Author: Rick London
Company: Rick London Cartoons (LTCartoons.com)
Region: World
Website: www.LTCartoons.com
Memorable Quote 1: Anything Mark Twain
Memorable Quote 2: Anything Oscar Wilde
Author Comment / Biography:
Londons Times Offbeat Cartoons & Gifts (LTCartoons.com) was founded by Rick London in an abandoned Mississippi tin warehouse on March 19, 1997 where he lived and worked on the project for over a year. His tools were an IBM Clone 386 used (nearly dead) PC, a rescue dog named “Thor”, about $300, a book titled “Internet For Dummies”, a sleeping bag, and the clothes on his back…oh and that his mom told him at a young age “You are so talented…”. His aristic skills were limited so after speaking to numerous mentors including Charles Schulz, Leigh Rubin, Jon McPherson, Dave Coverly, and Leigh Rubin, London learned that many cartoons we see in the paper are group efforts as well as other aspects of the business.
The first five or so years, London kept the project alive through bartering and publishing deals with academia and trade magazines just to keep the lights on in the warehouse. The owner of it provided a phone line so he had dial-up Internet. He got a free domain with more pop-up ads than cartoons for the first year.
Starting up such a venture on the Internet with almost nothing was quite the challenge. There was no Google, no Twitter, no social anything. Their was only email, Yahoo!, and forums. London learned to barter and traded humorous writings and cartoons for goods and services.
By January 2005, Londons Times had become Google's #1 ranked offbeat cartoon and Bing’s #1 ranked in May 2008. As of this writing November 17, 2012, it remains #1 ranked on both search engines.
London licenses his gifts & tees through Amazon, Sears online, Zazzle, Printfection, CafePress, and other outlets under the names Londons Times Cartoons, Londons Times Gen 2 Cartoons, Rick London Wisdom Gifts, & Rick London Love Quote Gifts (all under the umbrella of Rick London Designs).
Londons Times Cartoons has contributed some unique history to the cartooning business:
The world's 1st and only offbeat cartoon 100% organic cotton tees printed with totally nontoxic soy dye www.RickLondonOrganics.com The first U.S. postage stamps showcasing offbeat cartoons (over 200 of them) www.RickLondonDesigns.com/stamps The only offbeat cartoon electronics cases, sleeves and skins for iPhones, Kindles, Droids etc http://RickLondonDesigns.com/electronics Immediately after 9/11 Londons Times founded CAT (Cartoonists Against Terrorism) he opened the 9/11 Memorial Shop to benefit the families of fallen heroes www.911MemorialShop.com and formed a group with cartoonists worldwide and launched a website with cartoons from 25 countries regarding the topic http://londonstimes.us/cat/cat.html Amazon.com Discount LTCartoons Shop http://amzn.to/12BBLbb One of London’s major cartoon gift and tee shop is http://RickLondonGifts.com Rick London Love & Wisdom Quote Shop Discount Shop on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/10z8RFO The only offbeat cartoon to have a clothing/gift line http://www.RickLondonWear.com Invented the 1st and only cartoon gourmet coffee gift basket (includes imported fresh beans), cartoon coffee mug, cartoon coasters etc. www.LTSuperstore.com The only cartoon to be a Christmas card by the Roy Orbison family and in their museum archive. Launched The Cartoon Gift Shop Of Famous People, Places & Things at http://www.Printfection.com/Fame 2 Londons Times Cartoons featured in Mayo Clinic Library London has 3 top-ranked cartoon books at Amazon Kindle http://amzn.to/We3FW4 Londons Times Gen 2 Cartoons Discount Gift Shop at Amazon.com http://amzn.to/182ffeP The 1st and only Wisdom Quote gift shop: http://www.RickLondonDesigns.com Rick London's wife Lee Hiller-London often works with him and has created videos of the cartoons, re-designs of his website, etc. She is a professional wildlife/nature photographer and designer who created Lee Hiller Designs in 2009 www.LeeHiller.com and Nature photography blog Hike Our Planet www.HikeOurPlanet.com. She has thousands of designer and home decor item available on Amazon.
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