Mike Lynch Cartoon in April 2008 PROSPECT

Above: on the left, Prospect's GIF, on the right, my JPEG.

I have a cartoon in this month's issue of Prospect magazine. Prospect is a monthly magazine of opinion and literature, based in London. I like Prospect. Always some thoughtful writing in there. Plus, they publish cartoons and isn't that nice? Well, it's more than nice. It's an added expense for them, as well as an extra editorial exercise, what with sifting through the submissions for the Prospect editors. But isn't it nice that a magazine is making the time to have some cartoons in it? I wish more did.


Above is my drawing for the mag. The gag -- this time -- came easy. I was just asking myself if spring would ever come. What if it did and it was all some illusion.

Above: Prospect's GIF, at their site, which shows a small slide show of that issue's current cartoons. This is the first month that they've done this (my thanks to Pletch for letting me know about the site), and, for some reason, the colors are all wonky.

But let me talk about magazine cartoons. "People love cartoons," I am told. So why aren't more mags buying?

I've posted about this on Mark Anderson's chat board Andertalk:

Most editors are now doing page layout. They pull a graphic (from Getty or some other online photo source) and then their graphic for their article done. They can then go to lunch, or go home, or run to the pub.

Let's say an editor chooses to contact a pro for an original illustration or a cartoon. . It's a lot more work on their part. It involves the call, an explanation, reviewing roughs, deciding on a final version, approving the finish, OKing an invoice, etc. All standard editor business -- except now, with photo resources right there on the Web, they don't have to.

"Why are cartoonist organizations letting gag market after gag market die?"

It's not their decision to make.

If readers and advertisers wanted cartoons, then the editors might take notice.

But cartoons, as well as illustration, require a lot more editorial steps than simply pulling an image from a stock house. A stock house, full of cheap pre-made, searchable images, is easy and there's time for lunch.

Most mags are aware of cartoons, but they don't want to spend the time and money. It's easier to run a house ad.