The End of "The Boiling Point"
I've been considering this seriously for over two years now, but I'm not ashamed to say that when I came to my final decision yesterday and notified my major remaining clients via email there was indeed some uncontrollable sobbing on my part.
I've been drawing political cartoons since high school. I started drawing them regularly again in college with a vengeance in 2001 (which is when I started this blog) and I've been drawing them professionally for newspapers and paying web clients since 2002. Over the years my cartoons have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Boston Phoenix, Bay Windows, Metro Times, The Rochester Insider, Women's eNews, In These Times, Ms., The Funny Times, Campus Progress, Girlfriends, The Minnesota Women's Press, and other assorted fine publications. I've been interviewed by NPR and the BBC, appeared in art exhibitions such as "She Draws Comics: A Century of Women Cartoonists" and come in third place in the Detroit SPJ Journalism Awards for editorial cartooning. This past fall I was elected Vice-President of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (a position I'll hold until this September).
So why am I quitting? It's not as if the world is running any lower on evil wars, economic injustice, environmental disaster, homophobia, transphobia, racism, misogyny... And while he's no Bush, I'm certainly no big fan of Obama.
- The political cartooning market sucks. This is really no secret. I started out in 2002 with one paying client, the Boston Phoenix. Over the years I picked up and dropped more, and at my peak I was appearing regularly in six or seven print papers. In the past two years, as my clients eliminated or cut their political cartoon content, that number dwindled down to two, and finally, just one (the Metro Times). I did have a few fabulous web clients, but my cartooning income had halved, then quartered itself.
- The relentless deadlines. There are no vacations or sick days in freelance weekly alternative political cartoons. When I had pneumonia in 2003... I had to draw or risk losing my papers. When I had severe carpal tunnel problems in 2008, my husband Masheka had to illustrate my cartoons for me. I had to draw a cartoon the morning for before my wedding and while on my honeymoon. Sometimes you need to take a break--but you just can't. (And yes, I know I could have drawn some extra cartoons and saved them up for a rainy day, but still!).
- I'm just TIRED. And it's not just because I'm hugely pregnant and exhausted all the time, though that certainly doesn't help. I've tried to develop a thick skin and ignore or laugh at the nasty hate mail, the "hope U burn in hel" and "you can't draw" and "you uggly dike bitch I hop the papers cancel you're stupid cartoons" letters and comments, but after a while, it gets a girl down. I wasn't getting paid enough for that kind of abuse.
- I need to make room for other things (and a tiny new person) in my life. I have a lot of other passions and projects I've been wanting to tackle over the years, but drawing political cartoons in addition to working full time and having some vague semblance of a social life has made it difficult to pursue them fully. With the peanuts I was earning for political cartooning, I was theoretically doing it for fun--but I wasn't really having fun anymore.
I'd like to do a graphic novel or a cartoon book on body image issues (along the lines of my "Your Yucky Body" cartoons) someday. I love writing science fiction. I LOVE to make things, and I've recently been having an amazing, hate-mail-free time blogging about sewing and style at Polka Dot Overload.
Not to mention that Masheka and I are expecting our daughter (our first child) on June 18. I'm going to be going back to work full-time after a 12-week maternity leave, and if I'm this exhausted and finding it this hard to draw cartoons and while pregnant, I'd be foolish to imagine it would be any easier while taking care of a newborn.
Despite all that, it was still a hard decision. I'll definitely miss:
- Having a regular public outlet to express my outrage. I'm still furious and I'm still angry and I still want to fight injustice and make change in this world. But I'll just have to do that in other ways and venues.
- The fans. You are awesome. Every time in the past I thought about quitting I'd get an amazing and inspiring letter or comment or meet someone at a cartooning convention who'd been reading my work since the beginning and I'd get new energy to keep drawing.
- Hanging with fellow political cartoonists. I've loved being a part of the AAEC and Cartoonists With Attitude, and I've made some of my best friends through these groups. Obviously I'm still a cartoonist and they're still my friends, but I will miss some of the camaraderie in griping about what it's like to be a regular political cartoonist.
But as I said above, I won't miss the hate mail, the comment trolls, or the never-ending deadlines.
So what's next for me? As mentioned, I have a new blog about sewing and style for those of you who care about such things, Polka Dot Overload. And Cartoonist Baby will be here in a matter of weeks. I'll be leaving this blog and my complete cartoon archives old (1998-2008) and more recent up indefinitely.
