Becoming A Cartoonist….instead Of A Realtor
“Congratulations, Ms. London,” I used to joke that the OB/GYN told my mother, “It’s a Realtor”. My parents owned a very old real estate stable family real estate company and were from a generation where, if and when an offspring arrived, especially a male, they were born to be bred.that’s, bred into the family business, or made to be the prodigal son.
Of course at birth, I wasn’t aware of these southern traditional family values, and, as I became more aware of my environment around me, I was certain I wanted to have something to do with humor as I grew older. How did I know this? The answer was quite easy.
I was constantly in trouble for something, about to get in trouble, or locked in my room with no going out with friends for some wrong-doing (never violent or terrible); even for the tiniest practical joke, which I thought was a contribution to society, maybe even making the world a superior place.
My parents mainly happy and out of my site when amusing friends on weekends and were playing record albums by such comedy greats as Don Rickles, Tom Lehrer, Jack Benny, and the like. I introduced them to The Smothers Brothers as a teen, thinking I would earn brownie points but again given the pink slip for leaving “a bit too far radiically left in my taste of comedy”.
My first shot at comedy was doing stand-up in New York City. Keep in mind this was straight off the farm from Mississippi to the Massive Apple. I won’t “even go there” as to how awful I was. It was sort of like Dan Quayle in his memorable v.p. debate, but more like me debating, say, Steve Martin and my comparing myself to Lenny Bruce. Steve to me: “Mr. London, Lenny Bruce was a friend of mine, and you, sir, are no Lenny Bruce.” I think you get the picture.
Years later I got hooked on humor writing, and was planning a book but decided on forming a group of artists and creating a cartoon instead. All of us were surprised when Londons Times Cartoons shot to the top of the World wide web rating charts.
Then, at age 47, after a lengthy illness, I decided to start opening stores, selling products with my cartoon images which now showcases over eight thousand of our original comic images and lures 4000 visitors per hour; nearly ten million surfers in the past two years.
Starting a cartoon isn’t an easy task, but an interesting and educational one. No matter what branch of humor in which one may find their niche, it is a growth experience and a process. I found out rapidly it isn’t so much knowing what you’re doing when you start, though that doesn’t hurt of course, but being persitent and not giving up in spite of the obstacles, and there will be many, I have the ability to assure you. But the obstacles are important in developing one’s creative skills. So take a new attitude toward obstacles and even look forward to them. Believe it or not, I do, and I’m much superior at turning them into opportunities.
If it is in your blood, you’ll know it, and no matter what you were “born to be”, will not matter. It will have to come out in some way, shape, or form. Educate yourself, hang out with others who have blazed the trail, learn all you can.and just do it.
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