14 Years Of Cartooning & Funny Gift Designing. Then & Now…

      I am proud to say, thanks to you, our friends, Londons Times Cartoons & Funny Gifts celebrated 14 years.  It also reached year 6 as Google’s #1 ranked offbeat cartoon & 4 years as MSN’s #1 ranked.  When I say all this comes as a complete surprise, my wife Lee will tell you, I’m not feigning modesty.

LTCLogo 

Above was our 1st Londons Times Cartoon logo. I remember thinking "This is brilliant"…proof, there was much work to do!! :)

      I do now understand a little more how the cartoon became successful (there were two main elements) 1. Hard work. I mean relentlessly hard and not giving up when obstacle after obstacle arose, and they did, often fast & furiously.   I couldn’t have done it alone.

I had and have an amazingly talented creative team, and supportive friends (some call them fans, but they are real friends) who are very loyal. That part often seems strange.  I think it was the struggle of getting 20 people per day to visit at the start which was difficult to now; having had 8.7 million visitors since January 2005. One can imagine the surprise. Anyone would be. 

logo londons times corrected

Above is our current Londons Times Cartoons & Gifts logo. Maybe not brilliant, but doesn’t it beat that Partridge Family looking thing??? 

     By the same token, everything I’ve learned in school tells me, it would have been even more surprising if we’d not had the result not have been as it turned out.  All the elements were in place. Everyone involved worked and work very hard.  I am surrounded by talent I believe to be way out of my league.  It works.  My wife Lee is very supportive and offers consistent support. I’m grateful every day.

      14 years ago, I was on the floor of an old tin shed in rural Ms. begging artists and web people to work with me for peanuts. 

       Today I’m looking up in my office at numerous cartoons (two of which just appeared in the Jerusalem Post; one they left up for a month), and several that are in the permanent collection at Mayo Clinic Medical Library, and one that Barbara Orbison, widow of the late great Roy Orbison has placed permanently in the Roy Orbison Archives. 

This Londons Times Cartoon is part of the permanent collection of Mayo Clinic Medical Library 

The above cartoon is one of two we did about Mayo Clinic. We received an email from them several months ago requesting signed copies for their Medical Library which we sent. It is part of their permanent collection. The Library’s founder, Dr. Polly was "a cartoon fanatic" (in their words). 

       In 2001, I launched Cartoonists Against Terrorism to raise funds for the families of fallen 9/11 responders. A heart attack and resulting bad literary economy afer 9/11 put that effort on hold, but cartoonists worldwide have contributed and we are building a 9/11 Memorial Shop which will open in September 2011 to benefit the families. 

This Londons Times/Panel Hollywood Cartoon is in the permanent collection of the Roy Orbison Archives 

The above cartoon is part of our  "Panel Hollywood" series. It is now a permanent  fixture in the Roy Orbison Archives at the request of his widow, Barbara Orbison. 

      My loving wife Lee is a wonderful wildlife/nature photographer. She has the popular Hike Our Planet nature blog with incredible photos of Hot Springs National Park. 

a photos japan

Above is the logo of Photos4Japan.Org founded by my wife Lee-Hiller London (Lee Hiller). Her user name is @LeeHillerLondon on Twitter  to follow her updates.  

       She recently launched Photographers For Japan in which some of the best nature photographers I’ve ever seen have contributed photos to help raise money for our favorite charity Mercy Corps. 

       I was briefly involved with a Mercy Corps project in which both Lee and I were very impressed. 

My 1st book. Published last year by Lulu. Available at Lulu.com & Soon at Amazon.com & other stores. 

Above is a graphic of the cover of our 1st book "Londons Times Cartoons 13th Anniversary available at Lulu.com as a coffee table book or download cartoon E-book

      I decided to launch Cartoonists to help Japan, starting with cartoons from our Londons Times collection, and placing want ads on various artist websites recruiting others (worldwide).   We also placed a Mercy Corp donate button and it is becoming a popular site. 

Cartoonists For Japan Logo 

This is the logo for our Cartoonists For Japan blog. On Twitter, the user name is @cartoons4japan in case you would like to follow; we’d be honored. 

 

  This Londons Times Cartoon & One other appeared in the Jerusalem Post Feb 2011 (stayed up a full month)

The above cartoon and one other appeared in The Jerusalem Post in February 2011. They ran this one for an entire month in their online paper during the Egyptian uprising.  The other cartoon appeared for a day in their paper edition. 

 

      I sit at my desk in my Hot Springs, Ar office which overlooks the mountains of Hot Springs National Park.  I think back to the start and it all seems like a blur. I can remember how few believed the project would ever work.  I tended often to be on their side. My own belief in it was slim to none.  But there were a few who felt I might have some talent and encouraged me. I remember them as if they are family  A few are no longer with us but their spirit is. Without them, we would not have these cartoons.

     Now it is too late to turn back…too late to throw in the towel. Not that I’d want to.  Every day I feel like the adventure has just begun. 

      I am working on my second book Londons Times Generation Two Cartoons which should be out before the 2011 holidays. 

      I’m designing shoes at my Shoes That Amuse famous love quotes shoes shop.  I go hiking and absorb and enjoy nature with my wife Lee as she snaps some of the most fascinating photos I’ve ever seen.  And we’re happy.   Next week is the Royal Wedding of William & Catherine.  Everyone is very excited so I designed a lot of gifts and collectibles with a caricature of them we created plus designed several styles of shoes.  Its all available at our Shoes That Amuse Shop. 

a royal lace up finished

Above is the lace-up style of Royal Wedding Shoes I designed on U.S. Keds. (Champion Keds for women). I also made tees, mousepads, etc and two slip on shoe designs at our ShoesThatAmuse.com shop.  

 

      Looking back and seeing what happens (when one gets out of one’s own way), one can easily have faith that God really does want us to be happy. I happen to believe that; not to worry though, in case you don’t share that belief,  it doesn’t matter to me.  I wish everyone joy, happiness and laughter.  Get your work done, but go out and play, no matter what your age!!

 

 

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