"Where I Get My Ideas"

The answer is: from many places. First of all, I read at least two newspapers every day plus follow the news on TV, radio and online. Of course I also have a subscription to The New Yorker. I think it's really important to know what's going on in the world. When I read I jot down words and phrases that can be used in my gags. Let's just say I have a lot of filled notebooks in my office, from writing gags for over 30 years.

I pay attention to what people say. What I say. When I hear a conversation that interests me, many times I can use part of it for a future gag. Since I have a skewed way of looking at things, I try to remember and write down my reactions to what people say or do. Many times I've written gags this way. The best humor is based on the truth. It's also really important that people can relate to the situation.

I'd also like to say that it's important to get out into the world. Be exposed to people, places and things. I get a lot of ideas from eating out in restaurants (something I love to do) which I believe is ripe for humor. It's important to see the humor in situations and then write it down. For example, in restaurants: high prices, snooty waiters, demanding customers and bad service. I've written tons of gags about dining out.  

Finally, I write about myself: my insecurities, my fears, my quirks. There's lots of material there.

Any comments? Contact me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com. Have a great week!

How I Taught Myself To Write Cartoon Gags

 I started out writing one-liners (jokes) for comedians, public speakers and broadcast personalities. After writing hundreds (thousands?) of them, one day I realized that one of my jokes could be illustrated and made into a single-panel cartoon. I don't draw, knew very little about creating single-panel cartoons but decided to explore this. 

I started by studying cartoons in The New Yorker, going back to 1925. I must have looked at thousands of cartoons, seeing patterns in location and who was talking to who. I found a lot of desert island cartoons, people seeking entry into heaven, husbands and wives, kids and pets, prisoners, gurus on mountains and the Grim Reaper. There were lots of business gags: job interviews, getting fired, nasty bosses, nasty co-workers. I also found tons of restaurant gags: high prices, nasty waiters, demanding diners and awful food.

Besides the New Yorker, I also studied cartoons in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Barrons and Saturday Evening Post. I was on my way.

I still study published cartoons. I still read several newspapers each day. I read the news online. I also try to be aware of what's going on around me, what I say, what I hear. It's all material for my gags.

Any comments? Email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com

Return to Weekly Posts

For those of you who have been missing my weekly column, I plan to return to a set schedule starting today.

Rest assured, I'm still writing, every day, doing the same things I've been doing for many years.

I read three daily newspapers every day and The New Yorker every week. I still write every day. Still submit gags to the syndicated strips "Dennis the Menace," and "The Lockhorns" on a regular basis. Still work with cartoonists who submit their work to The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, The Oldie, Air Mail and other publications. Still read memoirs written by cartoonists. Still study cartoon collections. Still go to events sponsored by the National Cartoonists Society. I just haven't written my blog in a while.

I plan to write this column every Monday. I plan to give gag writing advice, including how to write a caption, how to come up with cartoon situations and convey that information to the cartoonist who will be taking my information and drawing the actual cartoon. I plan to let you know of upcoming events I plan to attend and let you know about events I have attended. I plan to let you know how important it is to network with other creative types. That's one of the best ways of finding out about new writing opportunities.

I can tell you I plan to attend the MOCCA Festival in New York City on March 15-16. I look forward to The New Yorker's 100 year anniversary issue later this month and hope to visit a special exhibit about this anniversary at The Society of Illustrators that's going on right now. 

Stay tuned...there's a lot of interesting stuff on the horizon!

You can write me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com. Have a great day!

Another Helpful Hint for Inspiration

 I keep a portfolio of published cartoons using my gags. Occasionally I go through the pages for inspiration, especially when I can't seem to come up with new ideas. Looking through these pages of gags that worked and resulted in a cartoon sale, it says to me that I did this before, and I can do it again.

Any comments? Write to me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com. Have a great day!

Books to Recommend

 For those of you who are interested in how single panel gag cartoons are created, I highly recommend reading a new book, "Funny Stuff" - How Great Cartoonists Make Great Cartoons, by Phil Witte and Rex Hesner. There's a foreward written by Bob Mankoff, former cartoon editor of The New Yorker.

The book contains interviews with many cartoonists who favor this means of expression, delving into their creative process, going from idea to finished drawing. Very interesting book. It also discusses how some cartoonists collaborate with writers, a section I had great interest in reading.

