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Bad Onions Cartoons
Hi and welcome to my cartoon lens. Come on in and take a load off. You will find some cartooning tips for the budding cartoonist, a list and contact details of the major syndication companies, and a selection of my cartoons that I hope will give you a laugh and a lift.
The Cartoonist Who Draws Cartoons.
Cartooning Tips
Having the ability to draw well does not a cartoonist make. Some classically trained artists try cartooning and fail dismally while some of the most successful cartoonists I know have a drawing style more akin to a convulsing parrot holding a brush in it's beak.
They're successful simply because they have the ability to tell a funny story within the one panel. The key here is funny. Not cute, not drawn by a painting master, but plain funny. IMO the art only needs to be good enough to convey your gag.
Choosing the right words can play a large role as to whether your cartoon works.
When I'm putting a new cartoon together in a rough format I try my hardest to make it work without words. This makes the cartoon accessible to a worldwide market and not just limited to the English-speaking world. Something the modern cartoonist needs to consider.
If the cartoon does need a caption or bubble, my rule is the fewer words the better. Sometimes I leave a cartoon for days incomplete for the lack of the right word. Usually something turns up.
Christmas Is Coming ..Stop groaning :O)
Cartoonists' Warm Up Exercises: Part 1
If we look around the net there are literally hundreds of tips on how to draw cartoons and how practice is the most essential tool to learning. Well yes, of coarse it is. But I also believe two of the most basic requirements before you even begin to draw are mind set and warm ups. I'm not talking hamstring stretches or abdominal crunches but rather the wrist and fingers on your drawing hand and stimulating your creative flow.
Before picking up a pen I follow a routine that hopefully sets me up for a good session. Warming up the fingers and wrist basically follows tried and trusted methods that are available in numerous books on relaxing and stress busting.
But first let's look at breathing. How to breathe more effectively was one of the most valuable lessons I've learned. Sitting in your chair back straight and shoulders back, close your eyes. Take one hand and hold it flat against your stomach and place the other hand on your chest and breathe in through your nose. Does your chest rise or does your stomach push out? Most people shallow breathe and by that I mean when you have your hand on your stomach and you draw in air your chest rises but your stomach doesn't move. This means the upper part of your lungs is working but not the bottom. Now, breathing in slowly through your nose imagine that your stomach is filing up with air and causing your hand to to push out. When done correctly your chest should barely move. In my routine I repeat this ten times and never fail to feel more relaxed and focused. Each cycle of breath in and out lasts around ten seconds. I may have explained this rather poorly so Google "correct breathing technique" for a more detailed explanation. Learning to breathe more effectively can literally be life changing. Try it.
And now for a small commercial break.
Before picking up a pen I follow a routine that hopefully sets me up for a good session. Warming up the fingers and wrist basically follows tried and trusted methods that are available in numerous books on relaxing and stress busting.
But first let's look at breathing. How to breathe more effectively was one of the most valuable lessons I've learned. Sitting in your chair back straight and shoulders back, close your eyes. Take one hand and hold it flat against your stomach and place the other hand on your chest and breathe in through your nose. Does your chest rise or does your stomach push out? Most people shallow breathe and by that I mean when you have your hand on your stomach and you draw in air your chest rises but your stomach doesn't move. This means the upper part of your lungs is working but not the bottom. Now, breathing in slowly through your nose imagine that your stomach is filing up with air and causing your hand to to push out. When done correctly your chest should barely move. In my routine I repeat this ten times and never fail to feel more relaxed and focused. Each cycle of breath in and out lasts around ten seconds. I may have explained this rather poorly so Google "correct breathing technique" for a more detailed explanation. Learning to breathe more effectively can literally be life changing. Try it.
And now for a small commercial break.
Buying Greeting Cards Online.
The down side to buying greeting cards online is the double handling. That is ordering the card, waiting for delivery, and then writing the card before mailing it and paying for yet more postage. It was easier to buy it from a shop and write/ post it while out running errands.
As a cartoonist selling my wares online I needed to find a better system to sell greeting cards. And I do believe I've found it. It's called Zazzle. Well, I haven't just found it. In fact I've been selling my greeting cards this way for a couple of years now.
