cartooning

I am that “lawn guy!”

OMG, I’m turning into an old man. I told a kid to get off the lawn.

Not exactly that way, but some kids were riding their bikes around the area and I yelled at one, “Hey, get off the grass!”

Then I died, thinking of what I did. Not because I yelled at the kid, but because I sounded like an old man.

We had a lot of work around the area for a few years. First we had our 40 year recertification thing, then we had the building painted, that took almost two years. Then we had seven months of street work, just in our small cul-de-sac. New drainage pipes were put in, the sidewalks and streets were raised and finally, they put new sod down in the swale areas.

In between all that, we had new pavers down on our own property, which was almost another month. So after all this time, things are done and nice. And this kid is riding his bike on the grass, which is still not settled yet.

While the city waters the grass from a big truck, one of my neighbors and I water it daily, to be sure it grows nicely.

So when I saw the kid on the grass, I lost it for a second. I turned into an angry old man.

I think the kid’s father, who I know called me to yell at me, I didn’t recognize the number, but it was local and rang me a few minutes later. But I ignored the call.

So I added some cartoon wall hangings to my Etsy collection. They are presented on a matte stretched canvas in different sizes and they have to do with professions.

I’ve been thinking of this for a long time. I remember some years back, I would see a guy at art festivals selling his cartoon art that were based on various professions. They were framed comic strips geared to dentists, doctors, lawyers, etc. And they sold very well. They are quite a unique gift.

I have a big backlog of cartoons that have been published, literally hundreds, if not over 1000 and I thought they would make great wall hangings for professional people.

The Flintstone cartoon shown above has been selling as just a simple PDF cartoon, where people have been using the art on their business cards, mailings, promos, and things like that.

I didn’t go out and start selling the cartoon, it just sold itself.

What happened was, it was published a few years back, and after it was published, I started receiving emails from people asking if they could by the rights to use it for their businesses – mostly real estate agents, designers, architects, that sort of business.

They just reached out through email and asked to buy the rights, which was amazing, since I would assume people would just grab the image online and use it, but these people asked to pay for the rights. And I ended up selling them the rights to use the cartoon for their projects.

It happened quite often for awhile and I sold the right – and for quite a bit of money and they paid it! I’m still selling the rights, but I lowered the price quite a bit and the masses now purchase it and use it.

Anyway, so now I am offering these business/occupation-based cartoons on various size canvases which I suppose would look great in offices. They are a first class gift.

Right now I have a medical/doctor’s cartoon, a paddle boarding one and the Flintstones one, I will add a teacher, lawyer, and other professions as time goes on.

You can see them as I add new ones at the Etsy store here.

Till next time . . .

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My publishing schedules

My Tomversation cartoons are posted online early in the morning, they are scheduled. But as for social media, I usually do it myself by hand, at around 8 am, usually a bit before, but never the same time each day, but like I said, around 8 am eastern time.

So there I am on the computer or my iPhone posting to Facebook and Instagram and I’ll post to Substack and Twitter/X later in the day.

You can subscribe free and receive all five on a Friday in your email, by going here: https://tomversation.substack.com/embed – it’s mailed out through Substack, but you don’t have to sign up for Substack, it’s just my mailing platform.

I was thinking the other morning, that when I used to publish our village’s daily news, the first post was published at 8 am for a bit, I eventually changed it to 5 am since I realized many people were up that early and waiting for the 8 am post.

One guy told me, “Every morning I am sitting there at the computer waiting for you to hit ‘send’ so the first post of the day comes up.”

I told him, I was not sitting there, watch in hand, waiting for 8 am (like I do now), I told him it was timed ahead of time to post at that time.

I usually posted the stories throughout the day, I don’t know why, it might have made more sense to just post them all at once, like any news outlet would do. I think I may have done it so that people would be coming back all day and perhaps see my advertisers over and over again. I’m not sure, but maybe that was the reason.

I am asked almost daily if I miss publishing the daily news. I don’t. It was a full time, never ending job. A three minute story on the village council meeting might have had me sitting through six hours at the meeting for that story which took a few minutes to read. I was at every event every day of the week – village meetings, merchant meetings, parties, openings, closings, committee meetings, event meetings, parades, etc. Sounds fun, but I had no outside life.

I remember one time it was earlier in the day for an event, The Bed Race, a charity event, coming up later that day, and I was walking the race track, which was a street in the center of the village, with a friend. She had to run to get to work at 10 am, which was down the block, and she said to me, “Tom, you are always in the middle of everything. It must be so much fun,” I was literally thinking, at that same time, mind you, “Is it 6 pm yet? I just want to go home.”

The grass is aways greener.

Till next time . . .

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Getting readers is a tricky business

I’m not getting the readership I want. I want millions of followers and readers. To be fair, some of my cartoons do get millions of eyes on them. Most of course, don’t.

I read one time when the comics were revered, I guess in the 1940s and 1950s, Al Capp would get 80 million readers a day for Li’l Abner. If he got that size readership, I’m sure most of the big name strips at the time, did, also – Blondie, Moon Mullins, Dick Tracy, Little Orphan Annie, etc.

