The ressurection of DAWN and the desert asteroid
Desert Island Asteriod (image: carolita johnson)
I’ve never been one of those cartoonists who say, “I can’t believe they didn’t buy this, it’s great!” about my own work. That said, I don’t lose all affection for certain cartoons that never sold. So I decided that Thursdays were going to be for finding opportunities to get them out of the reject pile and onto your computer screen. Feel free to tell me why you think it didn’t sell! I’d love your feedback!
This one is being resurrected in honor of DAWN’s resurrection by NASA, weeks after killing it. This means that we’ll be getting images of asteriod “Vesta,” it’s first mission in 2011, four years after DAWN blasts off in the summer of 2007. (I counted that on my fingers, you skeptics who don’t believe I have number-difficulties that impede my tax preparing abilities!).
Vesta was a big part of my life when I used to study the incidence in political rhetoric of images of female chastity (and the lack thereof) in Antiquity and the Middle Ages (ie.: “the barbarians are coming to rape our women!”). I like thinking our fallen idols are still out there, transferred from our imaginations to somewhere else always just out of our reach. I like them better out there than waiting depressed in the dark space under my kitchen sink (like Ajax).
March 30th, 2006 at 10:52 am
I have no idea why that cartoon was rejected. I think it’s out of this world
Seriously, it’s a classic of the genre. If someone compiled a book of the World’s Best Desert Island jokes (Have they? Probably), this would have to be in it. I’m not really sure what a “paradigm shift” is, but I’ve got a feeling that this is an example of one – and that’s what makes it so funny.
March 30th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
Hmm, I always figured it must have something to do with the idea because I was always very pleased with the way it looked. Perhaps there’s already something similar in existence. Or maybe they think I’ve sold enough desert island cartoons for one lifetime (I’ve sold three already). But I’m glad you like it! If I ever sell any of my variations on the theme, I”ll definitely post about it so we can compare!
March 30th, 2006 at 3:46 pm
I like the idea, overdone theme or no. Has anyone done the gag in space as you have? I like your idea very much.
I personally would alter the composition and the figural stance in two ways: 1) make the desert island planet smaller in size to have the blackness appear more looming and desolate around the astronaut. Perhaps place it one end of page, say lower right. THe way it is now the void appears cute and limited (is the mother ship right there waiting to rescue?) I am not sure at all, but I think the hands on hips stance says something that adds to and therefore detracts from the simple absurdity of the situation. Maybe the woman or man astronaut if standing in a more helpless stance, hands at sides, head looking in a differetn direction than the body.
I love it that you ask for feedback. Gutsy and talented, among other things.
March 30th, 2006 at 5:13 pm
I don’t really have the attention span to go through all the desert island cartoons in the entire bank, but I did try… Didn’t find any space-related ones! It would be nice if we got marks on our rejected cartoons like on our compositions in elementary school of the “nice try, but someone did it already, you get a B-”. But we don’t.
Perhaps I’ll ask my editor one day about all the rejected cartoons I’ve ever wondered about. Now and then I think we all do it.
In the meantime, you have actually suggested what I had already imagined doing with the composition, funnily enough! Thanks for your input!
March 31st, 2006 at 2:11 am
Aha. Ed Fisher did a space one on Jan 23 1965. Man on island at night, in the sky is the Earth instead of the moon.
March 31st, 2006 at 2:14 am
Wow, that sounds beautiful! It sure beats mine! I should ask if that was why it didn’t get bought and see if they’re as good at cartoon fact-checking as you are!
Did you find this on the cartoonbank.com website or in The Complete New Yorker CD?
March 31st, 2006 at 7:27 am
I found it on the CD.