The brilliant technology powering the shop allows customers to pick a card and add personal text in a lovely brushed or fun font. There is room on the inside left flap for around sixteen lines of text. Once happy the customer adds to cart and the card is then dispatched to a nominated address anywhere on the planet within 24hrs of the order.There's a huge selection of fun and funny greeting cards as well as party invitations for Birthdays,Christmas and New Years.
Come Shopping
Cartoonists' Warm Up Exercises: Part 2
Now that you're feeling relaxed and focused with all the extra oxygen bouncing around your body let's work on the hands and fingers. With your drawing hand out stretched and curled into a light fist begin rotating the wrists in a circular motion. I do ten clockwise and ten anti clockwise rotations. I usually keep count by the clicking sound my wrist makes. You may or may not be blessed with this handy accessory. Next, clench your fist tightly and hold for around five seconds, and relax. Repeat five times. Now the fingers. Remember the game charades? Well pretend your word is fire and your fingers are the flames. Do this for around twenty seconds. By this stage you're probably tired so take a nap. I am.
Gary Larson & The Far Side
Gary Larson will always be to me, the single most influential cartoonist of our time. When it came to complete silliness and comic brilliance the man had or has no equal. He spawned a whole new generation of single panel cartoonists and yes, I'm one of them. Still only one of a handful of cartoonists that can make me laugh out loud.
The Complete Far Side 1980-1994 (2 vol set)
Amazon Price: $94.50 (as of 12/22/2009) 
The PreHistory of The Far Side ®:: A 10th Anniversary Exhibit (Far Side Series)
This is a must have book for Far Side fans. Great in depth insight into the man and his thinking. The history of the Far Side from the very beginning including rejected cartoons, early work (natures way) and some of Gary's personal favorites.
Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 12/22/2009)
The Far Side ® Gallery
Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 12/22/2009)
The Far Side ® Gallery 3
Amazon Price: $11.55 (as of 12/22/2009)
Cows of Our Planet (A Far Side Collection) (Far Side Series)
Amazon Price: $10.39 (as of 12/22/2009)
Cartoon Syndication
Submitting Cartoons to Syndicates
So you have a cartoon strip that you think can be a winner. Then why not submit it for syndication.
Always include a cover letter with your submission. This is your opportunity to sell your strip and yourself. Make it brief, to the point, and outline why you think your strip will succeed and who you believe your target market to be.
Give a brief history of your strip especially if it has been previously published or if not, some detail of other work you have had published.
There is no need to use fancy binding or bulky portfolio's. A staple in the top left corner is sufficient. Do use some stiff cardboard to protect your work during transit.
Unless submission specifics are outlined most syndicates will like to see at least three to four weeks of strips to assess consistency and the longevity potential of your strip.
Always include a SAE with your submission. It can take up to six weeks to hear back.
Don't be afraid of rejection. Some of the most successful artists and strips had years of rejection before finally getting picked up.
Most syndicates receive around five thousand submissions per year with around three chosen for syndication.
Below is a list of the main players in cartoon syndication and their contact details.
Submissions Editor
Tribune Media Services
35 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1400
Chicago, IL 60611
We will need 6 to 8 sample columns to consider, as well as a brief cover letter detailing your experience and your idea. Please send us 8 1/2 " x 11" copies of your material.
Universal Press Syndicate
4520 Main Street
Kansas City, MO. 64111
Contact person: Lee Salem
We prefer four to six weeks of samples of a proposed feature.
Please include a letter explaining the purpose and scope of your material.
King Features Syndicate
235 East 45th Street
New York, NY 10017
Contact person: Jay Kennedy
Your total submission package should include:
1. A cover letter - that briefly outlines the overall nature of your comic strip. Your cover letter should also include your full name, address, and telephone number and shouldn't be much longer than one page.
24 daily comic strips - on 8-1/2" x 11" paper (you can fit up to 3 or 4 strips per page).
3. A character sheet - that shows your major characters (if any) along with their names and a paragraph description of each.
Creators Syndicate
5777 W. Century Boulevard, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Contact person: Anita Tobias
(4) weeks of samples, but not more than six (6) weeks of dailies and two Sundays. If you are submitting a comic strip, you should include a note about the characters in it and how they relate to each other. Artwork is about standard sheet-sized (8 1/2 x 14 inches)
United Media
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Contact person: Amy Lago
United Cartoonist Syndicate
PO Box 7081
Corpus Christi, TX 78415
Los Angeles Times Syndicate
218 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Contact person: Cathy Irvine
Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate
1923 Wickham Road
New York, NY 10024
Chronicle Features
870 Market Street
Suite 1011
San Francisco, CA 94102
Always include a cover letter with your submission. This is your opportunity to sell your strip and yourself. Make it brief, to the point, and outline why you think your strip will succeed and who you believe your target market to be.
