It’s the Super Tuesday after Super Sunday, and it’s Mardi Gras. Is that cosmic alignment or what? If you happen to live in a state conducting primary elections today, we at arloandjanis.com strongly urge you to get out and complain to all your friends about how there’s nobody running you’d really like to vote for.
Ken’s eBay auction of an A&J original cartoon ends sometime tomorrow. Remember when I first mentioned it? I suggested there’s an interesting story behind the cartoon. Well, I lied. Here’s the real story:
Back in 1998, I had the brilliant idea of talking an established art gallery in Jackson, Mississippi, into hosting a show of my original cartoon art. In fact, by the time we finished discussing it, they thought it was a pretty good idea. They mounted an exhibit of several dozen Arlo and Janis originals, and opening night was a smashing success. Publicity was generous, and the turnout was large and enthusiastic–one of the gallery’s best ever. I met a lot of nice folks that evening. Except, nobody bought anything! I can’t say that I blame them. I wouldn’t have paid what the gallery was charging, myself.
For a couple of months after, the cartoons hung in the gallery. Still, nothing sold. Eventually, the curator packaged up my art and, with perfunctory apology, shipped it back to me. I was embarrassed. I was disappointed. I expressed my dark state by toting the professionally matted cartoons to the curb in front of my house and slinging them out for the trash truck. I pitched a fit, in other words. In the short time it took to give myself the old never-say-die lecture and march back to the curb, the cartoons were gone. To this day, they show up occasionally on eBay.