I'm really looking forward to reading "At Wit's End: Cartoonists of the New Yorker," which will be published Nov. 19, 2024. It highlights the work of 50+ New Yorker Cartoonists. Photography by Alen MacWeeney and words by Michael Maslin. Foreward by Emma Allen. Can hardly wait to read it.

 

Writing What I Know

Every writer has a perspective. A way of seeing the world. I read, a long time ago, that comedy writers have a skewed way of looking at things. I believe this.

Anyway, it's easiest to write about something you know. What do I know? Well, I've worked in offices through all of my career. I know about co-workers, bosses, job interviews, salary negotiations, getting hired, getting fired. These memories are what I write about when I need ideas for business gags.

I've been married for a long time. I know about dating, getting married, having children, balancing career and family, arguments and downright fights. I draw from all of this to write gags about families and relationships.

I'm not the world's best cook. I have accidents in the kitchen. I write a lot of gags about kitchen disasters, meals that have no taste, recipes calling for too many ingredients and so on. My food and cooking-related gags come from my own experience.

What else do I write about? I write about not being computer-literate. I'm sure we were the last family on the block that bought a microwave. My husband and I still use flip phones. We get our TV programs through a roof antenna. I still call people. I still read a newspaper every day. I make fun of myself because I know I'm living in another era.

I guess you could say I write self-deprecating humor. I am my best subject.

Any comments? Email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

"How I Taught Myself To Write Gags for Single-Panel Cartoons

My full-time career was in print advertising sales. I worked for several newspapers over the years, mostly in advertising, but also in features, mostly writing calendar of events listings. Anyway, newspapers is where I was and still am the most comfortable.

At the same time, I was always interested in humor. About 25 or so years ago I started writing one-liners for comedians, broadcasters and public speakers in addition to my advertising job. After writing hundreds (or thousands) of these, one day I realized that this particular one-liner that I had just written could be illustrated and make a single-panel cartoon. Knowing that I can't draw, I knew I would have to collaborate with people who could. I started studying cartoons, specifically the ones in the New Yorker. 

I obtained New Yorker cartoon collections from the library, showing cartoons going back to 1925, the year the magazine started publishing. These collections became my textbooks. I found out what situations were common, such as the desert island, heaven's gatekeeper, jail, husband and wife (relationships), gurus on mountaintops, the Grim Reaper, the Desert Crawler. I also studied the tone of the cartoons, how sophisticated they were. I also learned how to write captions: short, sweet and to the point.

I wrote and still write a lot of business gags, so I also studied cartoons in the Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Harvard Business Review and Reader's Digest.

This is how I learned how to come up with ideas and captions for single-panel gag cartoons. Later on, I found out how to write multi-panel cartoons, such as "Dennis the Menace" on Sunday. (Start with a strong punchline, and work back).

I hope this gives you some idea of how my writing career evolved. I'm still learning.

Comments? Write to me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

Have a good week!

 

In Search of Inspiration

Sometimes I need something to keep me motivated to write. I keep scrapbooks of published cartoons which contain my gags. Periodically I add to this. I find it very motivating to go through these published cartoons occasionally. It reinforces the belief that I can do this, as I have done it in the past. Also, it shows me what worked, what was accepted, and what wound up in print.

I write a lot from personal experience. In some ways, going through these published cartoons is a journey down memory lane, as I remember certain incidents in my life and now see them in these published cartoons. I see this most clearly in my writing for The Lockhorns for the past 27 years and for Dennis the Menace for the past 18. Someday I hope my children will go through these scrapbooks and get a laugh from these cartoons, realizing that I write about myself and my husband. 

I also keep a folder containing copies of positive emails I've received from cartoonists I work with, informing me about sales to The New Yorker or other publications. Reading through these emails is positive reinforcement for me, showing my successes and signaling to me that I can do it again.  

Any comments? Email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

Happy Monday!

 

Writing Down Goals for the New Year

 At the end of every year, I write down a list of goals for the new year as it pertains to my writing. A few days ago I did just that.

Here's a list of some of the goals I set for 2024:

I wrote down who I'm sending gags to, how many gags I'm going to send them and how often, plus I set a goal for myself as far as the money I intend to receive from these sales. 

Since I have spoken to the public about my gag writing and thoroughly enjoy doing so, I wrote down which groups I plan to speak to this year, either solo or as part of a panel discussion. I really like being part of a panel discussion and I intend to do that in 2024.

