Steve Gadlin, a self-proclaimed “serial silly projects guy,” might be best known for something he considers his least effortful yet most successful venture: “I Want to Draw a Cat for You.” As he mentioned in a WGN News interview, this project, where he offered to draw custom cat doodles, became a surprising claim to fame. But Gadlin is far from a one-trick pony. Before diving deeper into the cat drawing phenomenon, it’s worth noting that during that very same interview, he was actually promoting his latest invention: The Fart Pedal. This guitar pedal humorously transforms musical notes into, well, fart noises.
So, what did the “cat drawing guy” get up to after stepping back from his feline art business? One key reason for his semi-retirement from cat portraits was to dedicate time to “Steve Gadlin’s Star Makers.” This Chicago-based local TV show spotlights emerging talent, who perform for an intimate studio audience of just two people. Beyond showcasing local artists, Gadlin also works as a motivational speaker. In a Johnson & Johnson corporate event video available on his website, he delivered a speech titled “The Pursuit of Awesome Rejection Letters!” He uses his “I Want to Draw a Cat for You” experience to illustrate how embracing failure and simply trying can lead to unexpected success. He recounts how his cat doodle project, initially conceived as a quest for funny rejection letters, instead garnered support at every turn, from Groupon to Mark Cuban on Shark Tank.
Adding another layer to his diverse resume, Gadlin also appeared on “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” in 2019. While he walked away with $5,000, a wrong guess on a $50,000 question meant he earned only a fraction of the $25,000 investment he secured from Mark Cuban on “Shark Tank” for his cat drawings. It seems that even amidst game show mishaps, Steve Gadlin’s knack for “silly projects,” especially drawing cats, remains his most enduring and surprisingly lucrative talent.
