This week is a busy one at the syndicate as we squeeze five days of work into three. Reminds me of the time a couple of weeks ago when I tried on those grey corduroys from college I found in my basement when we were moving. But that's a story for another time ...
It's equally stressful on our cartoonists, especially those who dance with the dangerous deadline dance. And although I know most people consider The Lambada to be the most forbidden of all the dances, for cartoonists the forbidden dance is "Le Deadline."
Which is French for "the deadline" ... I think.
Some cartoonists say the deadline helps inspire them creatively, others work so far ahead they'll be running for years after their death (apologies to Tom the Dancing Bug for co-opting his joke there).
We believe however that the deadline, if not properly managed, can become a burden which can make a cartoonist resent the property and the profession and make them yell at their editor and come up with crazy excuses like: "I didn't know there was going to be Thanksgiving THIS year!!"
And lo you think I'm criticizing our wonderful cartoonists, I wouldn't want this to get back to them, because many cartoonists are a vengeful sort ... something about the all the creativity and all the alcohol and being alone in their studios creates a volatile personality.
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