I thoroughly enjoy networking and understand the value of it in this line of work. As I've said before, it's extremely important to make contacts with people who can hire you. I work alone, as most writers and cartoonists do, and I need to let people know what I do. Thus, in my list of goals for 2024, I wrote down specific events I wish to attend this coming year, such as the MOCCA Fest.

I also attend National Cartoonists Society events and included the plan to attend their local events on my list. 

(One of the items in my list of goals is to get back into the routine of writing this blog every week. So far, so good.)

I wrote down publications I plan to read on a regular basis in 2024, such as the New York Times, Newsday and the Wall Street Journal. I also wrote down news sources I read on a regular basis, such as cnn.com and nbcnews.com. 

Because I slant a great deal of my writing for the New Yorker, I wrote down that I plan to read Michael Maslin's blog, Inkspill, every day, which gives news concerning New Yorker cartoonists, such as awards received, new books, book signings, etc. Very helpful information.

Finally, I listed specific goals for myself, such as finding additional cartoonists and strips to write for in the new year.

Putting these goals down on paper is very helpful to me. It focuses me. As a writer, it's easy for me to put this on paper, and yes, I actually write these goals on pieces of paper. I know - I live in another era. 

 

The Importance of Having a Routine

 I believe it's really important to establish a routine as a writer. You can't just write when you feel like it and gain any type of success.

For me, I wake up around 6:15, eat, dress, watch TV news and get to my desk by 7:30 on most days. I start by turning on the computer, checking emails and catching up with the news on various websites. If I'm on schedule to send gags to someone that I've already put together in a batch, I send them off right away so that I know it's done. Then I read my local newspaper, Newsday, (I still read newspapers) plus the New York Times. I get plenty of ideas by reading news and features. As I'm reading I'm writing down words, phrases and ideas that I will use in my gag writing. After I've written down lots of ideas and random words and phrases, I begin writing gags and then I type up what I've written. 

If I'm writing business gags that day, I might read the Wall Street Journal online. Sometimes I take out books from the library (yes, I use the library!) about business trends and get ideas this way. I also look at published business gags online to get the creative juices flowing. If I'm trying to write gags about cooking, for example, I might read cookbooks (also checked out from a library) to pick up phrases that I can use in my writing.

I'm a big watcher of TV news. I watch local and national news programs, sometimes just to get the headlines, at breakfast, lunch, just before dinner, after dinner, and if I can stay up that late, just before bed.

I write for about five cartoonists right now. I have a regular schedule as to whom I'm writing for on any given day, who I'm compiling gags for, and who I'm sending gags to, either by snail mail or email.

Oh, and did I mention that I write to-do lists for each day and cross off items as they're completed? 

Did I also mention that I check my mailbox multiple times a day to see if the mail arrived, hopefully with a check inside? I usually stop "working" for the day, at my desk, at about 4:30 or 5pm., at which point I can't think straight.

This regular routine is really important to me. There is a structure to what I do and I think this is really important to being productive.

Finally, a writer is constantly formulating ideas. The habit of doing that doesn't stop at 5pm or on the weekends. You have to observe people, the world around you, and, for me, look at myself as a great source of humor. I also have to remember to write things down.

"Write What You Know Part II"

 Continuing on the theme of 'Write what you know" that I began last week, I'd like to share some more thoughts. 

When I talked about my experiences eating in restaurants, I spoke about high prices, inferior service and bad food. I also talked about waiting for a table, waiting for menus, waiting to place an order, waiting for the food to arrive, waiting for the check. In this post I'd like to talk about what I, the customer, am guilty of when eating out.

Sometimes I take too long to order. I often find typos on the menu.  Sometimes I ask stupid questions of the server. Sometimes my food arrives and I don't like what they served me. Sometimes I send it back. Sometimes I complain about the service, or the prices, or the quality of the food. Sometimes I find errors on the check. 

Sometimes I ask for my remaining food to be wrapped up and then I decide to include in the bag the rolls and butter left on the table. Sometimes I throw in some extra unused napkins. Sometimes I joke that we need salt and pepper at home and maybe I should help myself to the condiments.

All of this is the material for my cartoon gags. I use all of this, both real and imaginary. 

The more I eat out, the more material I have to write what I know.