Give a brief history of your strip especially if it has been previously published or if not, some detail of other work you have had published.
There is no need to use fancy binding or bulky portfolio's. A staple in the top left corner is sufficient. Do use some stiff cardboard to protect your work during transit.
Unless submission specifics are outlined most syndicates will like to see at least three to four weeks of strips to assess consistency and the longevity potential of your strip.
Always include a SAE with your submission. It can take up to six weeks to hear back.
Don't be afraid of rejection. Some of the most successful artists and strips had years of rejection before finally getting picked up.
Most syndicates receive around five thousand submissions per year with around three chosen for syndication.
Below is a list of the main players in cartoon syndication and their contact details.
Submissions Editor
Tribune Media Services
35 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1400
Chicago, IL 60611
We will need 6 to 8 sample columns to consider, as well as a brief cover letter detailing your experience and your idea. Please send us 8 1/2 " x 11" copies of your material.
Universal Press Syndicate
4520 Main Street
Kansas City, MO. 64111
Contact person: Lee Salem
We prefer four to six weeks of samples of a proposed feature.
Please include a letter explaining the purpose and scope of your material.
King Features Syndicate
235 East 45th Street
New York, NY 10017
Contact person: Jay Kennedy
Your total submission package should include:
1. A cover letter - that briefly outlines the overall nature of your comic strip. Your cover letter should also include your full name, address, and telephone number and shouldn't be much longer than one page.
24 daily comic strips - on 8-1/2" x 11" paper (you can fit up to 3 or 4 strips per page).
3. A character sheet - that shows your major characters (if any) along with their names and a paragraph description of each.
Creators Syndicate
5777 W. Century Boulevard, Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Contact person: Anita Tobias
(4) weeks of samples, but not more than six (6) weeks of dailies and two Sundays. If you are submitting a comic strip, you should include a note about the characters in it and how they relate to each other. Artwork is about standard sheet-sized (8 1/2 x 14 inches)
United Media
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Contact person: Amy Lago
United Cartoonist Syndicate
PO Box 7081
Corpus Christi, TX 78415
Los Angeles Times Syndicate
218 S. Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Contact person: Cathy Irvine
Cartoonists & Writers Syndicate
1923 Wickham Road
New York, NY 10024
Chronicle Features
870 Market Street
Suite 1011
San Francisco, CA 94102
2010 Calendars Are Here !!
I'm really pleased to announce that the 2010 Calendars are now available. There are two new calendars one on people and the other featuring animals and pets. The feedback from last years calendars was fantastic and although they're a little more expensive than your ordinary cheap shop calendars, the quality and size makes a fine Christmas gift.
Say Hello Why Don't You.
Please leave a comment. A cartoonists world is generally a lonely one (Awww) so I'd love to hear from you. If you enjoyed this lens then please cast your vote and feel free to roll me...um.. Anyway, I'll be updating this lens much more regularly than before so do come back for a visit.
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- BevsPaper BevsPaper Jul 1, 2009 @ 6:53 am
- Great lens! I liked the one with Jesus and the wine! Lensolled you to my King Leonardo lens.
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- PaulHassing PaulHassing Nov 14, 2008 @ 7:23 pm
- Nice work, David! LOVE the bird hitting the window! Thank you for sharing. Best regards, P. :)
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- OldGrampa OldGrampa Oct 7, 2008 @ 7:47 pm
- I really enjoyed looking at your cartoons, nice work!
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- Jimmie Jimmie May 7, 2008 @ 12:24 am
- My favorite is the dogs having a drink together. Very clever.
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- ElizabethJeanAllen ElizabethJeanAllen May 6, 2008 @ 8:32 pm
- I love your cartoons! I write humorous fiction but I can't draw a stick figure.
Best of luck to you
Liz
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- gurneywagon gurneywagon May 6, 2008 @ 6:02 pm
- You made me smile :) The
grasshopper's my fave!
Very cute & I'm your first fan! 5*
by David_Stuart
David Stuart is a professional cartoonist working from the home studio he shares with wife Kelly, and young twins Liam and Brianna. (more)
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