A fist full of sharpies, an easel with paper, and the charming atmosphere of a small comic book shop were all Jason Novak needed to help promote his new book, “How to Be Perfect: An Illustrated Guide.”

Escapist Comics at 3090 Claremont Avenue in Berkeley, hosted the book signing on Saturday the 24th.

Diablo Valley College’s very own Adam Bessie — English teacher and non-fiction comic writer — joined his friend for the signing, while discussing their own experiences with comics.

The original poem was a 99 line poem written by Ron Padgett called, “How to be Perfect.” The unique aspect of this poem was that while this all pertains to a sense of perfection in life each line is independent.

These independent lines attracted Novak to the poem, because he could draw different things for each separate line.

“You have to pull the story elements and have them occur simultaneously,” Novak said about drawing single panel comics.

While Bessie discussed the origins of cartoons, Novak continuously drew on the easel, working as a complimentary commentary.

Bessie described cartoons and comics as “taking abstract ideas and literalizing them.”

They also speculated that what makes comics and cartoons so appealing to people is that it is a returning point of accessibility for the audience. This helps make tougher political commentaries and concepts easier to digest and understand.

Bessie and Novak think the key to making an excellent cartoon comes down to a blend of humor coupled with a dose of realism to illustrate a point in a digestible way for a wider audience.

Novak also mentioned that to get more attention to the art and get people to think, makes his subjects contort their bodies in unnatural gestures.

Novak went to art school after the age of 25, which he theorized made him already close to his maximum potential. He credits this to what helped shape his unique art style.

“Learning to draw was an ‘alien’ experience,” Novak said.