Cartoon Reject

Here is a one of the many cartoons I pitched to TimeOut and had rejected;

Illustrated Guide to The Passover Makeover
Here are the latest efforts to market Passover;

Holiday specials include; A Charlie Brown Seder,
Survivor in Israel and Noshing with the Stars.

New Fashion from The Gap for Orthodox.

Exciting new food branding. Gefilte Fish Fruit Roll-ups for kids, Matzah Balls On the Go, and for dogs, Brisket Bits, the kosher dog food.

Blogger Rabbi Joel Glickstein will podcast Seder live on YouShmooze.

Adam Sandler and Sarah Silverman star in Woody Allen’s new racy romantic comedy, Why Is This Night Different From All Other Nights?

Just in time for Opening Day, Major League Baseball announces the first ever all-senior baseball team, The Manhattan Beach Meshugehs.

NPR premieres their new program, Prairie Home Chutzpah.

Tools of the Trade Part II

For any I may have misled thinking I was going to talk about physical tools of the trade, here’s a quick tech post.

I use a pair of Mac Intels, each with their own Wacom pad and each with a “continuous” pair of monitors. A pair of G4s and a laptop are my back-ups. An external hard drive, the size of a pack of cigarettes, and a subscription to .Mac, theoretically, keep the computers in sync, along with a handful of thumb drives that are God knows where (things are constantly disappearing in my life – I’m like a melon truck on a bumpy road).

The other day one of the monitors turned green, like it ate a bad file. So off to the chat rooms for a diagnosis I went. I tried using the monitor on its side, tried degaussing, wiggling the cables, kicking it. Finally, its color reappeared when I turned the monitor around to face the wall.

Correction

Apologies to all who follow this blog. For the past few weeks I was unable to post as I was involved in multible legal proceedings including an apartment closing (for my place in Brooklyn), a contract dispute and 2 court cases. I'd finish into the evening dealing with all the phone calls to lawyers, etc. then working through the night on freelance jobs until 4 am or so and catch three or so hours sleep. I won't bore you with the details and a couple are ongoing so I can't anyway. One case that finished (in my favor) was stopping a subdivision from being built next door to me. I testified and stated my objections to my neighbor trying to illegally start a development on her land – it was a violation of zoning and she forged deeds.

I chair a Preservation Land committee in Pennsylvania and this is the second house development I successfully blocked. The other has since become ten acres of public forest for everyone to enjoy. I have been heavily involved in the Lacawac Sanctuary and until my recent time problems, I produced a quarterly newsletter called Notes From the Forest which discusses scientifc work and research at this 500-acre site where it can boost having the most Southern North American glacier lake.

Anyway, please revisit Freelancer's Lament as I resume a every other day schedule of posting on this blog. Thanks and again sorry for dropping out of sight.

Tools of the Trade

Copyright 2007 © Bob Eckstein. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. Courtesy of Picturetown, Inc.®

One constant in this business is getting ripped off – not getting paid for work you’ve done or not getting paid the amount agreed on. My personal favorite is not getting paid for work being reprinted without your permission. In other words you’re reading a book or magazine, and you’re thinking, wow, that illustration sure looks a lot like my style, hey wait, that is my illustration. Has happened more times than you would think. Once I confronted the lead singer of a rock group who used my art, without my permission, for their poster (I won’t mention the band and give them a plug, because they’re as unknown as I am). In the ‘90s it was happening frequently and with students coming out of my classes with work that too often bore a resemblance to mine, I turned to the restroom style that pays my bills today – it’s a style that can’t be stolen as it’s practically devoid of style.

Back in the ‘80s I was the main contributor for a magazine called Spy. (Above is a cartoon of mine – the last cartoon ever published in Spy.) Although I appeared hundreds of times in this popular magazine and my cartoons, stories, charts and illustrations help define their style, I was not mentioned in their anniversary book, Spy the Funny Years and (only) appeared on 6 pages (for they most famous piece which wound-up on TV). I expressed my disappointment over this and instructed them how they could make it up to me – they, after all, had received $1.2 million book advance. After a lot of apologies and aggravation all I got was a small check for $1,200 from the founder who, ironically, I told face-to-face at the book party, was the same amount we settled for out of court (for a different time he owed me money for a different magazine).

To put salt in the wound, at the same time I’ve been writing out checks all over town to legally purchase permission to print artwork for my upcoming book. My advance was about 4% of theirs. (It was announced this morning Jenna Bush got over $300K. That buckethead's book initial run is slated for 500,000. Mine is about 18 books.) My total costs for producing my snowman book is in the five figures not counting the around six figures in work I passed up on the past five years to research snowmen in the Middle Ages. A lot is resting on these snowmen.

