One bright day in the middle of the night Jason Chatfield is sitting at a bar when inspiration hits.
I was sitting at a bar ordering a beer when the bartender asked me for a card to keep my tab open.
I told the bartender to ‘keep it open’ and as I said it, I turned my head to the street-facing window to see a hot dog cart.
And a cartoon is born.
above: the first attempt; © Jason Chatfield
For reasons Jason explains it didn’t sell. Even through multiple interpretations.
But this was a joke the cartoonist couldn’t get out of his mind.
More often than not, I just blink and get on with the next cartoon. But there was something about this one… I just couldn’t let it go.
The story of the joke Jason couldn’t close the book on.
Haven’t read the linked story yet, but…
Seeing the comic by itself would have gone over my head, and likely many others.
Lots of people have never had the experience or reason to run a tab at a bar. So the first reaction to the comic is “What?”