In 1998, I was one year into my Londons Times Cartoon project. I was still living, working, and trying to survive in an abandoned rural Mississippi warehouse. Nobody would rent to me as they, I am certain, felt this former 9-5 business executive had lost his mind for launching a cartoon at age forty three. I was a year into the project.

Not a lot was going right, I could clearly see it was a hobby, and I would eventually need to take some kind of job in sales, but for now, I was obsessed with seeing it through.

Then a marketing idea hit me, which, at the time, I thought was brilliant (I humbly add). I would create another series of cartoons called “Panel Hollywood” and feature real life celebrity caricatures and then mail signed copies directly to them or to their agent to forward. Out of the 150 or so that we created and mailed, about twelve responded, and even offered reviews, which was my strategy. Their reviews of the work remain on my main cartoon website.

One day, while toiling away on a hot summer afternoon, an email arrived. It was from the estate of the late, great Roy Orbison. It was from his widow Barbara's assistant, who wanted to know if they could purchase the rights to a Roy Orbison cartoon on my website. Ms. Orbison loved the cartoon so much, she wanted to make custom greeting cards for her friends and Roy Orbison fans. They had seen it on my website. I had not mailed a copy of it to them yet, as I'd not located the estate yet, or its representatives.

Naturally, I offered it gratis, letting her know that he (Roy) had brought me so much pleasure throughout the years, and so many others, I need to sleep at night, and there would be no charge. She thanked me profusely, and used the card which was later revealed to be a wonderful success. You couldn't work with a nicer person (than Barbara Orbison)

Over the years, I have received threatening letters from attorneys of some celebrities of which I have used their likeness in parody. At first this frightened me, so I consulted with major cartoonists way above my league, who assured me most of the best cartoonists receive at least one per month, and many of them frame them. I talked to an attorney who taught me about “The Fair Use Act” in the U.S. Constitution, and how it protects such parody. My attorney revealed that those greedy attorneys, simply spend all day cruising the Internet, in hopes of finding someone who was clueless to the law,
and would “settle with them”. And I was told this works quite often (even though the attorneys do not have case).

So I started framing the threatening letters like all the rest. Even the late Charles Schulz, whom I highly respected and made himself available to me when starting, had received them.

My biggest surprise was about five years after Ms.Orbison and I did business and had a very nice(but short) business relationship. I received a letter from a large Houston law firm representing the Orbison estate demanding cease and desist, not only to take down all the images, but to provide an accounting of what had been sold, and “they would probably settle rather than take this to court”.

Not that this makes me an authority by any means, but my maternal direct ancestry includes former Supreme Court Judge Benjamin Cardozo. His name might not mean much to many, but his words do to many attorneys. His books, his writings, until this day, are generally the “final word” in interpretation of Constitutional Law.

Again, this does not make me an expert, but, more than homework and the last episode of The Adams Family were discussed at our dinner table. Talk of legal rights, civil rights, and rights of expression were instilled very early. Before I was 18, I clearly understood the difference between parody and copyright infringement. Parody is protected by the Fair Use Act. Infringement is not. Our work is total parody. We make it very clear in both the artwork and text.

I remembered that attorney I had hired a long time ago and it all made sense. A lot of these celebrity lawyers are working on their client's behalf, but ironically, the celebrity (or estate executor...in this case Ms. Orbison) hadn't a clue I was being threatened for something she already had in her possession, and enjoying.

Then I remembered a story Charles Schulz told me. Mad Magazine ran a hilarious parody of Peanuts. The day it hit the stands, Schulz's attorneys shot out a gruesome letter of what would happen to “Mad” if they did not remove all copies and pay their client for damages. What the lawyers did not know what that Mr. Schulz had also seen that Mad issue, and loved the parody so much, he sent them a congratulatory note telling them how brilliant it was.

If you are a person who works in the arts, and creates images of real celebrities in parody form, it is a very good idea to Google and learn about “The Fair Use Act”. This is important, not only because it educates the creator to know his/her rights, but keeps that element who has entered the world of law to erode our precious Constitution and this great country, any more than they already have. Freedom of speech (and expression) is one of the major differences in our Constitution, and say the one of the former Soviet Union, or Iraq, or Iran.

When they do their job right, that is, finding real copyright infringement criminals and making them pay, they are doing a great thing. When they go after humor producers of parody, especially without even contacting their own client first, they are showing a real sense of irresponsibility and limited capabilities of practicing the law the way our Founding Fathers had in
mind.

Your Heart Health For Laughing Out Loud

We all know that laughter is the best medicine. If not the best, certainly good for you. Scientific studies have shown that mental stress can restrict blood flow to the heart. But now a study has linked laughter to increased blood circulation. Laughter appears to cause the tissue inside blood vessels to expand. Medical science feels that laughter may be important to increase cardiovascular health.

