Though sushi has been a part of civilization longer than one might imagine, it was not always in the current form in which we are used to devouring. It started as a simple “fast food” dish in 2 A.D. in China and was an excellent way to preserve food (there was no refrigeration then). In the early days chefs fermented rice, placed raw fish on the rice, threw the rice out, and ate the fish when hungry.

By 7 A.D. sushi made its way to Japan, where seafood is a staple entrée. However they started making the rice a “side order” with the fish. About 1600, Matsumoto Yoshiichi of Edo (now known as Tokyo) began experimenting with flavors such as rice vinegar and selling this “new dish”. By doing this, they created the world’s first “fast food” and it was more often than not eaten immediately.

Below is a wonderful short YouTube video by my very talented wife Lee Hiller London.

The majority of “sushi” eaten in American restaurants is nigiri (finger sushi) and California rolls, almost no resemblance to the original Chinese food known as “sushi”. An ethnic food that swept the world by storm was developed yet further by the artful experimental restaurant entrepreneurs of north American creating a fusion of food and art.

So not all, but a good deal of the history of my favorite food was familiar. Also familiar was my limited knowledge of design; that is, the best design often reflects the vision of a culture; a modern trend if you will.

Though pizza, hamburger, etc all have their “beauty”, I was not inclined or motivated to purvey the beauty of thousands of mg of trans-fat artery-clogging foods.

But sushi was and is a different story. I started with shoes (mostly womens) but now make mens too. I named the store ShoeShies.com. Then I started designing aprons, mouse pads, mugs, postage stamps, key chains, caps, and just about everything else showcasing dishes of sushi and sashimi and its all available now at Shoeshies.com. I am loving doing it and it has “recharged” me to continue to make cartoon products for Londons Times Cartoons and my love quote Shoes That Amuse…and eat more sushi.

But now, when all the sushi places are closed at 2am and I have a hunger for it, I can look at the sushi mouse pad next to my pc and drool…or drool on my shoes; knowing they will lead me to the nearest sushi bar….tomorrow.

Woodchuck Physics by Londons Times Cartoon (click to enlarge)

Oddly enough, a friend asked me that question yesterday. At first I thought it was a rhetorical question so I waited for her to talk again, but it was not.  I asked her for more detail regarding her question.  She said, “Well you write, you create, you do this cartooning thing, you spend half your life on Twitter and facebook, and I’m wondering if that is some kind of escape from the real issues of the world.

It was a good question, but not a very thought-out question. I became a home-office worker in 1997. At the time, we represented about 10% of the workforce in the U.S.  Today we are the majority.  That is correct. More people work in their home office than in corporate skyscrapers.  There are still plenty in corporate skyscrapers but they are dwindling rapidly due to the economy. It is more economical for a large corporation to hire an independent contractor from home who is “internet-wired” than provide an office, desk, office supplies, coffee, and an assistant.  I saw that coming long before it came.

My friend then asked, “Doesn’t the work world need you? I mean we are working for peace on earth as much as we are working for money. This question very much confused me.  I do my part with blogging, Twittering, creating cartoons, and much more, many of which I would never be allowed to do in Corporate America. I do them at home. And quite successfully I might add. I have the ear of many major news publications and people who read them, that I would never have in my once plush office in a good downtown neighborhood.

And what about the pay? My pay is much less than it was when I worked at the top of my field in corporate America.  But there is a trade off.  My stress is down to near zero on a daily basis. My living expenses are a mere fraction of what they were living in “the right neighborhoods” of America.  My wife and I live on the ledge of a National Park which we hike all the time.  A trip to the grocery is five minutes or a few dollars gas, and grocery prices are a fraction of what they were in New York or Washington, D.C.  We don’t have to take that many vacations because we live in a place where millions come annually for vacation just for the beauty.  We like to vacation, but often all we have to do is drive a few miles to somewhere we’ve not seen, rent a cabin and throw out a fishing line or write a blog or start on a book and enjoy the quiet beauty around us.  Nature is the most amazing vacation.

Finally, and I get this question all the time, “With all the violence and war in the world, how can you think funny? How can you create cartoons?”  It actually is a good question, especially for those without any sense of humor.  One HAS to have humor to a certain degree to get through this chapter of the world in which we are enduring.  It may seem horrible and much of it is.  But whatever it is, it is something that has been put in front of us from which to learn, and if we don’t, well perhaps we’ll learn how to handle it next time it comes around….let’s hope/pray we’re smart enough this time. Perhaps we can dig through our history lessons, spot something similar, see how it was handled properly, and follow suite.  If not, create one that makes sense.

That does not answer the question of humor and cartoons. They are necessary.  If all we are focused on is blood, guts and war, that is how we are going to think about the world, and that is not ALL of what the world is about.  Some of us, in fact the majority of us, wish it did not exist but it is in our face.  We do what we can to divert it, to forget about it. Musicians play music, dancers dance, writers write, and cartoonists and humorists make us laugh.  What are you doing to make the world a better place, especially during these trying times?

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I am a writer, parody songwriter, cartoonist, and create designer shoes.  I am active in animal and children’s rights, love hiking, nature and the outdoors as well as my wife Lee Hiller-London. Lee is an amazing writer and gift designer.