While many cartoonists get many views, many don’t. If you look at sites like GoComics.com, those big cartoonists who you would think have a lot of followers, don’t.

I am resigned to the fact that I have fans that get me. I like to think my cartoons are more cerebral. Not on purpose, it’s just how I think. I’ve noticed when I have a silly cartoon, something that plays to the lowest common denominator, well, that’s when I get all these eyes on my work.

A lot of my cartoons are “stolen.” What I mean is that they are picked up and used in anthologies without permission. These jerks at one publication one time picked up 60 cartoons and published them without permission, then other sites similar to their site (clickbait sites) picked up the cartoons and published them and so on and so on.

When I complained about the 60 cartoons being picked up and rerun, they reduced it down to 30. Guess they don’t know the word plagiarism.

Recently, a friend sent me a site where one of my cartoons was published, it was there along with some others which were illegally picked up and reused. My name and copyright were removed from the cartoon, but I was impressed that my friend recognized my work. He knew my style.

When I complained to the site editor, they said, “We did link back to you!” I had to tell them that they linked back to another site that illegally swiped my cartoon. I guess this is journalism today – anyone can publish anything without anyone editing or checking them. Sort of like I do here on my blog.

But it’s nice to know people think the work is worthy of stealing, or maybe it’s just that they need clickbait and anything will do.

I like to create my cartoons thinking of cartoonist Jason Chatfield’s quote: “Don’t curate your art to what gets likes. Curate it to what you like.” So I’ll keep on doing it that way.

By the way, if you are not subscribing, you can subscribe free via email to my cartoons here – five (that week’s worth) will arrive each Friday plus two short blog posts are published during the week.

Till next time . . .

Remembering the 1970s

This cartoon ran last week and it got a lot of interest – from people who remember this and from those who think it’s an exaggeration.

Unfortunately, it was a thing – when we were kids, we had orange shag carpet all over the house. Our nextdoor neighbors had red. I can also remember houses having green. Weird.

And kitchens were harvest gold or green – green appliances, etc. We had harvest gold. The odd part is that our house was built from scratch and my parents chose the styles and colors – so that was what was chosen – that was the style.

The house was redone after Hurricane Andrew’s wrath in 1992 and it’s being renovated right now. My two brothers are contractors, and they are handling the job. I’ve seen photos and it seems like they knocked the whole inside of the house down – kitchens, bathrooms, walls, and so much more.

I haven’t been by, because I want to be surprised at the finished product. I’ve seen the work they do, so I know it will be a modern (for today) white kitchen, all open concept, with a large island in the middle, which of course will be old and haggard in 20 years and of course, out of style; but it will be the utmost in fashion today.

The 1970s were a unique decade in terms of cultural, technological, and social change. Some things that were common then are either obsolete, outdated, or have evolved in some way.

Here are a few things from the ’70s that are no longer around or have been replaced along with brightly colored shag carpet:

8-Track Tapes

The 8-track was a popular way to listen to music on the go. They were large, clunky, and prone to malfunction, and they were eventually overtaken by cassettes and later, CDs and digital formats. I read recently that cassettes are making a comeback.

Wood Paneling in Homes

In the ’70s, wood paneling was a dominant feature in homes, especially in living rooms and basements. It was considered stylish at the time, but it quickly fell out of favor, giving way to lighter, more neutral colors and modern finishes.

Bell-Bottom Pants

These pants, which flared out from the knee downward, were a major fashion statement in the ’70s. Though they’ve had minor comebacks, they aren’t the mainstream trend they once were.

Polaroid Instant Cameras

While Polaroid cameras still exist, the instant cameras of the 1970s are far different. Today, we have digital cameras and smartphones with instant printing options that are more advanced, and Polaroid’s original models are now considered nostalgic.

Pong (and Early Arcade Games)

The first commercially successful video game, Pong, was released in the ’70s, and it set the stage for modern video games. But the original hardware and arcade game style have long been replaced by more advanced gaming systems and consoles.

Cigarette Ads on TV

Cigarette advertisements were common everywhere – on billboards, newspapers, magazine ads and so much more, so many ads ran on TV in the ’70s, but by the early 80s, health concerns and government regulations led to a ban on tobacco ads.

VHS Tapes (Early Video Tape Formats)

The VHS was a major home entertainment format, but digital media like DVDs, Blu-rays, and streaming have rendered it nearly obsolete.

Soda in Glass Bottles (Like Coca-Cola in CONTAINERS)

While glass bottles for soda still exist, they’ve largely been replaced by cans and plastic bottles, mainly because they’re easier to manufacture, transport, and store.

The CB Radio Craze

The CB (Citizens Band) radio was a big thing in the ’70s, especially among truckers, and it even sparked a pop culture moment with songs like “Convoy.” I remember one of my cousins had a CB radio in her car and so did her friends. I drove into the city one time with them and they were on the CB discussing the traffic on the upper level of the 59th street bridge in Manhattan with other CB radio enthusiasts who were stuck in traffic as well.