A recent study was conducted at the University of Md. of twenty men and women, all healthy. To make them laugh, they watched part of the movie "Kingpin," a 1 ½ hour comedy. To create the opposite emotions, they also watched the brutal beginning of "Saving Private Ryan." Researchers used ultrasound technology to measure changes in blood flow through an artery in the arms of participants.

Blood flow increased in 19 of the 20 participants after watching "Kingpin." which is a 22% increase. The study leader, a Dr. Miller feels that is similar to the effects of aerobics. Blood flow decreased in 14of the twenty people after they watched "Saving Private Ryan." The decrease was an average of thirty-five percent.

Research shows that reducing stress can reduce disease in the body. When the body is under stress, it produces hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. Cortisol is related to anxiety and fearfulness and adrenalin gives us us the "fight or flight element. Too much of these hormones can be harmful. Dr Miller observed that the study could not explain how laughter is responsible for the effects observed. Is it from muscle movement or chemical release?

The researchers say laughter may cause the body to release endorphins, like when exercise takes place. Miller states that these endorphins may block the effect of stress hormones and cause the blood vessels to expand. Laughter may also influence the release of nitric oxide, which too expands blood passages. The results were presented at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology. Dr. Miller does not suggest to replace exercise with laughter, but he says fifteen minutes of laughter could help one's health considerably.

Rick London is founder of Londons Times Cartoons, the most popular offbeat cartoon
site on the Internet and owns several cartoon gift shops including Rick Londonwear
www.ricklondoncollection.com

5 Savvy Reasons To Holiday Shop In Summer & Shop Online

Five Savvy Shopping Tips To Save And Buy Unique Gifts Online

by Rick London


Price: It is common sense that one can get a much better price on virtually any retail product in the “off-season” which runs generally from mid-May through the end of August. Prices can be as low as 80% of their regular prices (even regular discounted prices) during busy holiday shopping season.

Inventory: This one is relatively easy to figure out. A store will mark down a bundle of products until they are all sold (or most of them sold) and then mark them back up. This is more common in brick and mortar retail stores than online stores in which you are often dealing directly with the manufacturer. For instance, my stores carry no in-house inventory. We have a deal with our manufacturers who package and drop-ship all items, as do many online retailers, making it a much better place to shop, not to mention more convenient, given the price of gas, traffic jams, long lines in stores, etc.

Convenience: We no longer live in our parent's world. The baby boomer generation is busier than a Roman soldier fighting for an Empire. Who has time to shop? If shopping like I do, that is, wait until I know I need to purchase more than one gift, such as for holidays, or simply it so happens that anniversaries, birthdays, etc. of loved ones all fall within a 2-3 month period, I will always shop online, where I can buy five substantial gifts for often under $100 and get free shipping to boot.

Online Guarantees Stronger Than Off-line Retailers: A lot of people are not aware, but when you see that a store offers a 30 day unconditional guarantee online, it is not just because the retailer is “being nice”. The federal FTC enforces that guarantee as you are sending or wiring money online, and you better be able to get a refund if you are not satisfied. Of course most stores will act in goodwill anyway, whether online or not, but there is the occasional one who just doesn't “get it”. Even your guarantee is guaranteed and bonded when shopping online. The
only other place this applies off-line, to my knowledge, is the “Lemon Law” 30-day guarantee also backed up by the FTC which is offered by used car dealers.

Uniqueness: One of the greatest pleasures of shopping online are “the surprises”. Psychologists say we (humans) are all “hunters”, and we love the find as much as the hunt. So much more in the way of novelty and originality is offered online than at the local mall. I receive emails almost daily regarding our offbeat cartoon gifts and collectibles. I already know they cannot be bought in downtown or mall stores, and I purposely made it that way; not to be selfish, the opposite. Not only does this offer the buyer a pleasant surprise, he/she gets an even more pleasant
one after realizing it is a factory-direct buy, saving a great deal of money any time of the year, plus getting a top-quality product (that hopefully makes them laugh) and quality customer service. Though my physical presence is in the U.S., these emails come anywhere from Japan to France.

With all this said and done, I still say “caveat emptor”. Know with whom you are dealing. Do a Google search of the web-stores you plan to visit. Did they just open? Do they have good reviews? Are there complaints with the Online BBB or other scam alert centers? Always better to be safe than sorry. My experience of Internet shopping, using these few principles, has always made it a pleasant, fun, convenient experience.

Rick London

Rick London is a cartoonist/E-entrepreneur who founded Londons Times Cartoons, the Internet's most popular offbeat cartoon and owns a number of Internet stores including The Rick London Collection www.ricklondoncollection.com

The Zen Of Online Shopping

The Zen Of Internet Shopping


I remember in my youth when my mom would take me shopping. I had the most fun in the grocery store, for whatever reason, but, as I matured into my teens, fashion and grooming stores became more interesting. Like a lot of teenage boys, upon new information, girls were suddenly a lot more interesting. And to our (boys) surprise, we were becoming interesting to them as well, though, they were better at hiding it. A new thing was happening to us...relationships. They were so much fun back then. Life was simpler. No bills to pay. Never an argument about finances. Ahhh. The good old days.

