Web comic: complaint Department

Cartoon of man at complaint Booth. He says, “You’re supposed to be resolving complaints, not giving them.”

It's so easy to give complaints, isn't it? It seems easier in the cold, dark days of January. I drew this cartoon to bring my attitude up a bit. One always needs to remember to give themselves a good attitude adjustment. We wouldn't want a bad one to start multiplying like a flu virus.

I drew this in Adobe Illustrator CS2

Webcomic: Trick or Treating

Cartoon of a trick or treating boy. Boy says, "Trick or treat! I'm dressed as your former stockbroker who fled to Cozumel."

Let's face it. Finances got scary last year. I still don't want to look at my 401k. Hopefully, most of the spooks have left Wall Street, but I'm not holding my breath.

I drew this comic in Adobe Illustrator CS2

Webcomic: Home Based Napping

Cartoon of a woman asleep at a home office. Caption says, "Carol discovers one of the benefits of a home based business."

This is an illustration I did back in 1996 for the sixth edition of the "New Rider's Internet Yellow Pages." New Rider's Publishing and me own the copyright to this image. Please do not use without permission.

Webcomic: Office Coffee

Comic of two men in a kitchen. One says, “My major disappointment from working at home is I have no one to blame for a bad cup of coffee.”

This is a cartoon I did back in 1996 for the sixth edition of the "New Rider's Internet Yellow Pages."

New Rider's Publishing and me own the copyright to this image. Please do not use without permission.

Cartoon: Ace in the Hole

Cartoon of two boys staring at a manhole. Boy says, "Sorry , Mister. At least you can say you were part of a home run."

There are two activities that let you know summer is here; baseball and construction. It's a glorious thing when they are combined. It's also sad to see them come to a close as fall comes upon us.

Let's hope there are no open manholes at the upcoming baseball playoffs. I'd like to see the Atlanta Braves play the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. I won't call it a prediction nor a strong hope. If the Cincinnati Reds win a wildcard game, then my strong hope may surface again.

I drew this in Adobe Illustrator CS2

Cartoon: Games at Work

Cartoon of husband and wife in the kitchen. The husband says, “They’re not giving me a raise, but they are letting me play this really cool game at work.”

This is a classic cartoon I did back in 1996 for the sixth edition of the "New Rider's Internet Yellow Pages."

I used to design books for a computer games book publisher. It was fun playing video games for research. Too bad I stunk at video games. I knew I was in trouble when my five-year old son started beating me!

New Rider's Publishing and me own the copyright to this image. Please do not use without permission.

Cartoon: An Accountant's Web Site

Cartoon of man at computer. He says, “I think I found your brother, the accountant’s web site.”

This is a classic cartoon I did back in 1996 for the sixth edition of the "New Rider's Internet Yellow Pages."

The computer and my concept of web sites have changed since then. I couldn't have seen very many of them at that time. Many had sparse graphics or none at all. Don't you just love sites with lots of graphics? Me too.

New Rider's Publishing and me own the copyright to this image. Please do not use without permission.

Illustration Friday: Hierarchy

Spear_1992, originally uploaded by speartoons.

Illustration of a man cowering behind a desk. I originally had this for cartoon 1992. When I heard Illustration Friday's theme was "hierarchy," I thought this fit the bill.

It made me think about all the business troubles going on in the banks and Wall Street. It takes a lot of courage to make it in this business climate. But be strong and courageous! We'll get through it!

I drew this in Adobe Illustrator CS2.

Freelance Work in a Crazy Economy

Spear_3479 Cartoon
Originally uploaded by speartoons

Still looking for that million dollar contract? Aren't we all. If only there was a design and illustration clause to the Federal stimulus package.

The other day a friend at the gym was looking at disgust at his mp3 player. He said, "There's nothing but bad news. I'm going to stop listening to anything related to business."

It can be tough out there to get work. But don't panic. A designer can still find work out there. Here are some things you can do to keep the freelance fires burning.

1. Keep a positive attitude. I know. Easier said than done, right? But I've seen it work time and again. I've seen designer who have had the same lousy amount of business. The one with a positive attitude recovers much more quickly than the one who is convince his world is coming to an end. We always find what we're looking for, whether we realize we're chasing it or not.
2. Call up old clients. It's okay to see what they're up to. If you had a good experience with them before, it just may take some reconnecting to remind them you are still out there. Email them, call them, take them out for lunch. You never know. You may be surprised and they'll reward you with a new project and pay for your lunch too. (But be sure you are prepared to pay for it. Don't be a weasel, after all!)
3. Keep working even if you have no work. Momentum is everything in this business. If you don't get your favorite kind of work for a month, you can't afford to go rusty. Keep doing what you love. Build up your portfolio. Work on that plumb design or illustration project you've never had time for. Eventually the pay will come again.

We're all in this together. Keep looking up!

Cartoon: Downsized

Spear cartoon 3456
Originally uploaded by speartoons

Caption reads: "I must be the first second grader to ever be downsized."

Yes, I've been downsized before. When it happened, It got me thinking how when I was in school, I would have loved to be downsized. Wouldn't that be an elementary student's dream? That's what snow days are all about-it's a chance to be downsized for a day.

Low Overhead

"We prefer a low overhead."

It's that lovely time of year where budgets are squeezed, tested and pushed. What are some good ways to cut expenses? I know! Cut that overhead.

I thought of the ideal for this cartoon when I was in the middle of a lengthy, boring, budget meeting. Thank heavens you can doodle and make it look like note-taking!