One of the best moments in Steven-Charles Jaffe’s 2013 documentary on the cartoonist Gahan Wilson occurs during a conversation between the cartoon editor for The New Yorker magazine and a hopeful cartoonist. The cartoonist proudly shows the editor his book of cartoons and the editor asks, “Have you been published?” The cartoonist replies, “I’m self-published, but I hope to get a publisher.” The editor quips, “That’s great. Have you ever been self-rejected?” The scene ends abruptly, as it should.
Having worked in publishing and academia for decades, of course I am on the side of The New Yorker editor. But having been a studio artist for over 30 years, I have empathy for the hopeful cartoonist. I’ve been self-publishing things on this website for years, as a kind of vanity project. I am grateful for the opportunity my website offers me to “publish” . . . and realistic about its reach, due in part to its not meeting the gold standard process for acceptance and rejection.