Toon: The Brighter Side of Auto Layoffs

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Drew this the evening that Obama announced his restructuring plan for GM and Chrysler. It was a tough one, because I really did appreciate that Obama wasn't buying into all the anti-union and anti-worker rhetoric that swirls around stories about the demise of the auto industry ("how dare those workers demand fair wages! they're runing America!" etc!)

So I really did debate whether the woman on the right should say that Obama "won't" or "can't" do anything to save the jobs of the auto workers. I started out with "can't", but that made it seem like Obama was somehow helpless and had no power to help workers even if he wanted to. I settled on "won't", because in the end, this situation just sucks for the workers. Rick Wagoner gets a $20 million pension, and they get... crap.

Except maybe a visit from the newly appointed Director of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers.

P.S. See also Kevin Moore's cartoon on this subject, "Lossy Compensation."

Ted Rall Looks Forward to the Free Future

(click here to view)

Ted Rall Universal Press Syndicate Mar 24, 2008 EditorialCartoonists.com

I meant to post a link to this fantastic cartoon ages ago. Folks need to stop drinking the Wired magazine "Isn't it GREAT that everything is going to be free?" Kool-Aid. Ted's cartoon is a great response to wealthy outfits like the Huffington Post that only pay freelance writers and cartoonists ("content providers") in "exposure"--only regular staff get actual money. Last time I checked, my landlords didn't accept "exposure" as payment, and not everyone can sustain a cartooning habit with witty T-shirt designs or book sales. (Personally, I had fun putting out my book collection, but I basically broke even on it.)

That said, considering how rough sales for political cartoonists were at the MOCCA Art Fest this year, I think I had better go design some witty T-shirts.

Where do I sign up for the cartoonists and bloggers union?

Creators deserve to be paid for the use of their content online, whether they're TV writers or bloggers--or cartoonists. Ted has a great column (When Media Content is Free, It's Worth Every Cent) on this subject, the first in a three-part series. Here's one key bit:

The Huffington Post, capitalized to the tune of $10 million, employs 43 full-time employees, all of whom presumably receive actual cash money, and health benefits, and maybe even a 401(k), for their efforts. But, USA Today reports, "it has no plans to begin paying bloggers. Ever." Ken Lerer, company co-founder, former Time Warner executive, and probably himself in it for the money, says: "That's not our financial model. We offer them visibility, promotion and distribution with a great company."

It's hypocritical for moneyed and supposedly progressive outlets like HuffPo asking writers to opine on subjects such as labor issues for no money whatsoever. (Smaller blogs run by unpaid editors are another matter). What would Arianna Huffington say if she heard about a factory in which workers were paid in internet exposure? Some other choice points:

Hardly a day passes without finding a pitch from some wannabe freeloader in my e-mail. "Our magazine doesn't have a budget for content, but we'd love to use your cartoon about…" "We can't offer a salary per se, but you would get amazing exposure to thousands of discrete users if…" Content is still king. Online leeches just don't want to pay the kingmakers.

I can relate to this 100%. Outlets seem shocked that I don't want to work for free--after all, don't I want exposure FOR MY CARTOON ABOUT OPPRESSED WORKERS?
Finally, Ted tries an experiment:

I called the bank that holds my mortgage. "I don't have a budget to pay you per se," I cooed. "But think of the awesome prestige your corporation receives just by being associated with a cartoonist and columnist whose work is literally read by millions of--" Click. Citibank (Bangalore), Ltd., signing out. Back to work!

The only reason this website doesn't lose money is my Google Ads. I did have hopes when I first put out Attack of the 50-Foot Mikhaela! that all that magical exposure I've been getting would help me sell enough books to make up for the work I put into designing it, but so far, I haven't quite broken even. Hint, hint...