Press Pawse: 24 Hours with Henry, Louie, & Juan

editorials, happenings

Hi there. My name is Juan Astasio, also known as astasiototal. I am a world famous celebrity cartoonist and illustrator. The stuff of legend. I travel by electric-powered private jet, feed off Beluga caviar and hand-picked tiger nuts; shower in goat milk, bathe in champagne, and sleep on stacks of cash. I have the best job in the universe: to make the world a better place by drawing cats.

Speaking of which, I’m the cat parent to two–Henry and Louie. They’re the peanut butter to my jelly, the cast to my iron, the ping to my pong. They are the two majestic feline goofballs my wife Marta and I share our lives with. Some would say they rule our world, and they might be correct, but you know what? They rule through love, not fear. They lead our destiny with the unwavering softness of a furry fist. I would follow them everywhere. I wouldn’t get very far, though, as they never leave our apartment—but what a journey it would be.

We met in New York twelve years ago. Marta and I were walking down Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn and stopped by a pet adoption pop-up truck, and there they were: two tiny fur balls; brothers waiting to be adopted together. We made a terrible mistake and looked them in the eyes. We’ve been under their mind-controlling powers ever since.

The image shows two cats looking directly at the camera from a low angle. They are sitting on a burgundy carpet or rug. The cat in the foreground is a tabby with distinct stripes and a white chest. The cat behind it is lighter in color, possibly gray and white. Both cats have wide, alert eyes and perked-up ears, giving them an attentive and curious expression. In the background, a black and white checkered pattern is visible, likely a tiled floor or wall. The close-up perspective and the cats' engaged expressions create a sense of intimacy, as if the cats are intently focused on the viewer.

They are both handsome European short-hairs, just like their dad–I was born in Madrid, Spain. Louie is a silver-gray tabby, adventurous and slender. Henry is a black mackerel tabby, shy, and we affectionately call him “cucumbercito,” a Spanglish made-up word that translates to “little sea cucumber.”

Louie is the Alpha. Henry is a random letter, probably not even from the Greek alphabet. Their personalities might be opposed, but they greatly care for each other. They love to cuddle and nap together, tangled in a fluffy mass of fur and whiskers. They inspire each other to be better cats. To scratch further, purr louder, nap harder, and find new, irresistibly cute ways to annoy us. They are also the primary source of inspiration for my work with Smalls.

The image shows two cats cuddling together on a white bedspread with thin blue stripes. One cat is a solid gray color, while the other is a tabby with darker stripes. They are nestled close to each other, with their bodies intertwined. The gray cat has its paw draped over the tabby's face in an affectionate gesture. Both cats appear to be sleeping or resting peacefully. Their fur looks soft and fluffy, creating a cozy and intimate scene. The close-up perspective allows viewers to see the details of their fur and the gentle way they're embracing each other, conveying a sense of warmth and companionship between the two feline friends.

Smalls and I started working together in early 2023. I heard that they were looking for a designer, so I reached out to say that I was not interested in the job, but I would be happy to draw funny cats for them if they ever needed it. A few emails, a cat-animated-GIF-powered presentation, and two letters of recommendation from Henry and Louie later, they asked me to come up with a few New Yorker-style cat cartoon ideas for their social media channels (here are some of my favorites), and our creative partnership began.

The image is a black and white cartoon illustration. It shows two cats in a stylized outdoor setting. On the right is a large, spotted wild cat, likely a cheetah or serval, sitting upright and looking alert. On the left is a small domestic cat wearing a black leather jacket and sunglasses, giving it a "cool" or rebellious appearance. The small cat is looking up at the wild cat.
The scene is framed by simple line drawings suggesting grass and trees. At the top left corner, there's handwritten text that says "astasiototal for SMALLS".
At the bottom of the image is a caption that reads "I'M PRETTY WILD TOO." This caption, combined with the contrasting appearances of the two cats, creates a humorous situation where the small, dressed-up house cat is comparing itself to the genuinely wild large cat.
The overall style is minimalist and whimsical, using only black ink on a white background to create the entire scene.

After nearly two years of cat cartoons, our collaboration expanded this summer with an illustrated advertising campaign for the New York City subway. We had just completed a series of cartoons depicting “your cat’s favorite loafing spots” at home.

Since the campaign would run in New York, the creative team felt it would be fun to riff on the same idea but tailor it to New York City. In each ad, Earl– Smalls’ yellow feline influencer—appears loafing in a quintessentially New York setting: a bodega counter, the Staten Island ferry, a line at the club.

Once the general concept was clear, Louie, Henry, and I got to work on the illustrations. Here is how a typical day on the creation of the campaign went:

6:00 am:
I feel a light tapping on my cheek. I half-open my eyes and see Louie hovering over me, his left paw delicately resting on my lips. This is his daily routine to check that I am alive and breathing. Once he’s satisfied with my degree of awakeness, he leaves.

