LTCartoons: A Quarter Century Later by Rick London

Rick London is the founder of Google & MSN’s #1 Ranked Offbeat Cartoons and Funny Gifts. His Webcomics site has 5000+ cartoons and 250,000+ cartoon gifts & has lured 8.7 million+ visitors.

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I tend to get a bit sentimental this time of year.   On March 19, 2022,  Londons Times Cartoons will be 25 years old.   Except for when I enrolled in college at age 50, I have worked on this project one way or another every day (often way into the night).  I launched the comic in a tin shed in S. Mississippi with my administrative assistant (bearded collie/mix) “Thor”.

It has been quite a journey with a great many unexpected twists and turns.  Being autistic,  most doors had closed (before they ever even opened).  Suddenly it occurred to me, if I was going to leave something positive in the world, no matter how insignificant, I better get started.  My executive skills score was dismal on the ASD/Autism test.   They will be the rest of my life, and chances are slim they will improve, though I am working to improve that, but not obsessively.  I’ve learned it’s okay to be me, and if someone else disapproves, well, then they’ve disapproved.   Good for them.

They continue to be.  It’s such a good thing my beloved wife Lee has spectacular organizational and executive skills and is able and willing to help me with the tasks that my mind simply can’t grasp (due to the way it is wired).    She’s still in the middle of the rewrite of her novel, and continues to help me in so many ways.  She is one of the rare people I’ve known in the arts and letters who has both sides of her brain firing beautifully.   She is as great as they come.

As phenomenal a worker as Thor was, his executive skills were equal to mine.  No luck there.  But still, was “the best boy ever”.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t admit that the celebration I envisioned on March 29, 2022, will be nothing close to what I expected.

It is difficult for even the most jaded humor writer to deny that the world is in trouble and we have a lot of work to do to try to make it a safe place for everyone and all living things.   I still believe humor is an important part of all our lives, but I don’t look at it today as a priority.   But helping the planet heal comes to mind as a worthy goal.
So how do we help facilitate that?  I’m really not sure. I guess if I had the answer I’d have a Nobel Prize along with it.  I have neither.

I do have a few ideas that could be useful.   I grew up struggling with PTSD and often recognize this condition in others.  Due to the condition of the planet with pandemics, wars, environmental issues etc., almost everyone has a certain degree of PTSD.  PTSD is not a disease.  It is a healthy response to unhealthy people or situations.  It causes fear which can cause irritation, acting out, and even hate.  Don’t fall for it. It only serves to exacerbate ones ptsd by creating chaos which causes a vicious cycle.

When we are working on ourselves, and nobody else, we are contributing something valuable.  Our “brain muscle” improves, thus our creative abilities.

This means hanging tight to traditions which have served us well, and (I know, I know) reluctantly letting go of those that no longer serve us at all.

I believe that real fairness starts at home.  If one feels they must run a household in a dictatorial manner,  if out of the home they are a “totally different animal”, I believe that’s all for show.   Our family members are precious, even if they don’t turn out to be our clone…. especially if they don’t turn out to be our clone(s).  Nothing is perfect, but I believe Lee and I formed a democracy in our home.

Finally,  I am no guru.  My “words of wisdom”, if that’s what they are, are from years of holding on to teachings that were unfair, dishonest and harmful for me.  Why should I hold on to those lessons, when they were wrong in the first place.  And why should anyone else?  Humor, research and keeping the faith have kept me going.  While mine may not be a path that appeals to everyone, it works for me.   I encourage all to walk their own path as I do not know what is best for you.   I’m just learning what is best for me.

I do still smile, laugh, tell a joke, etc. these days and even co-create cartoons with our team.   But yes, it is more difficult than it once was.  Of course I’m a lot older than I once was.  My own illustrative skills are not great.  However, a famous cartoonist told me before I launched the cartoon project letting me know that 20-30% of newspaper comics are team-created.

I already knew Disney didn’t draw his own cartoons, and it was “open territory” for writers with a large inventory of possible images); nope not even Mickey or Donald.

This project has given me the opportunity to work with so many great illustrators.  For the past decade, our team has Tom Kerr and Sergey Rudenko (both senior illustrators) and independent artists working on their own projects.  Please think of either of them for your artistic needs.  They are very versatile and old artistic veterans.

Nevertheless, we’ll celebrate the ¼ century of pain, pleasure, excitement, disappointments, celebrations and almost any emotion one can experience, has happened in the process.  It has been a team effort.   Our illustrators make me look good, and I am very grateful for that.   And, hopefully LTCartoons will continue, and I will approach it with the same fervor that I did in on March 19, 1997.

Lee and I picked out 25 of our favorites from over the years.  We hope you enjoy.   They are on the carasol slide show or you can click on any of the toons below.   We are truly grateful for your continued support.

Rick London launched Londons Times Cartoons (LTCartoons) in 1997.  He launched Rick London Gifts shortly thereafter.  It has retained Google’s #1 ranking (offbeat cartoon gifts) since 2005.  We owe it all to you.  Thank you with all our hearts.

Londons Times Cartoons
Google & MSN’s #1 Ranked Offbeat Cartoons SInce 2005
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