The Lonely Detective needs all he can get. Click the strip for a beta-sized comic.
Being A Woman Cartoonist Is Not For Sissies.
I was born in 1939. This woman paved the way for me, she left her anger and disappointment for me as a legacy. http://dangerousminds.net/comments/disneys_depressing_rejection_letter_to_a_woman_1938
The letter reads:
June 7, 1938
Miss Mary V. Ford
Searcy,
ArkansasDear Miss Ford,
Your letter of recent date has been received in the Inking and Painting Department for reply.
Women do not do any of the creative work in connection with preparing the cartoons for the screen, as that work is performed entirely by young men. For this reason girls are not considered for the training school.
The only work open to women consists of tracing the characters on clear celluloid sheets with Indian ink and filling in the tracings on the reverse side with paint according to directions.
In order to apply for a position as “Inker” or “Painter” it is necessary that one appear at the Studio, bringing samples of pen and ink and water color work. It would not be advisable to come to Hollywood with the above specifically in view, as there are really very few openings in comparison with the number of girls who apply.
Yours very truly,
WALT DISNEY PRODUCTIONS, LTD
By:
(Signed)
Doonesbury was my idol, so when I decided I wanted to be a syndicated cartoonist, the only syndicate that I wanted to be part of was Universal Press Syndicate. I prepared four weeks of a sample daily cartoon (I looked up the requirements) and sent it off to Gary Trudeau’s editor.
I waited for an answer. I called. I waited for a return call. I called again. Finally I received a letter from the editor. He complimented me, but said (and I paraphrase here, because although I have the letter, I can’t remember where I filed it) “We cannot use your strip because…it is deep, but narrow.” Which I interpreted to mean the main characters were women. In succeeding years, I read the letter out loud to audiences and once I spotted him among the group. He came up to me afterwards and explained that I didn’t understand how newspapers worked. I agreed. Luckily I just went ahead and did it anyway.
Trina Robbins has written a number of histories of women cartoonists. Women cartoonists appeared in newspapers as early as 1901. Trina’s book is conveniently called “Great Women Cartoonists.” Probably available on Amazon, as everything is.
A New Venue For Women Cartoonists . . .
With the advent of the Internet, women cartoonists can put up their work on a daily basis and find a huge audience. One of my favorites is the Canadian artist Kate Beaton of Hark, A Vagrant, who blends history and humor in a unexpected way in her cartoons.
You can check out her website at http://harkavagrant.com for comics and more. And you can take a look at http://www.openculture.com/
The Exotic Fruit Tasting Of Lime And Cucumber.
And the plant that is growing from one seed. Thank you Cindy for the suggestion: “…look at those seeds, they
are begging for a bit of dirt and a sunny window.”
And Now For Veggies
For all Bad Girls out there who know what Kohlrabi is, here’s Jane in her garden in Georgia.
Sylvia Archive: Writing Down The Bones
Longing for further self-expression? Join Sylvia’s writing group in a comment.
Monday Morning Blues
Sorry to start your week with bad news. We’ll go ahead and post two at once while we’re at it.
First, from Richard B.
If this were an episode of a crime show, people would call the network to complain. If this were a story in a school library, parents would demand that it be removed. It’s appalling.
But it’s true. And it raises a question: which is the worse illness? Anorexia, or trafficking in misery?
Three out of four young women dislike their bodies.
One in three hopes to become a fashion model.
One in five diagnosed with anorexia will be dead within 20 years.
Last year, the U.S. women’s clothing industry took in $111 billion.Many people enjoy long, active lives without a conscience.
And then we learned from Joanne D. that Chicago’s mayor now wants to sell ad space on our recycling bins. What’s next? On our schools? Check out the link for more info and a petition.
http://org.salsalabs.com/o/
Swimsuit Season Is Upon Us
And now something to cheer you up in the model category. H & M includes plus-size model in its catalogue.
Sylvia Archive: Moonlighting As Literary Agent
The Lonely Detective just got lonelier. Click the comic if you don’t believe.
Sylvia Archive: Oh, My
Clyde the Domestic Scientist has created an impressive pill. Click the strip for a pleasing comic.
