Perseverance

No. It’s a word that you get used to hearing from features editors as a cartoonist trying to sell his/her strip. Not as optimistic as “maybe,” yet not nearly as harsh as “hell no!” or “get out of my office!” No can come in many forms. There’s the “..We’ll get back to you on this” or the “…sorry, we just don’t have the budget to add another cartoon.” One of my favorites is the silent treatment. You know, when they don’t say anything. You’ll recognize this by the uncomfortable smile on their faces.
I’ve heard many stories of rejection from fellow cartoonists and up-and-comers. My best advice is just to be a pest. Keep on trying if you believe in yourself.

Are newspapers ready for a bi-racial cartoon?

I’m starting to wonder. I’ve received strange reactions from newspapers when I’ve inquired about Café Con Leche. The response is nice enough, but, in the end they just don’t buy it. Looking around, I remember reading something about another cartoon about a bi-racial couple that didn’t find much success. I remember a comic strip called “Color Blind” by Orrin Brewster and Tony Rubino. It ran from 1998 to 1999. Like Café Con Leche, it was also about a bi-racial couple. It was gone in less than a year.
One of my favorite cartoons is “Candorville” by Darrin Bell. There is also a bi-racial couple in Darrin’s strip, though that isn’t the main focus of the Candorville. Its doing well, but isn’t widely distributed. Then there’s the new “Maintaining” strip by Nate Creekmore about a bi-racial student. So far, it hasn’t taken off like, say, “Lio” did last year.
What’s up with that? Is it that comic editors at newspapers just want to ignore the subject or do they just go with their “2 minority-based cartoons per newspaper” trend that I’ve been seeing? I think American tastes are changing and some places might just be ready for cartoons like ours. All we need is that chance.

Working It Out in the St. Petersburg Times (sort of)

Well, I finally achieved my goal of having one of my syndicated cartoons appear in the newspaper that I work for. Technically its NOT an actual “Working It Out” panel, but an illustration done for the Working section of the newspaper. However, the scene is taken straight out from the same WIO template. Grasping at straws, I know, but at this point I’ll take it.
It was just good to wake up on Sunday morning and see what looked like a “Working It Out” panel on the cover of the Working section of the Times.

Who do I have to bribe...

...to get one of my cartoons in the Orlando Sentinel? All kidding aside, I'm perplexed at, after 6 years of trying, NONE of my two syndicated cartoons appear in what I like to call my hometown newspaper. You see, I've lived in many places such as New York, Chicago, San Diego, Columbus and Toledo, Ohio. But no place is more dear to my heart than the place where I spent my formative years. Heck, my parents still live there. Wouldn't it be a coup for Central Florida's major daily newspaper to run a cartoon from a guy who grew up in a poor section of Orlando? A guy who grew up to be one of America's few African-American syndicated cartoonists?
I constantly get asked that question from my mother, who has threatened a letter writing campaign on my behalf. Though I wouldn't want her to resort to that, it still pains me to pick up a copy of the Sentinel, read the comics section, and sigh...

Welcome Daily Cartoonist

Just added Alan Garnder's cool Site The Daily Cartoonist to my cartoonist links. Very cool insight on the cartoon and syndicate world. Check it out!

Spot on, Lio!

I was just reading the latest installment of Lio, a very funny cartoon by Mark Tatulli. Today's installment talks about the recent trend of comic polls by cartoon editors. I must admit, when I read it I almost fell out of my seat. So glad to see that another cartoonist feels like I do regarding this subject. Though, I probably wouldn't have illustrated it as accurately as Mark did. Way to go, man!