Don Martin uses techniques similar to Tex Avery's.1) Extremely clear simple staging, focused on the gags.
2) One idea is presented at a time.
3) He sets up each main idea clearly first, then builds on the gag, making it more and more ridiculous.
The gags are crazy, but the control over the audience is completely logical. Very common sense conservative execution.
Don Martin, like Avery, knows what he wants you to look at and laugh at. He doesn't leave his pictures, ideas or continuity to chance.I've seen many storyboards and comics that stage stories randomly, cutting to new angles for every panel, filling every panel with detail and clutter and never focusing on anything important to the story, character, atmosphere or gag. Clear staging and storytelling is indeed a rare ability. Not every artist can do it.
When you see it done well, it seems so simple that you almost think the artist is cheating. Certainly executives feel cheated when good storytellers give them clear simple logical storytelling. They feel that they paid for their elaborate clutter and confusion and deserve to get it.