Some of these items are still fondly remembered in pop culture, while others are almost completely forgotten.

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Abstract recipes

I don’t know why, but today’s Tomversation cartoon makes me laugh out loud. I mean I usually laugh at my cartoons, otherwise I wouldn’t create them, but for some reason, every time I look at this, I crack up.

I guess I am picturing a calm lady explaining to her friend that she goes mad when her recipes don’t turn our right and she throws them across the room onto the wall.

At first, it was going to say something like, “Oh, that – Frank doesn’t like some of my recipes.” But I didn’t want to bring violence into it, so I made her mocking her own creations.

It sort of looks like modern art that she is creating.

I have a friend, who needed to start making money, so he started creating modern art; you know, abstract stuff and he it sells for thousands of dollars now. He never did this before, he just used his imagination and came up with incredble stuff.

They are huge canvasas, I’m not even sure how he transports them to houses and condos where his work is sold and hung, but he does work sort of like Jackson Pollock, that sort of abstract stuff. It’s awesome.

The huge canvasas go perfectly in very large spaces in condos and houses. They really complete the decor.

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Steal like an artist!

I read these two books by Austin Kleon “Steal Like an Artist” and “Show Your Work!” Austin is a writer and artist who lives in Austin, TX. Yes, Austin lives in Austin. I’m still looking for a town named Tom to move to. I know of a Tomball, Texas. I’ve been called Tombo and Tomo, never Tomball though.

They are both quick reads, one book took about half an hour to read, the other about an hour. “Steal like an Artist” basically says that there are no original ideas – everyone steals from each other. Truth be told, I have a couple of comic strips that I like, mostly the drawing styles, and I try to emulate them while designing and creating my new comic strip. I didn’t look at is as stealing, I see it more like inspiration.

In the book, Austin says, “”First you figure out what’s worth stealing, then you move on to the next thing. That’s about all there is to it.”

But isn’t Lana Del Rey having this issue with Radiohead and the “Creep” song? One of my favorites by Radiohead. Lana is being sued by Radiohead for similarities in Lana’s “Get Free” song.

Anyway, I love the Steal book, it has a lot of useful information for artists and creative people. William Ralph Inge said, “What is originality? Undetected plagiarism.”

I’m not for this plagiarism, I am more about getting ideas and studying those who inspire you.

The second book, “Show Your Work!” is all about that – sharing your work – not just the completed piece, but show how it is created, show your concept along the way. Don’t be stingy, reach out to your fans – interact. There’s a lot in the book about social media and how it influences people and puts people together. Austin is keen on Twitter Meetups, I didn’t know that was thing anymore, but I do remember going to a few in the early days.

Austin says that a good idea is to immerse yourself into someone or that inspires you. If it is an artist, learn about them, learn everything. Then find three people that this person loved and learn about them, and so on and so on. I love this idea.

The book gives quite lot of good info on how to get your work out there and how to interact with people and fans who will move you along your way and up the ladder to success. But the object is not to dwell on money or success, that will come with time if you Show Your Work!

Loving this cartoonist roundtable

I read a really great interview in Hogan’s Alley, where editor Tom Heintjes sat down with some famous cartoonists,who took over the family business from their fathers and grandfathers. Jeff Keane of Family Circus, Mason Mastroianni of B.C. and Brian and Greg Walker who are Mort Walker’s sons, who work primarily on Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois sat around a table and talked.

They bring up the dynasty aspect of cartooning, something that has always bothered me. When a cartoonist dies, should the strip continue? Did it run its course?

Greg Walker says, “We’ve got to do quality work, or papers will drop us like crazy. We did come in with a nice list, but there’s the pressure to maintain it.”

I never really thought of that. It has a leg up being a popular strip with lots of newspaper subscribers but as one of them said in the interview, “When you’re at the top, there is only one way to go.” But on the other hand, newspapers are loath to drop a comic because losing just one subscriber over that is not acceptable, so I do think that some of these older strips just stay there year after year because the newspapers don’t want to make waves by dropping them, even if it’s only a handful of people who read a particular strip.

They all agreed that the older strips mixed with the newer strips make up a complete comics page and there is something for everyone that way. I’ve always agreed with that, I just felt that the older strips should be the original older strips, not an extension by the second, third and sometimes fourth generation of artists. And don’t get me started on those who buy gags. To me a cartoonist writes the strips and draws the strips, sometimes along with someone else, but purchasing gags just makes the cartoonist an artist, not a cartoonist.

Brian Walker says of his dad Mort Walker: “My father has been asked millions of times why he doesn’t retire, and he says, ‘Why should I retire? I’ve got millions of readers who enjoy my strip!’ Why should he retire just because he’s getting old? When he started out, in 1950, he was competing against Pogo, Li’l Abner, Dick Tracy, Little Orphan Annie. None of those guys quit to make room for him — he scratched and clawed for every one of those 1,800 papers.”

The roundtable interview is here. It’s really good.