This image is a close-up, blurry photograph of a cat's face. The cat's nose and whiskers are prominently visible in the foreground, with one large eye taking up much of the upper left of the frame. The cat's fur appears to be gray with darker markings.

8:17 am:
More tapping on my cheek, followed by additional tapping on my chin, nose, and eyes. Louie is back to warn me that the alarm will go off in thirteen minutes and I shouldn’t miss it. He lays down between Marta and me and falls asleep.

8:30 am:
The alarm goes off. It's good that I am already awake and can turn it off before it wakes Louie up. He hates alarms. I get up and see Henry’s white socks peeking from under the bed. He doesn’t move a hair, but I know somewhere deep inside he is thinking, “Good morning, Juan. I hope you slept well.”

The image shows the back legs and tail of a cat, partially hidden behind a piece of furniture, possibly a bed or sofa draped with an orange cloth. The cat's body is not visible, only its white paws and dark striped tail sticking out from the gap between the furniture and the wall. In the foreground, there is a small stack of magazines or books on the floor, with the top magazine featuring a colorful cover from The New Yorker. The setting appears to be indoors, with a hardwood floor.

9:00 am:
Workout time. Cartoonists follow a strict training program to keep their superhuman physiques at the highest performance level. My routine has two parts: a high-intensity utensil lifting circuit–curls and benches with pencils, pens, markers, and brushes; and a virtual high-intensity cardio session where I sit on a foam roller and imagine how it would feel if I did fifty burpees.

When I’m done, drenched in sweat, I lay down on the floor and do some light stretching. Louie comes by, tail proudly high in the air, and places his butt under my nose. This is one of a cat's greatest shows of affection, so I don’t dare push him away. By the way, this gesture doesn’t read the same when coming from a human. Don’t try it with a client. It won’t go well. Trust me.

10:00 am:
As I pour myself a coffee, extra caffeinated, Henry comes by to wish me good morning and ask for his morning grooming session on the kitchen floor. Once he considers I’ve had enough enjoyment from brushing him, he leaves me to drink my now lukewarm coffee.

The image shows a tabby cat lying on its side in the middle of a tiled kitchen floor. The cat has dark fur with light and dark stripes, and its white paws are visible. The cat appears relaxed, possibly napping. In the background, there is a white refrigerator, a partially open door, and some white cabinets with silver handles. The setting is bright and clean, with neutral-toned flooring. The cat is centered in the image, taking up a small portion of the surrounding kitchen space.

11:00 am:
Chore time. I do some dusting, sweeping, wiping, scrubbing, and, above all, vacuuming cat hair. I tell myself I am a dutiful housekeeper at the top of my game, but it’s all just procrastination. I learned this from my cats—they spend most of the day napping, resting, and leisurely looking through the window until they decide to get everything done in a five-minute frenzy of activity.

12:30 pm:
I can’t push back work any further, so I go to my home studio for my own five-minute frenzy of activity. I start sketching like there is no tomorrow. I’m possessed. An unstoppable force drives my hand, I can’t control my body. The pencil moves so fast that sparks fly out as the tip scratches the paper. Brilliant drawing after brilliant drawing turns out. I can’t believe what I am making. There are so many cats. I am on top of the world. This is my best work to date. Is this the caffeine talking? Maybe.

The image shows a collection of sketched drawings on various sheets of paper. The drawings appear to be abstract, architectural, and geometric in nature, with a mix of lines, shapes, and symbols. There is a pencil and an eraser visible on the papers, suggesting these are works in progress or creative sketches.
The papers are arranged in a disorganized manner, overlapping and scattered across the surface. The background is dark, which helps the white paper and pencil sketches stand out prominently.
Overall, the image conveys a sense of creative exploration and the process of ideation or brainstorming through these abstract, conceptual drawings.

When I exit this trance, I find myself lying on the floor, disheveled, sweat dripping down my nose, surrounded by dozens of sketches. Louie is loafing on my desk. He slowly turns his face to me and softly winks his eyes in approval.

The image shows a computer monitor with a cat peeking out from behind it. The monitor is positioned on a wooden desk or table, with various cables and cords running from the back of the device.
The cat appears to be a medium-sized, gray and white domestic cat with a fluffy, shaggy coat. Its eyes are visible, and it seems to be observing the environment from its hiding spot behind the monitor.
The background is slightly blurred, but it appears to be a home or office setting, with some additional furniture or objects visible in the periphery.

1:00 PM:
Time for my favorite activity of the day: playing buried treasure. Is there a greater honor in the life of a cat parent? I doubt it. After a few minutes of scooping and sieving, once the litter is pristine and perfectly flat, Louie jumps inside the litter box, looks me in the eye, and produces a new treasure that he proceeds to bury right away. Another feline show of affection that makes me feel special.

