April 13, 2008
cartooning in texas
[Picture taken from the Marfa Plain, looking Southeast, about 15 miles West of Alpine, Texas. Cathedral Mountain in the distance.]
I’m writing this from Miami. Heading back to West Texas tomorrow. I woke up this morning looking forward to my return, so what the heck, I posted the photo above.
JP Rangaswami is in town on vacation; Jason and I met him and his lovely family two night ago for drinks [Talk about well-brought-up children. Gosh. Off the scale.].
We talked briefly about me being in Alpine. “It seems like you needed to take your foot off the accelerator,” he said. Yup. That’s about it.
Yesterday I wrote about making more limited edition prints for Stormhoek:
2. Lithographs. We had a lot of good fortune creating limited edition, fine art prints. Everything from the Blue Monster series, to the Techcrunch party poster. Basically, I want to spend a LOT OF TIME in the next year, signing limited edition lithographs and getting them in to the hands of anybody who may want one. These lithographs will hopefully become “Social Objects”, which anyone who knows me will know, I believe is the future of marketing. It is my belief that, if we can get enough of them printed, signed and out there, they’ll create enough interesting conversations which will INDIRECTLY move a lot of cases of wine . The big question is, [A] How many prints would I need to sign in order to make that happen and [B] If the answer is, “A Lot”, will I have the time, discipline and stamina to go the distance? Yes, it’s a huge challenge. Then again, so is climbing Mount Everest.
And a few days ago I wrote about landing a book deal with Penguin. “Exciting News etc.“
The needs of being a cartoonist, and the needs of being a “Web 2.0 marketing guy” are very different. Though it wasn’t an overnight decision, recently I decided to re-adjust my life to something that was more conducive to being the former, as opposed to be the latter.
Was this a wise move? We’ll see. What is a Web 2.0 marketing guy, anyway? Somebody who gets paid to have “Ever-Fragmenting Conversations about Ever-Fragmenting Conversations.” Compared to tarring roofs in Texas in summer, it’s not a bad job, but… Whatever.
But one hundred years from now, I’ll be dead, and this website will be gone. Nobody will be talking about Web 2.0 anymore. But a wee voice tells me some of the cartoons will be still floating around, maybe online, maybe in books, maybe one or two of the originals will be hanging in private collections.
And God Willing, some of the jokes will still be funny…
"Hugh's Daily Cartoon" Newsletter.
A new cartoon sent out every weekday morning to your inbox [RSS version here.].
A wee chuckle to start your day off right etc.
Good for you Hugh — thanks for sharing that observation. Erring on the side of living like a cartoonist sounds sensible. I am sure you have a lot more rocking on to do in every sense
Good to see you blogging again and regards to Jason
“The needs of being…” gnaw at everyone’s mortal soul. How many happy and satisified people leave their mark on this earth? The creators, the destroyers, the do-ers, and the desperate seem to make head-lines and history. I hope your drawings will live on…
Marlboro country Hugh!
It’s good to go after things that’ll last.. that aren’t just cyclical rumblings in the longer view. Hope it does you well!
Looks positively peaceful there…
…as thousands of motorbikes whizz past my apartment…
Hey Hugh,
Last time we spoke, I was trying to get you to speak at big oil, my then employer. It’s my fault I didn’t follow up, but things changed fast ending up with my leaving big oil to join big finance.
I’m doing some work which will benefit from the idea of the “Social Object”, so here’s my question. What’s the difference between a Social Object and a totally lame USB stick, coffee mug, teddy bear giveaway at a correspondingly lame conference. Aside from being lame of course?
Your final paragraph says it all. Good plan. Keep blogging though, eh?
Regarding your last paragraph… For a similar reason — I think — a year or two ago I bought my dad a copy of Writing About Your Life by William Zinsser. In fewest words, Dad’s had a cool life, and I wanted him to write a lot of it down so that his life still existed in 100 years, etc. Live forever, I guess.
Anyway. Not exactly what you were getting at in your post, but I like Zinsser — I read On Writing Well annually — and thought you might get a few “save it for legacy” ideas from that. I’d lend you my copy, if interested.
Glad you’re enjoying west Texas — I’ve just become a Houstonian, and I can’t wait to get the chance to go hiking in Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park again. Greatest tip I’ve ever received was from a ranger at GMNP that suggested to hike to the top of Guadalupe Peak in the dark and watch the sun rise over Texas. Highly recommended, if you get the chance.
Cartoons can be on the web, TV, books, magazines, napkins, what have you. Web 2.0 can only be on the internet — its limiting. The life span of a cartoonist is probably far more longer than that of a web 2.0 marketing guy as you discussed. I think that to focus on your cartoons is a great idea (and great ideas you often have). I always think to myself — what am I offering that is constant vs. the flavor of the month. I like your thought process and the intelligence that you apply to arrive at your conclusions. Great stuff.
Your brave funny beautiful cartoons deserve a larger audience. I’ve handed your Streetcards (“The market for something to believe in…”) to marketers, account managers, PR people, artists, a petrochemical executive, a group of pediatric cardiologists, a social worker, etc. Can’t recall an instance when they did not draw startled admiration.
Ok, totally OT : Are you back on Twitter? Yes or Yes? Because I totally miss your lifestreaming your little slice of Texas.
Everyone’s hot for Marfa! Dish for us, will ya? What’s it like there? Good vibes, or once creative enclave now turned hipster/yuppie playground?
Looking forward to the book.
Have you made it to Lajitas and had a beer with the mayor? Hint … he has four legs.