The Birthday Boy

Growing up I got interested in cartoons reading paperback collections of Sam Gross. Above is a homage I did a very long time ago – no, it's not as funny as a Sam Gross but I'm no Sam Gross. (But I have always liked using nontraditional punchlines when a viewer is expecting a gag.)

I'm not the only person who considers him the world's funniest cartoonist, of course, and many of my favorite cartoonists site Mr. Gross as their biggest influence. He used to be in National Lampoon, SPY, Village Voice, etc. While I also cartooned for those magazines (and also got my start at the Voice) I only briefly met my idol once (at a Playboy party)...until two days ago, when for my birthday, I was invited to the New Yorker cartoon lunch in midtown where I met face-to-face many of my cartoon heroes. I gushed, blushed and sweated like a yak in the presence of the world's best cartoonists.

I wound up spending almost the whole day with Sam Gross, going to a reading by cartoonist Marissa Acocella Marchetto at the Gilda Club for her fantastic book Cancer Vixen (where I cried) and then a late dinner. All the time hearing fascinating stories from the trenches of freelance cartooning. More later – I have to send out permission forms for my book. Cartoonists (Sam Gross included!) are contributing their work to my book and there's much paperwork to square away in the next few days leading up to my book deadline.

Freelance Genuises; Blog, blog, blog

There's a neat cartoonist blog that links to a very interesting documentary on cartoon genuis, John Callahan. Callahan was a big influence on me (as seen in my own cartoons). But I'm especially excited because I just finalized getting a snowman cartoon of his into my book.

I just came back from The Saul Steinberg show at the Morgan Library. Steinberg was also a big influence on me not just for his style but the fact he was a multitasker (writer, poet, painter). Above this post is one of my tribute/parodies to the artist, a holiday card I made for my circle of friends one year. The magnificent Steinberg show closes March 4th. Actually, I found out about the show from David Byrne’s very good and informative blog, yes, the same David Byrne of the Talking Heads. He’s also a great multitasker, a renaissance man and someone I admire a lot as an artist and writer (and fan of his solo albums). Byrne’s journal goes into a great art discussion inspired by his trip to the Miami Basel Art Fair this past Christmas. It included an enjoyable slide show of the fair’s highlights where I looked for my Belgian friend’s work. My friend Manu was there showing his photography. Manu Geerinck, came to NYC with his wife Marianne Garnier, both to be freelance illustrators. But like so many other extremely talented artists, the cloudy climate of freelance illustration forced them to pursue other avenues and, of course, in the case of Manu, it proved to be a wise career move. Manu's art can be enjoyed here. I was always careful as to how encouraging or helpful I was with their illustration aspirations being aware of how long and difficult it would take to create a footing in the field. Again, these who say follow your dream are either rich or financed by someone else.

To go off on a tangent again, other artists who are a big influence on me include those who romanticize history; Caravaggio, Church, etc. Thomas Dolby (whose blog inspired me to start mine) and transvestite comedian Eddie Izzard (the world’s second funniest guy today, behind Cohen) are two quirky examples. Another artist who changed my career is an ex-classmate of mine who, back then, hated my guts. I ran into Tamar Stone, a book artist, twelve years later at a funeral and she’s had a major influence on my career ever since (and I’m not saying that because I also have a terrible crush on her today).

But back to Steinberg. It’s impossible to come away from his show not mumbling “….pure genius…” and inspired to find a blank canvas to work on but conversely think, what’s the point, I’m not worthy. With each piece in the show there was so much to learn. I mock my own style but I’m actually adhering to rules Steinberg sets forth in his work – economical lines, distortion of perspective to increase interest, etc. (there are many other laws). I’m not in any way comparing us as artists but one virtue we share is I try to constantly change my style and try different things (while keeping that quality of it being done by the same hand as to not commit freelance suicide – art directors will not hire you if they have no idea what to expect. No freelancer ever gets hired because they’re brilliantly unpredictable.). What does that add up to me personally? If I’m anything I’m consistently inconsistent.

The other reason I was at the Morgan Library was 1) to see the find the first picture ever of a snowman being made by man, an illustration from a children’s book published in 1802. An appointment at their new reading room requires much paperwork, a letter of recommendation and washing my hands in front of their staff. Two proctors watched over me as I examined the antique book in an immense room where only one visitor is allowed at a time. The beautiful engraving is currently being photographed for inclusion to my book.

