles expressing how he feels in writing. All the attention is very humbling and I struggle at times to figure out why the attention exists. I try to consistently look at the humorous side of things, there’s enough dread and such in the world, I don’t need to add to that. So maybe that’s part of it.
Doing this has allowed you to meet players, travel, create products, record podcasts, and more – what’s been one of the more interesting things you’ve been able to take part in as a result of this effort?
A few years ago I had the opportunity to film a video with some of the Arsenal players. I was sitting in this room waiting for the Arsenal players to show up and then Granit Xhaka, one of the more senior players on the squad at the time, walked into the room. Someone in the room introduced him to me and then asked him “Are you familiar with Poorly Drawn Arsenal?” to which he said “Yes” and then he looked me dead in the eye and said “your drawings, eh, they aren’t so good, no?” I’ve never been so simultaneously intimidated and honored in my life.
Untitled is about one art inspiring another. Do you feel your background in improv and comedy influences your drawings?
Improv is a huge influence in my work. I very much try to follow the fun when it comes to Poorly Drawn Arsenal. I plan literally nothing, which is probably more unhelpful than it is helpful, but as soon as I see something that I want to play with or explore more with, I start drawing. Also, the animated podcast that I do with Hunter Steffes, of Big Baby fame, is loosely structured off of the pretty flower.
What can people expect from your appearance at Untitled: Art Meets Improv?
Probably a man’s slow realization that he has an unhealthy obsession with his favorite sports team.
What started as a personal project to give him something look forward to as he worked through a panic disorder has turned into something to which tens of thousands of people enjoy and look forward.
For more on Poorly Drawn Arsenal you can connect with through his website here, which has links to the newsletter, store, podcast, and more. You cand read a great write-up about Jacob and Poorly Drawn Arsenal in The Athletic. For information and tickets to Untitled: Art Meets Improv click here or see the show link below.
