(Technical note: Since the clock seems to be having difficulties knowing what day and time this post is actually being made--I am not writing this from 1969, as much as that might appeal to my time travel fantasy, but rather Wed. April 22, 2009 at around 2:25 pm)

Greg Cravens and I have been talking about the difficulties that artists often have when it comes to self promotion. That is, we often find it hard to "blow our own horns" while lavishing kudos on our friends and fellow cartoonists. He and I have had a lot of experience at the negative side of this, and some experience at the positive side. But we've lately been wracking our brains trying to come up with ways to help the other out professionally.

Here's the idea. Get a buddy cartoonist. Look at his work and give a critique--a proper one, don't just unload on the guy (or gal, as the case may be). Give him or her objective feedback. "Seems to me like you'd rather be drawing strips about football if you could. Why not concentrate on that?" That sort of thing.

If they've got a website and it sucks, let them know about it. Again, not just nitpicking, but constructive advice (from bitter experience I know that mine DID until Tom Bancroft gave me some much needed advice, and I changed it--now offers are beginning to happen a lot more regularly).

Then try to think of new ways your buddy might promote his or her work. Removing your own ego from the process seems to make it easier to "think outside the box". IF the idea is sound it may trigger an idea or two you could use yourself.

Report back to your pal when an idea occurs to you.

NOW--since this is a forum, we could ALL be sharing ideas, couldn't we?

Begin discussing…