The Daily Cartoonist

Industry news for the professional cartoonist

Magazine market dropping the use of cartoons

Alan Gardner41 mins

Last week came news of several papers in the alt-newspaper market that were temporarily suspending buying syndicated cartoons. Mike Lynch reports that several magazines have stopped buying cartoons, reduced their payout or started buying Cartoonbank cartoons. Specifically he mentions First for Women, Good Housekeeping, Time Magazine and Woman’s World as having made major changes to their cartoon buying selection.

4 thoughts on “Magazine market dropping the use of cartoons”

  1. Mr. Gardner I presume,
    Years ago I was a member of the AAEC, doing cartooning for some smaller papers in the San Joaguin Valley.
    Always had a desire to try my hand at mag cartooning but never met with any success, started painting.
    If I wanted to try and resubmit to both mags and papers, would you suggest how I might redouble my efforts as I dont really know who still seeks cartoons any longer. I guess I cvould contact cartoonist profiles periodical if its still in print and maybe contact pres of AAEC. Any other ideas? Thanks Burr

  2. Womas’s World still buys from me. They returned the amount they pay to the orignial amount.

  3. Let’s face it, gag cartoons in magazines were always only there to break up the gray from all those pages of fiction and features. Now that the magazines either don’t exist or are so much smaller, they don’t need us anymore. There were, twenty and more years ago, pulpy magazines that you could buy in grocery stores that had titles like “CAR toons,” “Army Laffs,” and the like–dozens of titles. I bought a lot of them myself as a kid. They didn’t pay much per cartoon, but they bought rafts of cartoons! That market is gone, too. When’s the last time you saw any fiction in a glossy magazine? Fiction writers, particularly short story writers, haven’t much market (Maybe Ellery Queen Magazine). The great illustrators don’t have a market either–illos in ads or book covers or illustrating fiction in magazines–that’s all gone, too. Not a lot of places to hone one’s skills in those markets. Barsotti’s the only cartoonist making any money in gags–and he’s not that funny!

  4. Dear Sirs
    Would you please send me a free sample copy of your Magazine Which can help to build my idea about it before make a subscription , with your applications form and price for my region ( Middle East ? United Arab Emirates) ..
    Please send your sample copy to :
    Union Public Library & Bookshop
    P.O.Box : 28132
    Sharjah ? United Arab Emirates
    Mr., Eyad A. Atteyah (The Librarian)

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