Any comments on this or last week's blog? Email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

"Write What You Know"

 Advice to writers often goes, 'Write what you know.' I agree it's much easier to write about a topic you know a lot about or have strong feelings about than something you can't relate to.

I like to write about eating out in restaurants. Fancy ones, hole-in-the-walls and everything in between. Maybe it's because I like to eat, but I do find that eating out is a situation that's ripe for humor. A lot of it has to do with waiting. And everything that could go wrong. Here are some of the rituals: waiting for a table, being shown to a table, getting a menu, reading the menu, deciding what to order from the menu, actually ordering, waiting for the food to arrive, eating the food, getting the check and paying the check.

Like I said, there are a lot of things that can go wrong when we go out to eat. (And ordering takeout is a totally different topic for another day). A lot of it has to do with waiting. You go into a restaurant, with no reservations, and many times you have to wait. Sometimes for a long time. Then you're finally shown to a table. Maybe you don't like where they seat you. It might be near the noisy kitchen, or the front door (where, in the winter, you get a shot of cold air every time someone enters), or a window with no shade, or in a room where all the tables are so packed in together that not only can't you hear the person you're seated with but you can't hear yourself think. 

You're seated. Then you wait for the server to bring you a menu. This could take a long time. When they finally arrive they ask if you want anything to drink. You say, 'Just ice water.' The ice water never arrives. Then you read the menu. The prices are very high! For some of us this is an issue. You finally order (maybe the cheapest thing on the menu) and then you wait. Sometimes for a very long time. You watch the server pass by with plates of food, but they're not for you! You keep your eyes on the kitchen door. Again the server comes out of the kitchen loaded with plates of food. You even clear a spot for the food. Those meals aren't for you, either. 

Then the food arrives! Maybe it's not what you ordered. Maybe it's what you ordered but it tastes funny. You have to find your server, who has disappeared, because it's not what you ordered, or it tastes funny and you don't want to eat it. The server finally comes over. You explain the issue. They take the food away. You order something else. Then you wait for that to arrive, while the person you're dining with has a plate of totally fine food in front of them, they're famished, and you say, 'It's OK. You go ahead and eat.' They say, 'No, I'll wait till you get your food.' It's an issue.

Your correct order finally arrives. Your companion has already finished their food. You finally finish your food and then you wait for the check to arrive. First, you have to find your server. When they arrive they'll ask if everything's ok and you'll be tempted to tell them that everything was not ok and just bring me the check. The check finally arrives and it's wrong. They overcharged you $2 for your sandwich and you want an adjustment. Now they have to take the check back and refigure the amount, or tell you that they gave you, by mistake,  the "old" menu to begin with and now your sandwich does cost $2 more.

Finally, after the check issue has been sorted out, you decide to pay the bill. You wait on line to pay the bill and decide to tell the cashier how everything went. There's a line of people waiting to pay so you feel guilty keeping them waiting.

These have been some of my experiences at restaurants. I have hundreds more. Write what you know? You can see how I can get plenty of material for cartoons when I eat out. Anyone hungry?

Creating with Words

 When coming up with ideas for cartoons, I first use words. As I've said before, I read...a lot. Some of the things I read on a regular basis are newspapers, magazines, books and online news sites. I jot down words and phrases that I think I'll be able to use in my gag writing. I don't draw, but I can visualize what the cartoon would look like - who the characters are, what the setting is. I write the caption first, then I figure out what the setting and characters will be. Of course my captions often undergo many changes, some many times, before they're sent to a cartoonist. The setting may change. Who is speaking to who may also change many times. When I'm ready to send the idea to the cartoonist, I first describe what's going on in the cartoon (very briefly) and then give the caption.

There are phrases that everyone knows. I could list hundreds of them. I get these phrases into my head by reading (again) extensively. You can tell I'm a library and bookstore person. You can also find familiar phrases online. What I do with these phrases is change one aspect of it, usually at the end, to make a surprise. Or I use the familiar phrase as is but have someone other than the expected person utter them. Or maybe have an animal say them. 

If I were an artist, my tools would be my paints. My tools are words. I type these words on a typewriter. I type these words on a computer. This is what I do.

Any comments? Email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com. Stay healthy!

"Where I Get My Ideas"

I know I've covered this subject in previous posts, but people still ask me where I get my ideas.

