Corporate Family

"Let me get this straight: you do a blog about rejection? All about rejection? And people read it?"

I'm paraphrasing what a relative said to me a couple of months ago. But he's essentially right. For instance, in the last week, I've been rejected by two leading US magazines, as well as two big London-based mags. But, ya gotta be tough. Keep moving -- like a shark.

"Sorry, Thompson. No temps in the corporate huddle."

I got an offer recently to teach cartooning for a couple weeks. I'd have to be away from my studio, which I didn't like. The potential employer excitedly told me, "We're all family here." Of course, this was all to compensate for the long hours and low pay. In my head, when I hear about how a business is like a family, I always get George Takei's voice in my head: "Red alert! Read alert! This is not a drill!"

Businesses are like businesses. You can talk all you like about how nice a place is, but a job's still a job. There are those who don't do work and get rewarded. Those who do, and get no recognition. There are those who do just enough to get by and don't want any responsibility.

A long time ago, I worked as a temp for a big company. I was treated like a regular employee, except for certain things. If there were company outings, company bonuses -- well, I wasn't IN the company, so I wasn't part of that. This place, a large investment bank, gave out fat bonuses every December to all its employees. A lot of these people were support staff (operators, secretaries, tech -- people who did what I did), and they would tell me how much they got. What a crummy family! What feelings of rejection! Hence, the above cartoon.

So I moved on ... eventually going into business for myself. And now, I try to keep moving; finding new clients, figuring out new ways to make money, and producing marketable work. I try to learn from my rejections, and keep moving forward -- like a shark in search of its corporate hug.

Uh .... or something like that.

Oh, yeah! And I don't have to wear a tie!

PS Speaking of making fun of office life, here's one of my favorite Kids in the Hall sketches: MY PEN!!!!!!!!!

PPS I didn't accept that teaching job.