2:00 PM:
I cook something quick and have lunch with Marta. We run on a Spanish schedule: breakfast at ten, lunch at two-thirty, dinner somewhere between nine p.m. and midnight. No turkey on the menu today, so the boys don’t make an appearance and focus on their siestas.

3:00 PM:
I need to get back to work and prepare for a call with the Smalls team this evening. The meeting is at five which means there is plenty of time for some additional procrastinating. I make myself a cup of coffee–decaf this time–and sit in the living room to watch Henry and Louie nap. They are lying on the floor, right beneath the window, curled into each other and basking in the afternoon sun like happy retirees in Florida.

Watching their little bellies slowly going up and down as they breathe is better than any mindfulness app. After forty-five blissful minutes, I feel centered and ready to think about thinking about getting back to work.

This image shows two adorable and fluffy gray tabby cats cuddled up together on a cozy-looking white bedsheet. The cats are nestled close to each other, with their eyes closed and their paws tucked in, appearing to be peacefully sleeping or resting. Their fur has a soft, textured appearance, and their tails are curled around their bodies, adding to the cozy and comfortable scene. The background is slightly blurred, but it appears to be a domestic setting, with a yellow patterned pillow visible in the background. The overall image conveys a sense of warmth, comfort, and quiet contentment.

4:00 – 7:00 PM:
Back at my home studio, it’s editing time. Henry and Louie join me–they want to make sure I don’t mess up the presentation. I spread out the sketches from this morning on the desk, and they take turns picking their favorites from the batch. I would’ve probably made a different selection, but if I’ve learned something after years of creative partnerships in multidisciplinary teams, it is always to trust the felines in the room.

I snap photos of the sketches, do some light retouching under Louie’s attentive supervision–working from home hasn’t freed me from hovering art directors–and get them ready to show the rest of the team.

This image depicts a gray tabby cat sitting on a desk, next to a laptop computer and various office supplies. The cat appears to be observing the person using the laptop, with its eyes focused on the screen. The laptop is displaying text, suggesting the person is working or typing on the computer.
The desk is cluttered with items such as a mug, a small notebook, and some colorful sticky notes. The background is slightly blurred, but it appears to be a workspace or home office setting.
The overall scene conveys a sense of the cat's presence in the person's work environment, creating a cozy and whimsical atmosphere as the cat seems to be engaging with or supervising the human's activities.

7:00 PM:
I log into the team call. We give each other a quick update on our cat-filled lives, and just as we’re about to jump into business, Louie jumps right in front of the camera. He rubs his cheeks against the webcam and wiggles his tail in front of it. When he’s sure everyone has acknowledged his presence, he sits beside my laptop to follow the rest of the call, loafing from a distance.

8:00 PM:
The meeting went great. The team loved the new sketches—I knew it was wise to trust Henry and Louie’s judgment– and after some voting, we narrowed them down into the final set of ten New York City loafing scenes. The next step will be for me to refine the sketches into full-color illustrations while the Smalls team works on the copy. A few weeks from today, we will have the final ads that will be sent to print and displayed on the subway.

9:00 PM:
Henry and Louie feel very happy with today’s progress, so they reward me with a play session. Comfortably sitting on the couch, they watch me run around the house while wiggling their favorite toy.

10:00 PM:
After dinner, Marta and I hate-watch a couple of episodes of Suits. It’s gone downhill since season three, but we just can’t stop watching it. We’re currently at the end of season seven and still waiting for Donna and Harvey to go for it. Louie joins us on the couch, purring, alternating between our laps, while Henry sleeps peacefully on a small chair beside us. He stopped caring about the show after Bruno’s passing in season two.

12:00 AM:
After washing my teeth and putting on my cat-patterned PJs, I hear Henry’s call for his nightly ritual. He’s sitting on the bed, waiting for me, one paw extended, stretching his fingers. I lean my face into him, and he rubs his whiskers against my glasses, purring as loudly as a lawn mower. We do this for a few minutes, and when he is satisfied, he curls into a ball at the feet of the bed.

This image shows a close-up view of a gray tabby cat sitting on a striped bedspread. The cat has a distinct pattern of gray and black stripes on its fur, which appears soft and fluffy. The cat's eyes are wide open, with a focused and alert expression, suggesting it is intently observing its surroundings.
The bedspread the cat is sitting on has a black and white striped pattern, creating a visually interesting and contrasting background for the cat. The image is well-lit, highlighting the details of the cat's face and fur.
The overall scene conveys a sense of the cat's comfort and presence in its domestic setting, with the striped bedspread providing a cozy and textured surface for the cat to rest upon.

Marta and I crawl in bed with our book. As soon as I get absorbed into the story, Louie jumps on the bed and makes his way between my face and the book. It's just another night where I won’t get past a single paragraph.