First of all, I read a lot. I read newspapers, magazines, online news sources, marketing materials that come in the mail and books on various subjects. I'm always looking for words and phrases that I can use in my writing. 

A few examples: I write a lot of business gags and seem to focus on job interviews. I read online job boards and find words and phrases having to do with background, experience, perks and benefits. I then use these phrases to create cartoon captions.

If I were writing about cooking skills, or lack thereof, I read cookbooks, especially where the author gives a lot of background information about themselves. I also read the "Food" section of The New York Times (among other sections) to find the latest cooking trends. I use these words and phrases to create gags.

Similarly, if I'm writing a series of husband and wife gags, I pick out the traits I want to emphasize, like being a constant talker and interrupter, laziness and cheapness. In my reading I try to find words and phrases I can use to illustrate these traits.

Sometimes I just let my mind wander and write from personal experience. In humor, nothing is funnier than the truth. I write a lot about myself, my husband and my kids.

I am also an observer. I look around and see what's going on around me. I see the humor in things...and especially, people.

This is just a very short answer to a complicated question. 

Be well and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Any comments? Write to me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com

A Few More Reading Suggestions

For those of you who want to keep up-to-date with what's going on in the cartooning world, I would suggest reading these two websites on a daily basis:

* Michaelmaslin.com. Michael Maslin is a New Yorker cartoonist who writes daily about New Yorker cartoonist news, history and events. For anyone who is interested in New Yorker cartoons and cartoonists, this is the place to find out about events such as art exhibits and book-signings plus new books by these cartoonists. I find this website very informative and I read it daily.

*Dailycartoonist.com. This is a website where you can find out what's going on with syndicated strips, new books, who's in the news, and so on. It's also very informative. You can sign up for daily emails, like I did, and get them delivered to your inbox every day.

A few books I'm looking forward to reading:

"Inked" by New Yorker cartoonist Joe Dator, which published in October; 

"Send Help," A Collection of Marooned Cartoons, edited by Jon Adams and Ellis Rosen, which published earlier this month;

"Comedy is the Remedy," by Peggy Clancy, which is publishing this month.

Anyone who can suggest other cartoon-related websites, please email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

Be well.

Helene

Keeping in Touch

 Oh, yes. Keeping in touch. This is the subject I give to emails when I want to connect with friends,  family and colleagues. Since most in-person cartoon-related events are still cancelled, I like to keep in touch with people by email and phone. (I don't text). In the past year and a half  I've watched many virtual cartooning events. However, I can hardly wait for in-person events to begin again: holiday parties, book-signings, exhibits, panel discussions, interviews with authors and so on. Writing can be a lonely undertaking. As I've said before, I get motivated when I get together with other creative minds.

Right now I'm trying to get motivated by re-reading how-to-cartoon books and leafing through various cartoon collections, such as: 

"The Cartoonist's Muse: A Guide to Generating and Developing Creative Ideas" by Mischa Richter and Harald Bakken; 

"How About Never - Is Never Good For You?" by Bob Mankoff;

"The Arbor House Book of Cartooning" by Mort Gerberg; 

"Cartooning - The Art and the Business" by Mort Gerberg;

"The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker," edited by Bob Mankoff;

"Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain," by Christopher Hart.

This is just a small sampling of books I read years ago when I started writing gags. 

I'm also looking forward to reading new books by Liza Donnelly, in February, and David Sipress, in March.

Still writing full time. Still reading actual newspapers, magazines and books plus news online. Trying to keep healthy and productive.

Any comments? Email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com

Let the Humor Out

It's been eight months since I last posted on this blog. Where did the time go? I'm still doing what I do...writing every day, sending out gags to my people, reading a lot. We're venturing out more. Dining outdoors wherever possible. Going into more stores than we used to. Getting together with a few more friends than we used to. This pandemic has really made it very clear that I need to be with people.

It's also made it very clear that there's a lot of funny things that have happened to me in my life that I need to write about. Also a lot that's not so funny. I seem to have a skewed way of looking at things and I tend to see the humor in situations. All I have to do is look at myself and the funny things that have happened to me and write about them. Also the aggravating and frustrating things. I'm my own best subject.

Of course I'm always looking for new cartoonists to collaborate with. I would like to work with a cartoonist and come up with a series of cartoons on a particular subject, to be published as a book.

I've started submitting stories to the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series of books, focusing on the humor in my life. I'm looking into submitting material to other anthologies as well. 

