Mikhaela Reid retires from editorial cartooning
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News from Mikhaela Reid, who announced on her blog that she’s hanging up the pen and ink – at least in the alt-editorial cartooning market.
The political cartooning market sucks (and I suck at marketing.) 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 made some marketing efforts, pitched to editors, sent out packets–but got little to show for it. I did have a few fabulous web clients, but my cartooning income had halved, then quartered itself.
When I first began freelance political cartooning I had hopes of somehow making it a full-time career, but after a few years it became clear I would always need a full-time job in addition.
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!).
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