Remember This Wok Cartoon From Highlights?

A slightly different version of my Wok cartoon was published in Highlights For Children in 1988. The version you see above appears on a number of products available at Swisstoons Funny Gift Ideas.

Santa At The Eye Doctor

This cartoon, which I call simply Santa At The Eye Doctor, first appeared in the December, 1989, issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine. Good Housekeeping was a good market in the 1980's. Last time I picked up an issue at the dentist's office, I didn't find any toons.
Since I own the rights to this particular cartoon, I've made use of it at my Zazzle shop...or at least I've put a modified version on several products. I've colorized it, and in some cases elongated it. I've also made the chart sharper. To see products bearing the modified version of this cartoon, please visit
Swisstoons Funny Gift Ideas

American Medical News

American Medical News, The tabloid of the American Medical Association used to be a terrific little market, paying a quick hundred bucks (check returned right along with the rejects) and with a quick turn-around time of usually less than five days. They bought one-time non-exclusive rights. My only complaint (which I never voiced) was that they discarded the original cartoons after use instead of returning them as did most markets. So, a number of my original drawings were lost until I realized what was happening and began submitting xeroxes instead of originals. This one depicts a famous (and very pleased) patient leaving the office of his cosmetic surgeon. (This cartoon is copyrighted by the artist and any unauthorized use is prohibited by law.)

Another Funny Take On The Institution of Marriage

Woman's World, a weekly tabloid magazine which covers issues of interest to women such as health, weight loss, diets, beauty, family, fashion and love liked this one. (This cartoon is copyrighted by the artist and unauthorized reproduction in any form is prohibited by law. For more information on copyright infringment see About Copyright Infringement.

An Abominable Snowman, But Kind Of A Funny Cartoon

I wrote and drew this cartoon with the National Enquirer in mind. Though it was held for consideration, it never did make it into the pages of that weekly. (This cartoon is copyrighted by the artist and reproduction in any form without the consent of the artist is illegal.)

An Unexpected Honor

New Woman Magazine was a very good cartoon market in the 1980's. They ran this cartoon of mine in 1985 and I was happy to receive their check. But freelance cartooning could be rewarding in other ways, as well. Sometime after the appearance of this cartoon in the magazine, I received a phone call from David Wachsman, President of David S. Wachsman Associates, Inc...an ad agency in New York City...who wanted to purchase the original to present to a colleague on the occasion of his birthday. While I was unwilling to part with the original, we did strike a deal. And a short time later, I received a personal letter from Mr. Wachsman which said, in part, "You are a wit, an artist and a gentleman. Thanks for being all three. Thanks in particular for your swift response to our request for a copy of your good Grand Marnier cartoon to present --- in framed form---as a gift to the man most responsible for that good product's popularity in the United States. It's being presented today, and we know he'll enjoy it." Presumably, the recipient did enjoy the cartoon still has it...somewhere. Perhaps on the wall of his office...? (This cartoon is copyrighted by the artist and any unauthorized use is prohibited.)

Cartooning Styles Change But Local TV Doesn't

This cartoon appeared originally in TV Guide in the late 1980's. My style had changed a bit since earlier in that decade. But as you can see, television...especially local TV...is pretty much the same today as it's always been. (This cartoon is copyrighted by the artist and its unauthorized use prohibited.)

Online Print On Demand Stores Offer A New Opportunity For Cartoonists

Unique Funny Save The Date Magnet by Swisstoons
Magnet by zazzle.com

Over the decades, markets have come and gone...mainly, gone. The high circulation general interest and specialty magazines which had been ubiquitous on drug store and supermarket racks, and in mail boxes...Look...Life...Saturday Evening Post...Saturday Review...and a slew of others, began to either go out of business, or drastically cut back on cartoon usage by the 1980's. Video stores and the internet had changed everything. Online cartoon brokers such as the New Yorker's Cartoon Bank (offering one-time reprint rights to NYer toons) and Cartoon Stock in the UK, were another nail in the coffin of freelance cartooning as it had been practiced for decades. But the internet has proven to be double-edged sword. While it contributed to the demise of the major magazines which were the freelancer's bread and butter, it also opened up new opportunities for cartoonists to deal directly with the public. One way of doing this is through online print-on-demand (POD) stores such as Cafe Press and Zazzle. The cartoonist uploads his drawing, makes it available on a variety of products, and when a customer purchases an item, the cartoonist receives a royalty. One example is this funny save-the-date magnet template which has proven to be quite popular at Zazzle. A few clicks of the mouse allow a customer to customize the magnet by adding her name along with that of her husband to be, and the date of their wedding, to create a unique reminder and humorous keepsake for the invitees. As you can see, my style has changed somewhat over the years.

More From National Enquirer And Apple

A couple weeks later, I got a note from the editor at the National Enquirer informing me that she was holding another cartoon...this one depicting an Apple computer being presented to an appreciative teacher by a brown-nosing pupil...and a few days later came another letter of acceptance. Heard from Apple's ad agency again, too. I was on my way to becoming a freelance cartoonist! Reprint rights to this one were purchased by a number of teachers' newsletters, as well. (This cartoon is copyrighted by the artist and by the National Enquirer and any unauthorized use is prohibited by copyright laws.)

Funny Money: First Cartoon Sale To A Major Magazine

This was the first cartoon I sold to a major magazine under my pen name, "SWISS." In those days, the National Enquirer used seven or more gag toons (total) in each weekly issue by a variety of cartoonists and paid $300 apiece. There was lots of competition for those coveted spots.
A few weeks later, an attorney from Apple's ad agency called to purchase advertising rights to the funny drawing for another $500. Needless to say, I was overjoyed. You can tell how long ago this took place just by looking at the computer. When was the last time you saw a "puter" looking that clunky? It was April, 1983.
History buffs will have to forgive me for depicting a long blow instead of the crossbow which William Tell actually used (that is, if you buy into the legend, at all). And sticklers for perspective might wonder why the bow string is on the OTHER side of Tell's nose. Hahaha. Hey, I could barely hold a pen in those days, much less worry about perspective!
(The cartoon shown here is copyrighted by the artist...that would be me...and by the National Enquirer, and its unauthorized use is prohibited.)