I may post occasional political thoughts or cartoons here again, and I'll let you know about those graphic novel or book projects, but it'll probably be rather silent here for a while. For now you can always read the work of my amazing friends in CWA, folks like Ted Rall, Brian McFadden, Matt Bors, Jen Sorensen, Stephanie McMillan, Keith Knight...
Signing off for now...
Your Angry Cartoonist
P.S. A head's up and apologies in advance to my Facebook friends who are readers or fans... I'm going to be changing most friends I don't know in real life to limited profile status (or possibly just deleting), as I would like to make my Facebook page more of a private space for real-life friends and family so I can safely share photos and thoughts about my daughter when she is born in June. I hope you understand.
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23 Comments:
That is a lovely picture of you two. I wish you the best.
Hi, my name is Jair, I live in México, and 2 months ago I meet your work and all I can say is you are awesome!
Is sad to know that you will quit, I hope that this blog will never close :P
Take care, have a good life.
Sniff. I'll miss your poli-cartoons.
But there's one bit of good news for me: Now I get to step up nagging you about getting started on your graphic novel!
Good luck on your future projects!
Good luck on your future projects!
*sigh*
As it happens,
my WWII bomber novel remains unpublisheed.
If you feel an urge to draw B-17s
and their crewman and airfields,
lemme know.
Meanwhile, best wishes and warmest regards.
:)
We are gonna really miss your talent.
Good luck on your new proyects and specially with your growing family.
Bugger on the haters!!
This post really hits home for me, if only because I'm a college student still looking for a vocation, and at one point was considering going into political cartooning (that would've added one more lady cartoonist in the already small group ha). Very informative on the state of political cartooning, and how it is to be one. I hope your future ventures go well, and I must say, I really enjoy reading your blogs! You have such a great voice, and you're such a talented sewist and cartoonist too. Sorry it ended this way for The Boiling Point, but I'm sure you have many new, awesome things to do.
Awww, I will miss you. I've really enjoyed your comics for the past few years. I wish you all the best with your bub-to-be! Good luck and thanks for entertaining me!
Best wishes to you and your family, Mikhaela! I haven't seen you and our fellow AAECers in a while, but I certainly related to your post. You look so happy (and stylish) in your photo. You have many, many good things ahead of you, for sure (:
I am jealous that you are now free of "Day Before Deadline" dread.
And thanks for the shout-out!
Thank you for all your work over the years! All the best for the future :)
Mikhaela! I just discovered you thru Alan Gardener's blog and you're quitting? Just love your toons. We agree on everything!
Good luck on your next ventures.
Hi Mikhaela,
I am a regular visitor to your blog and thoroughly enjoyed reading your fresh views on the world. I will miss this source of inspiration.
For the future I wish you all the best and I am convinced you will continue making an impact, even if in other ways.
All the very best,
Jack
I am saddened to see you go. However, you have your priorities in order. I sincerely wish you good luck and happiness in the future. Who knows? Maybe we'll see you in another venture at some point in the future.
For your enlightenment, the similarities between Obama and Bush:
http://fennecfoxes3.deviantart.com/art/Obama-Bush-Similarities-158909518
Sad to see the cartoons drawing to a close, but its totally understandable. I'm sure your future projects will be just as fantastic :-) Good luck!
Wow...my first time here and you're gone.
But it sounds like you have a lot of things you love to do. Obviously that is the route to pursue. Been there, done that, about to do it again myself!
Have a great time doing it!!
Sorry to hear about you quitting.
Congrats on the baby,
All the best,
Jorge
I was sorry to read of your retirement from weekly 'tooning but I'm glad to read that we haven't heard the last from you. Thank you for taking the time to let us fans know what's going on and why.
I look forward to seeing more of your creative work in the future, and here is to having a happy, healthy little person on arrival.
I disappear from your blog for a year, even though i never posted before to goto Nigeria, find it again, and come back to this news!
I loved your cartoons, and the humour, I am glad that there a people like you who have the talent to draw and make funny poignant and real cartoons. Its too bad that the field sucks but you will be fine with your friends, family and a beautiful baby.
Thanks for all the great art and I hope to buy your book one day soon. Congrats on the new life stage and the baby
And yes its a lovely picture and i wish you both evert joy Loved your coverage of mitt romney
I found your blog yesterday and now I've read ALL the cartoons posted in it! Awesome work! Just wanted to say I think you are very talented and I've really enjoyed reading you.
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