It showcases the work of 47 cartoonists who aren't in traditional print syndication and, in many cases, have no desire to be. By Robert K. Elder Tribune Staff Writer Breaking into the cartoon strip business is a feat of almost Herculean scale. It's enough to make even Hagar tremble. Cartoonists can toil for years, working alone and developing a strip for a syndicate before an audience sees their work. Still, some never make it to newspapers.
Thousands try out, but only a few new strips see print.
But a new generation of strip artists is eliminating the middleman and posting their strips on-line. Artistic freedom, instant reader feedback and wide exposure are just a few of the benefits of publishing on the Web, but many cartoonists see the Internet as the means to jump to more lucrative newspapers and magazines. Self-publishing online comic strips is an easy way for cartoonists to break into a tough business. A few years ago, it would have been nearly impossible for Ottawa cartoonists like Gisele Lagace and Josh Phillips to have their comic strips read by thousands of readers around the globe. From noon to 9 his day job at IBM, where he does tech support and some Web stuff, has him.