blog.andertoons.comAndertoons Cartoon Blog – The cartoon blog of Andertoons cartoonist Mark Anderson. He discusses his

cartoons, cartooning, comics and, oddly enough, LEGO. Andertoons Cartoon Blog The cartoon blog of Andertoons cartoonist Mark Anderson. He discusses his cartoons, cartooning, comics and, oddly enough, LEGO. ☰ Menu Shop Cartoons Cartoon Subscriptions Custom Cartoons Teaching Our Story Contact Us New LEGO Dala Horses January 12, 2020 January 12, 2020 andertoons Hey, it’s been a while since I put up any new LEGO dala horses, so here’s a baker’s dozen for you. ( See the entire collection over at Flickr. ) Piano Horse Rocking Horse Hearts Battle Cat Dachshund Mad Max Log Cabin Scala Sheep Frozen Tiger Snowflakes Taxi Cab Posted in Andertoons Meta Andertoons Professional Cartooning Workshop – Chicago November 20, 2019 August 15, 2023 andertoons IMPORTANT DATE/LOCATION CHANGE BELOW!!! I’m pleased to announce the very first Andertoons Professional Cartooning Workshop! It’s a full weekend of in-depth cartooning with me. We’ll cover everything from writing great gags to the nuts and bolts of selling cartoons . You’ll leave educated, energized and inspired to achieve your personal and professional cartooning goals. NEW DATES AND LOCATION!! It’s going to be held May 2-3, 2020 at the Homewood Inn & Suites in Schaumburg, IL. It’s now being held May 16-17, 2020 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Schaumburg, IL. Class will be from 9:00 AM – Noon and 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM both days. There are only a few spots left , so make sure to grab your spot before they’re gone! (Sign up below.) Attendees will receive: Individualized attention and advice Workshop packet Your work featured on the Andertoons blog, Instagram & Twitter The COMPLETE CALVIN AND HOBBES ! (Thank you to the good folks at Andrews McMeel Universal!!) Assorted Andertoons books What will be covered: Introductions Mark will discuss his career path, writing and art influences, share some cartoons, and establish goals for the workshop. Attendees will get to know each other. Writing Research, free association, topic choices Editing for clarity, brevity, and impact Pitfalls to avoid Group writing exercises Individual critique, advice & encouragement Art Layout and composition Finding and improving your style Tools and techniques for efficiency Pitfalls to avoid Group art exercises Individual critique, advice & encouragement Business Building a website that works Search engine optimization Marketing yourself on and offline Running a small business Why you need to fail Group Show Share your workshop cartoons with the class Q & A Ask me anything What Does It Cost? The cost is $500 per person. A $100 deposit will hold your spot. The balance will be due April 3, 2020. Rooms are available beginning at $89 + tax per night. Lunches and dinners are on your own. (There are a ton of great places to eat nearby.) If for some reason you’re unable to attend, I’m happy to refund your money if a replacement for your spot can be found. About Your Instructor Mark Anderson has been an independent professional cartoonist for 20 years. His website, Andertoons.com, is widely recognized as an industry leader. Mark’s cartoons have been published in: Reader’s Digest The Wall Street Journal Forbes Harvard Business Review Saturday Evening Post Barron’s Woman’s World and many more… His corporate clients include: GE GM NASA Intel Microsoft Pinterest Walgreens National Geographic Scholastic and many more… Mark has been a featured speaker at the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Awards, the Kenosha Festival of Cartooning, two Success in Comics seminars and Toonfest. He teaches cartooning classes at schools and libraries nationwide and has self-published 7 books. Mark has written for the International Journal of Cartoon Art, had a gallery show at the Prairie Center for the Arts and has a cartoon in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Sign Up Now! This is the real deal. Be prepared to stretch creatively and go deep into the business of cartooning. Again, space is limited to only 10 cartoonists, AND WE’RE ALMOST FULL , so don’t miss out on this unique opportunity! Click below to pay the $100 deposit and grab your spot. The balance will be invoiced on April 3, 2020. Posted in Andertoons Meta , Cartooning , Cartoonists Tagged professional , workshop What Makes Andertoons Different January 25, 2019 January 24, 2019 andertoons Let’s say you want to buy some chocolate. You could buy a cheap brand name chocolate bar at a corporate grocery chain or big box store and it would be OK. Not great, but totally fine. Or, you could go to that little local chocolate shop in town. The person behind the counter made a fresh batch this morning and always says hello. They have that kind of fudge you just can’t get anywhere else, and you feel really good supporting a small business you like. That neighborhood shop feel is what I’ve strived for at Andertoons.com. So as we launch a new website, I thought I’d take a moment to talk about what I think makes Andertoons different and maybe a little special. Sensible Pricing Big box cartoon sites like to make sure they don’t leave any money on the table. And that’s fine, but it also makes things complicated. One site has six basic prices, but if you count all the additional options and permutations, there are more than 26 different prices. To illustrate, there are two different prices for indefinite private non-commercial use with family, friends and colleagues” depending on whether or not you also want electronic rights. Also, for newspapers distributed solely in India, they can offer a further 30% off list price for any category N1/N2 license.” Sheesh! I have basically two prices. $20 per month ($200 per year), or $75 per month ($750 per year) and you can download whatever you like with no complicated contract. Cancel whenever. Easy peasy. Stop Me If You’ve Heard This Before Let’s say it’s Monday and you’re at the office. Someone tells you a joke and it’s really pretty funny. Then on Wednesday someone else tells you the same joke. And on Friday you hear it again. You continue to laugh politely, but it doesn’t really have the same effect. With big box cartoon sites, you’re using cartoons that, while good, have been printed and reprinted and re-reprinted over and over for years in books, magazines, marketing, calendars, etc… Andertoons cartoons are less widely published, and that’s very much to your advantage. A cartoon your audience hasn’t seen before makes a much bigger impact. It’s Just Me Big box cartoon sites have lots of people working for them: web developers, e-commerce consultants, marketers, salespeople, administrators, lawyers, and, oh yeah, cartoonists. Need something? That’s Tom’s job. Oh, actually, I think that’s Judy’s department. And we should check with Jerry. We’ll get back to you. With Andertoons, it’s just me. (OK, I also have my assistant, and I have a guy who does my taxes.) Problem with your order? I’ll help. Website gone kabonk? I’m on it. Something special you need? I’m your guy. But Wait, There’s More! While Andertoons sells cartoons online, we also do a lot more. Need a custom cartoon made just for you? I’ve created hundreds of custom cartoons for clients large and small. I’ve got tons of examples if you’re interested. I also teach cartooning to kids. In fact, last year I taught almost 100 cartoon classes at schools and libraries! Dinosaurs, robots, and superheroes! Oh my! Check it out! Plus there’s a free daily cartoon, our cartoon blog, and Andertoons on Instagram. So as we launch a new Andertoons.com , thanks so much for your support! And I hope you’ll agree that Andertoons is different and special. It certainly is to me. Posted in Andertoons Meta All About the New Andertoons.com January 23, 2019 andertoons Welcome to the new Andertoons.com! It’s been more than ten years since we made such a substantive change to the website, and we’re very excited to tell you all about it! Fixes The web has changed a lot in the past decade, and while the last iteration of Andertoons was robust, it...