What's the Dewey Decimal Number for Ego?

I did that cartoon quite a few years ago. Was never able to sell it, mainly because I think most people didn't get the joke, and really, it's not that funny. But if you are a struggling writer or artist, it may strike a chord with you, I think. It has even more significance for me, because I used to work in a library, and I used to catalog books, and well, I got pretty tired of cataloging other people's names over and over again. I kept thinking to myself, dammit, I should be doing something else, something like writing and illustrating books, instead of sitting on my ass cataloging them. My life is passing me by. (Cue in sad music here).

Well, it took a bit longer than I had hoped to get here, wherever here is, and now I have illustrated one children's book, and yes, a second one is on it's way. The second one is another educational book, so it more than likely will not be in the bookstores like the regular trade children's books, but for whatever reason, this book got cataloged! I was recently searching online, and I found the title, and all the accompanying CIP data!

Hot Damn! I've been cataloged! I'm somebody! (Ok, ok, in the big scheme of things, one shouldn't place so much importance on this, but it did give me a little thrill, having once worked in libraries and all).

I'm not entirely sure when I get copies of this second book (the publishing world moves at a snail's pace), but as soon as I do, I'll post images from the book on the blog. This second book was a lot of fun to do, and I didn't have to draw a single penguin!

And here's hoping that I'll be cataloged again, and again, and again.....

Comments

[Deb]

Sell that gag to Library Journal!

http://www.libraryjournal.com

The penguins are just right---like your cat, a few of them have a flummoxed look!

[Brian Fies]

Y'know, I think that's great. These are the little benchmarks by which we chart our way through careers and life. "I'll have really accomplished something when..." I got quite a thrill when I was able to walk into the library and look myself up in the "Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature" after an article of mine was published in a national magazine. I'm not sure we're supposed to admit to being that nerdily uncool, but I'm happy you did.

Small personal goals are still important goals, and are more than a lot of people have. I'm sure you'll soon be cataloged too many times to count but you'll always remember your first.

[Shelly]

That's great. At least to this librarian, being catalogued is the big time. :)

[Anne]

You could also try selling the cartoon to the Chronicle of Higher Education... Those guys could be professorial types caught in the publish-or-perish rat race. The Chronicle runs some pretty funny one-panels with a literary angle.

[R J Keefe]

How about replacing "catalogs" with "digitizes"?

[patricia]

RJ, so true!

[Guusje]

I'm a librarian and I catalog and I am most, most impressed. One of my goals in life is to be a main entry one day.

[Jackie Griffey]

Hi Patricia Storms the talented: I guess that's who did the cute cartoon I saw on Dorothy Thompson's page(?) I spend a lot of time on the net lost as the proverbial - proverebel - pro - dumbass goose! But then I stumble into a lot of good stuff too - it helps to be optimistic to the bone in the writing and illustrating biznez. I'm in the midst of trying to write a short children's chap book because at the last festival I attended there was nothing for children. I don't know much except someone told me not to use words with more than 3 syl - sel - chunks. Your cute little girl reading a book would be just right for my WIP but I probably can't afford you being 'financially challenged' as my grandson calls it. Have you got time to give me just a ballpark figure (no strings attached) figure on a cover for a book about an 8 year old, his 4 year old brother Joey and Paws (teddy bear with big feet) who are traveling with an armada of space ships away from Earth to colonize an new planet? The three could be looking out a window of the ship as they travel through space (or whatever idea comes to mind). As you can tell, my chap book is not anywhere near finished, I'm broke as the ten commandments, and don't know enough about this to ask intelli - intulligunt - ah- the right questions. Upside of all this: I'm having a ball writing this and I like your cartoons. Best of luck whether you delete this or not : - )
Best,
Jackie Griffey