The struggle of the gag cartoonist is the subject for an article in the current issue of the Association of Illustrators magazine Varoom! It’s by Martin Colyer, Design Director at Reader’s Digest, who asks: “What other profession has within its job description such a huge element of rejection? Even actors, famous in the rejection stakes, don’t have to actually write the plays they perform in.”

Cartoonists must “churn” ideas, he says, and send them out knowing that “they will be placed in piles, summarily judged, occasionally accepted, mostly rejected and returned to sender”. He uses as an example, a cartoon by the PCO’s own Wilbur Dawbarn that was accepted by the Digest but was never run, owing to a change of editor.

The article includes a short interview with Wilbur about the cartoon, which is featured as Varoom!’s “Unseen” artwork. We’ve included one of Wibur’s cartoons that did make the cut at Reader’s Digest here.

Bloghorn says: Yep, it’s a tough life, but cartoonists are made of stern stuff! Onwards!

Read about and subscribe to Varoom! here