Trying to earn some extra income? How about taking your best cartoon and turning it into a gold mine?

I drew a cartoon years ago that seemed to get laughs from everyone that read it. This cartoon has been used over and over and has become a part of that spam email that travels around the world with a dozen or so really funny gag cartoons.

I decided to turn this cartoon into some profit. One of the first things I did was put this cartoon on one of my ChuckleBerry's greeting cards. It is my most sold card ever. Buy the card here.

I then opened a FREE Cafe Press store and threw on some specialty items including t-shirts. This design is by far my most sold design on Cafe Press. See merchandise here.

I also allow people to purchase rights to print the actual cartoon. It has been published in papers, on posters and other silly merchandise. See cartoon licensing here.

Sooo, take one or two of your favorite cartoons and turn them into money making machines!

Labels: How To, Making Money, Marketing, Niches

Being called a cartoonist can mean very different things to different people. When I tell people that I am a cartoonist they ultimately ask what papers my cartoons are in. Most people think cartoonists just draw comic strips.

If you are considering a career in cartooning you might think about what field of cartooning you would like to specialize in. Here are a few examples if how diverse the world of cartooning can be.

1. Gag cartoonist - these guys draw simple single panel cartoons with or without punch lines. Most gag cartoonists work for magazines and newspapers but can also have great careers selling cartoons for newsletters, presentations and books. Many times the writing is harder than the cartooning in this field.

2. Comic Strip cartoonist - these are probably the most famous cartoonists and are the most associated with a career in cartooning. Getting a comic strip in the funny pages today is about like winning the lottery. A comic strip artist must not only know how to draw on some level but must be a great writer and storyteller. The best cartoonist in the world would not be able to sell one comic strip if it wasn't well written.

3. Graphic cartoonist - I put myself into this category of cartooning. A graphic cartoonist creates cartoons, logos and mascots for marketing purposes. There is no need for writing skills but a creative eye and a knack for color can really help out in this field.

4. Cartoon Illustrator - I think this is the most talented group of cartoonists. Just about anyone can learn to draw cartoons but very few people have the raw talent to become great illustrators. Cartoon illustrators create very detailed images that rival photography and painting. These artists design movie posters, illustrate books and create works of art.

5. Animators - these guys are a bit of a mix of everyone. They need good drawing skills, strong design ability, writing aptitude and for backgrounds they need illustration skills. Some animators are unskilled and use static cartoon images that are moved by hand rather than by drawing.

6. 3D Computer cartoonists - 3D guys create cartoons on the computer and use sophisticated programs to help animate the characters. The ability to use a computer is a must.

7. Caricature artists - a caricature is a cartoon interpretation of a persons face. Caricature artists take a persons features and learn how to exaggerate them. These cartoonists can work in a studio or on the street. Some caricaturists can draw quick facial sketches in a matter of moments while others take hours after studying many photographs of the subject.

8. Editorial cartoonist - these guys are a bit like the gag cartoonists but they must combine their drawing and writing abilities into a single image. Most editorial cartoons are political and run in print.

9. Greeting card designer - a greeting card designer has to convey a feeling or grab someones attention in just a split second. A card designer should have strong writing skills and a tough of illustration ability.

10. Comic Book illustrators - drawing for comic books takes the talent of being able to draw the human body. Comic book illustrators are very talented and have the skill to draw the human body in the best shape it can be. Writing skills are a plus in this career.

11. Internet cartoonist - due to the reach of the Internet, a new field of cartooning was created. Many unpublished cartoonists have started online comic strips and have had success. Most of their money comes through subscriptions, advertising and merchandise sales. You really need to target a small niche to be successful in this field.

Labels: Animation, Caricatures, Cartoon Logo, Cartooning, How To, Niches

I'm on the verge of relaunching my greeting card line and my website. These are the new logos for each card division in my ChuckleBerry's line. I'll let you know when the new site is launched.

Selling your cartoon designs to greeting card companies is another great niche for making money with cartoons. Most card companies pay around $150-$300 per design for all rights. Be sure to pick up the latest copy of the Artists Market for all of the card companies accepting freelance designs.

I've sold a few designs to companies like Gallant Greetings but I'm now on a mission to start my own greeting card company big time. I'll soon be starting a greeting card blog which you can read and follow my entrepreneurial progress.

Stay tooned!!

Labels: Greeting Cards, Niches

When I was first starting my cartooning career I was always looking for ways of getting printed work into my portfolio. One the most unique things I found was entering design contests. I would always submit a cartoon as my entry and I actually won several early design contests.

The largest Rock station in Oklahoma is Rock 100.5 The KATT. This radio station used to have a yearly calendar design contest to see who could create the best design for the years calendar. I entered the contest in 1988 and did not make much of a statement. I did however know the artist that won that year. That motivated me to try again the next year.

Well, I won first place in 1989 with the design displayed here. It happened to be the best selling calendar they had and turned out to be a fun promotion for the station. I used a cartoon scene to create clues to the names of 100 top rock groups. The idea hit me when I thought about drawing a plant that had a name tag with Bob written on it. Robert Plant. From there I created 99 more clues and combined them int this calendar.

The look of the design comes from my love of the old Six Flags park maps I used to collect as a kid. Click on the photo for a much larger view and see how many groups you can find.

I entered the contest for the next few years and won again being the first two time winner and also had a third place design. After winning my second time the radio station stopped having the contest. My second win was a continuation of this theme. I created a second list of 100 rock groups and built a design around those clues.

I also won a few other design contests and started to build a pretty nice looking cartoon portfolio. Once I posted these and other designs online I started getting requests from clients all over the world. That's how my own cartoon business began. Look for unique ways that you can create designs, make a little money and start building your portfolio.

P.S. I'll try to post all 100 rock group names when I get a chance. Enjoy!

Labels: Cartoon Contests, Niches

I do not specialize in caricatures but I do get requests several times a year. The image above is for a local business that deals with cleaning supplies. You might recognize the guy on the right. That's NBA star Brent Price.

Labels: Caricatures, Niches

Here's an example of a simple Flash animation. Flash has become the standard in animation today. To create movement you must have vector art images. Vector art can be created in Adobe Illustrator and then imported into Flash.

Flash animations are great for eCards. Start your own eCard site or create tiny animations for eCard clients. Flash designers can make $50 per hour and more.

Learn more about Flash and see how much fun it can be by visiting this awesome animation web site. Create your own Flash movies without any experience. Go Animate.

Need your cartoon logo animated? I can help do very simple Flash animations or create animated GIF files. Contact me for more information.

P.S. You can right click on a Flash animation and it will provide you with a few Flash controls.

Labels: Animation, Cartoon Logo, Flash, Niches