And 2) to speak to the curator about having an exhibit of my snowman collection after learning a few days earlier that the New York Public Library decided to cancel my show in 2010. The reason given me was budget cuts. Months of work and my curator’s fee down the drain.

The Online Grill: Meet Larry Roibal, Professional Freelancer

Copyrigh 2007© Larry Roibal "South of France"

It's time now for our winner of the Cartoon Caption Contest to indulge in his prize and participate in his online interview. Larry Riobal is a successful illustrator, who from his illustration above and his previous doodles on this very site demostrates his talent and range.

Freelancer's Lament: How has winning the Erectile Dysfunction Cartoon Caption Contest changed your life?

Larry Roibal: Well, after twenty five years of hard work and dedication to my craft, now when you Google my name, up comes these erectile dysfunction drawings that I spent thirty seconds on.

FL: How would you describe your job?

LR: It's like juggling, but instead of balls you have to keep up your
drawing and painting skills, technology, trends, accounting, professionalism, finding work, meeting deadlines, upgrading your equipment, buying props, making props, gathering reference, directing models, dealing with different personalities, keeping yourself viable, and making marketable art. If you can keep them all in the air all at the same time, then you're freelancing.

FL: Why, on God’s earth, did you decide to become a freelancer assuming it it was devoid of any benefits whatsoever?

LR: I had a high school art teacher who said I was really good and could make a living drawing pictures. That reminds me, I really need to get in touch with him and tell him what a mess he made of my life. No, really, he did encourage me, and I'm not sure how many kids, or adults for that matter, ever hear anyone say they are good at anything. It had a profound impact on me. That's all I needed to start me down this path, then before I knew it, I was too far along to turn back and not qualified to do anything else.

FL: What is the most miserable part about being a freelancer?

LR: Going back to the juggling analogy...it's taken for granted that a juggler can do his job, hence, a juggler never gets kudos for keeping the balls in the air, they wind up being judged by how many hit the ground.

Friends or relatives will call during the day and ask you to do a favor. They always feel bad for inconveniencing you, but there isn't another option. "I'd ask so and so, but they're working." Ouch.

Also researching and gathering reference in a post 9/11 world is much more difficult than I imagine it was for Rockwell. When I show up with a camera and ask if I could take some photos for an illustration assignment I'm working on, people are very skeptical. Sometimes you hear, "Well, we need to clear this with corporate, or approve the content, or taking pictures of this building is a security risk." Decide not to ask, and all hell could break loose. I was taking pictures of a hospital once and two cars skid up to me from opposite directions, four guys pop out and surround me. I have visions of Rodney King playing in my head. "Don't shoot, I'm just an illustrator!"

FL: What is the biggest misconception to being a freelancer?

LR: You here "You get to set your own hours" a lot...but being a freelance illustrator is no different than being a restaurateur or any small business owner (minus the help). If you don't have the discipline to get up early, work late, work on weekends, and to put in the as many hours as it takes to get it right, without regards to pay, then you're not going to last.

FL: How much money do you spend, on average, playing lotto?

LR: My philosophy has always been that being a freelance illustrator is all the gambling that I needed in my life. I don't play the lottery or go to casinos.

FL: What advice would you give to those still insistent on becoming a freelancer?

LR: There are way too many people who can draw and paint well, but fortunately, most people don't want to work hard. So, work hard, read at least one news paper every day...and oh yeah, marry well.

FL: What vocation do you wish you pursued instead?

LR: Since graduating from college I've been fortunate enough to keep busy and I haven't had to seek any other line of work other than being a freelance illustrator. Sometimes it's mentally exhausting keeping the balls in the air and I long for a day of manual labor to release my pent up energy and frustrations. The key words being "a day," seeing the effects that a lifetime of hard work had on my dad is enough to bring me back to reality. Then I dream about being a tenured teacher so I could work 180 days a year, have a secured retirement, paid health care benefits and I wouldn't have to work when I was sick. But the grass is always greener...I'm content with the decisions I've made.

FL: What are the perks, if any, of being a freelancer?

LR: The commute is great. occasionally there's some congestion getting in and out of the bathroom, but once I reach the stairwell it's clear sailing down to the coffee pot and up to my studio.

Also, because I'm home, I could work a sixteen hour day and still see my family over breakfast and dinner.

FL: How do you keep such a bright outlook to freelancing?

LR: Work hard and wear rose colored contact lenses.

FL: Who are your favorite artists?

LR: Sargent, Velazquez, Eakins, Bouguereau, Waterhouse

FL: Boxes or briefs?

LR: Each has there own virtues... I wear a hybrid.

FL: Larry, thanks for sharing your experiences as a freelancer!