Ms. London,” I used to joke that the OB/GYN told my mom, “It’s a Realtor”. His nurse was holding me in her arms as my mom tried to smile. I was not a pretty baby. Really! My parents owned a very old real estate stable family real estate company and were from a generation where, if and when an offspring arrived, especially a male, they were born to be bred.that is, bred into the family business, not the prodigal offspring to which I eventually evolved.

In my early days on the planet, I was not aware of these southern traditional family values, and, as I became more aware of my environment around me, I was certain I wanted to have something to do with humor as I grew older. How did I know this? The answer was so simple. But I was a slow learner.

I was constantly in trouble for something, about to get in trouble, or locked in my room with no going out with friends for some wrong-doing (never violent or terrible); even for the tiniest practical joke, which I thought was a contribution to society, maybe even making the world a better place.

The only time I remember my parents smiling and happy around me is when they had friends over on weekends and were playing record albums by such comedy greats as Don Rickles, Tom Lehrer, Jack Benny, and the like. I introduced them to The Smothers Brothers as a teen, thinking I would earn brownie points but again given the pink slip for buying “bad comedy”.

The comedy bug hit me finally and by 1982 I was attempting stand-up in New York City. Keep in mind this was straight off the farm from Mississippi to the Big Apple. I won’t “even go there” as to how awful I was. It was sort of like Dan Quayle in his memorable v.p. debate, but more like me debating, say, Steve Martin and my comparing myself to Lenny Bruce. Steve to me: “Mr. London, Lenny Bruce was a friend of mine, and you, sir, are no Lenny Bruce.” Need I say more?

In the early 1990’s I went on to write humor for advertising, magazines, and anyone who would buy my “craft”. My future strategy was to publish a compilation book of humor stories. Instead I opted on forming a group of artists and creating a cartoon instead. All of us were surprised when Londons Times Cartoons shot to the top of the statistics sites such as Alexa and we were surprisingly happy.

Reaching mid-life, and suffering a lengthy illness, I decided to start opening stores, selling products with my cartoon images which now amount to over 8500 in number and our Londons Times Cartoons remains one of the most visited sites on the web, again to our surprise (and happiness).

Starting a cartoon is not an easy task, but an interesting and educational one. No matter what branch of humor in which one may find their niche, it is a growth experience and a process. I found out rapidly it is not so much knowing what you are doing when you start, though that doesn’t hurt of course, but being persitent and open to learning as you go.

If it is in your blood, you will know it, and no matter what you were “born to be”, will not matter. It will have to come out in some way, shape, or form. Educate yourself, hang out with others who have blazed the trail, learn all you can.and just do it.