The pandemic has limited the networking opportunities. It's an understatement to say that I appreciate getting together with people now more than ever.

Things will get better. Stay healthy!

Dining Out - A Great Source of Ideas

 As I pretty much shelter in my own home, only going out for necessities like food and medicine, sometimes it's been difficult to come up with new gags for cartoons. I find that I need to get out of the house and experience things to come up with new ideas. In these difficult times, I do a lot of reading - at home.

 One of my favorite places to get ideas is restaurants. Maybe because I like to eat and really enjoy the atmosphere of talking to the people I'm dining with, eating out has a special place in my heart. The experience of eating out, to me, is also a great source of material: snooty and/or inattentive waiters, demanding customers, high prices, small portions, cold food that's supposed to be hot, hot food that's supposed to be cold. We could go on and on. Restaurant dining is just a great place to get ideas for cartoons. 

 When I write restaurant gags, mainly I write about myself. I'm one of those people who will take home a doggie bag and ask for extra napkins and silverware. Not that I don't have napkins and silverware at home. I just would like to use their napkins and silverware and save my own. Into the doggie bag I've been known to throw extra rolls left on the table and pats of butter or jellies. My husband jokes that maybe I should take home the ketchup, mustard, and salt and pepper shakers left on the table as well. When I write for the Lockhorns, I'm able to use many of these ideas. I'm really writing about myself.

I miss going out to restaurants. I miss going into New York City and observing people. I miss cultural events. I miss going to parties and hanging out with my writer and cartoonist friends. 

Things will get better. I long for the day when I can walk safely around my neighborhood or into a store and not wear a mask. 

Stay healthy!

Any questions or comments, send me an email at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

The Benefits of Re-Reading Old Entries

A reader recently asked for assistance on how to connect with cartoonists. I directed them to the very helpful online publication, Gag Recap, which lists magazines that run cartoons,  giving a description of the setting, the punchline, the cartoonist, the date it ran, what the publication pays and information on how to submit. I believe the reader was able to obtain a copy, or copies, of Gag Recap, but had a few more specific questions about the gag submission process. I was able to look at old entries of this blog and give the reader specific entry dates for more information.

This motivated me to reread old blog entries myself. I started with the first entry, June 17, 2015, and read forward from there. Gee, I had a lot to say! I had a lot of information to share! I wrote at great length about how I get my ideas, what my daily routine is, how I'm constantly reading and jotting down ideas, single words and phrases. I touched on the importance of networking. How I learned to come up with single-panel cartoon ideas and captions by studying cartoon collections. How I motivated myself to keep writing even when all I saw was rejection. 

And then the strangest thing happened. As I'm reading these old entries, I got motivated! I'm reading about how to get ideas for cartoons and suddenly I'm coming up with new ideas for cartoons (which I promptly wrote down). With the world we're living in right now and the inability to network in person with people in the field, I was getting motivated! I was writing new gags! I was getting excited about following my own advice and creating something new. Amazing!

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to write!

Any questions, or comments, send me an email to: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.

We Press On!

Sales are down, my speaking engagements have all been postponed for the near future, and my husband and I are home together, every day...driving each other nuts. But, we press on!

I'm still writing full time. I haven't seen any of my writing/cartooning friends in eight months, which always motivated me to do better work, but we press on! 

It's easy to get discouraged. It's easy to feel you're working in a vacuum. I try to stay in touch with people through email, which is very helpful. I also find that going through New Yorker cartoon collections always gives me inspiration and new ideas. Right now I'm going through "The New Yorker Encyclopedia of Cartoons, Volumes 1 and 2." It reminds me how great these cartoons are...and how I can strive to come up with new ideas for more sales to that publication.

Years ago, when I was just starting out, I went through multiple New Yorker cartoon collections. That's how I learned how to write short, to-the-point, cartoon captions. I also learned which situations are used over and over again, who's talking to who, and so on. They were my textbooks then...and still are. 

Right now I'm writing for three syndicated cartoons and I supply gags to a few other cartoonists who submit to various publications. Unfortunately, the markets for single-panel cartoons have shrunk. For me, the fact that many business publications no longer accept cartoons has been a big loss, so I'm constantly looking for new markets for my work.

Things will get better. There's plenty of material out there.

Any questions or comments? Email me at: gagsbyhelene@gmail.com.