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by: AlexaFerotina
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The way that Rick London crafted and organized Londons Times Cartoons and it's peripheral shops was a brilliant move in my mind, as a marketing major. Though Rick was not formally educated at the time of launching the venture, he had an instinctive sixth sense of knowing what was missing in the cartoon world.

Rick had a good bit of experience in corporate America before starting. He was keenly aware that most professions had trade magazines and this was virtually an untapped market. Most were low budgeted and could not afford an inhouse cartoonist, and were willing to pay a small amount for a monthly or quarterly cartoon. Rick provided it. He made a hundred calls a day to publishers. Out of that hundred, he would generally sell one or two cartoons. He was building a portfolio and enough money to keep the lights on.

Rick knew it would be no bed of roses. He prepared himself for a hard time and a hard time it was. For awhile he was virtually homeless working out of an abandoned warehouse where he had a phone line, and cold running water out of a sink in which to bathe. He did not let these invconveiences stop him. He was like a tank. He made calls to publishers and sold cartoons. If the publisher had no budget, Rick would create a win-win barter. He traded cartoons for everything from clothing to nutrition. I've never seen such survivor instinct.

Rick is an avid fisherman, but had no fishing tackle. Now he has closets full of the best rods, reels, lures, and other equipment. He knew his cartoons had value. He also knew the chances of a new cartoonist becoming syndicated in newspapers were next to nil, so he had to do something to stay alive and keep the project afloat. And barter was the answer. That was 1997.

He no longer has to beg for barters though he occasionally does them just for fun, especially with other businesses just getting started and needing help. He has not forgotten his roots. But more often he is approached by newspapers and magazines, and even college textbook authors to buy his cartoons outright. This has been happening for several years now.

The Internet was changing rapidly in the late 1990's but not fast enough. There were some search engines and banner ads and that was about it. It was still not the easiest place for a cartoonist to make a name for himself. Rick consistently tried to become syndicated into newspapers but he felt certain it would not happen. His cartoons were not suited for them. He said one day the Internet will be the place. I did not believe him at the time but he proved me wrong. He could never do in newspapers what he has done on the Internet. His contribution has been monumental and many have found work (from manufacturers to dropshippers to artists) because of his marketing ideas, and continue to.

Commitment is something we learned early on in marketing school. Rick London is as committed as the come. He blogs, he does opt-in email campaigns, he creates and he sells; all on a daily basis. It is just another sales job to him that he takes very seriously. He just happens to sell a fun product. He is no party animal and is very conservative in many of his ways.

Rick London was born and raised in south Ms, not the delta, which is the northern area of Mississippi that brought us such talent as the delta which brought us William Faulkner, Elvis, Grisham, Eudora Welty, Willie Morris, Morgan Freeman, B.B. King, and others. Rick is an enigma from that part of the state. He has invented and reinvented himself a number of times until he says "I finally got it right, I think". I'll never forget working with Rick. He is one special soul.

I am only in touch with him these days by email. We have both moved to separate states. But I still know him as that "grown up wiz kid" who showed me the ropes. I visit his main cartoon website and numerous webstores and think back to the time when it was just a gleam in his eye. Nobody in his hometown knew he had it in him. I don't know why I did, it was just a feeling. I admit, that though I did, I had no idea he would make it this big. I continue to buy items from his many web stores which are fanastic and contain his cartoons; from mousepads to hoodies. I even buy regular casual wear from him. His products are fantastic. I really miss that man and hope to see him again on one day.

About the Author

Rick London has the largest offbeat Internet's Top Cartoon Site on the Internet and several cartoon gifts and collectibles Rick London's Marketing Secret: From Nothing To Internet's Top Cartoonist And E-Tailer, and

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