I can remember my first shot at rebellion. I guess it was age twelve or thirteen. I was still purchasing everything based on my mom's opinion. Suddenly new clothes were hitting the market that had been worn by the Beatles just a few Sundays before on the Ed Sullivan Show. Though most of us opted out of the nice black suits the Beatles wore, we did want the haircut and sundry other items that became merchandise. Mom was shocked when she gave me some money to buy some new clothes and I came home with mostly t-shirts of my favorite rock groups. By then, the Fab Four had spawned a slew of others from the U.K and many American bands wanting in on the act. Whomever I saw, I demanded the t-shirt. Whether it be Paul Revere And The Raiders, Herman's Hermits, Otis Redding,
and later Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and so many others, if there was some memorabilia attached to this music, I had to have it.

Today's shopping malls can be fun, as social adventures, but they certainly are not the place to find today's “forbidden shopping fruit”. We all know there are specialty stores on the Internet that cater just to us.
It really depends on one's tastes. I enjoy these stores because they remind me of my days of youth when I could really sink my teeth into shopping, and, to me, everything looked new and pristine, and different.

Now, at least from my point of view, a mall is a mall is a mall. Sure it is nice when Macy's or Penny's or whomever puts some things on sale and I will drop by to see what is in shop, even though it is usually nothing I've not seen in the past, or a close replica.

We humans are hunters by nature, even if we are not members of the NRA nor hunt animals. We love to search and research and find the best, the brightest, and the most different.

There is a certain zen to the process of hunting and gathering. It is so deeply ingrained in us, though we no longer physically do it, now we love the ease of shopping online, and more importantly being able to find “what is all the craze” without having to drive all over town to try to find it, usually only to be disappointed. Again, I am not saying I have boycotted brick and mortar stores, far from it.

Chances are very slim we are going to find “that totally unique gift” at say, Target Stores or Wal-Mart, though I do feel they have their value in our society.

But finding it online and being able to stare it in the eye on our monitor, click a mouse, fill in the blanks and order, is oh so nice and satisfies the hunter's passionate zen.

Author Rick London is the founder of Londons Times Cartoons in 1997 and numerous online unique funny webstores including www.ricklondonwear.com www.ricklondoncollection.com
www.ltsuperstore.com and others. His main cartoon site is www.londonstimes.us

Lawyers And Laughter

As a cartoonist, I find myself in the precarious position of writing about law. Though I do take the law seriously, I find humor in it as well. And I believe I have carte blanche to do so.

I come from a family of attorneys. One of my direct maternal ancestors was Supreme Court Judge Benjamin Cardozo. That name might not mean much to many, but it does within the legal community. His word, still, a century or so later, remains the final word on Constitutional Law.

I have dated attorneys. Some are very astute, and some not so good. I have watched them in the courtroom. Sometimes it is dramatic, sometimes a bit drab. But I continue to have an affinity for the law, given that it is in my blood, I guess. Of course my mother insisted upon either law or medical school for me, so like the good rebellious baby-boomer of the 60's, I became a cartoonist. At least I could make people laugh purposely. People laugh at lawyers, and often the attorney in question does not appreciate it. But how can we help it? I know, I know. They are just doing their job, and we laugh at them, until we need them. Then they are our confidants.

To be fair, most lawyers of whom I have met and/or associated, truly take their jobs and cases seriously. Sure, like everyone else in business, money is a motivator, but not always the primary motivator. Many, yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus, (or clause in this case), many have a very altruistic side, and take the law and their clients very seriously and want to help.

As the old joke goes, "It is the 98% of dishonest lawyers who give the other 2% a bad name". It's a great joke, but really far from reality. Many lawyers are just doing their job, just like you and me.

Sometimes hiring a lawyer can be expensive, and several Internet-savvy lawyers have launched websites in which the common layman can read, study, and learn about law and legal forms, and actually pay and download template forms from the sites at a fraction of the cost of hiring a law firm.
Some of these sites include Findlaw.com, Legalzoom.com, and the up-and-coming Lawkipedia.org, which has not yet been launched but is in the plans for this year. It will probably be the most exciting and different of all the other legal websites, just from what I understand regarding the planning.

Still, the saying goes, "The person who represents himself legally has hired a fool for a lawyer. And that is true. Especially regarding courtrooms and criminal law.

But many business conflicts do not have to turn into courtroom law. Mediation has become very popular and there are ways to work out such conflicts, often, and bring the parties even closer, once they realize they have similar goals, simply different ideas as to how to reach those goals. That is okay. It is often done by more professional persons, who is not out to "trash" a partner or remove him/her from the scene. I have seen it work many times.

Because law is of interest to me, I make sure to do a great many law related cartoons, and produce funny lawyer gifts. Even though many of them poke fun at lawyers, I find the majority have a great sense of humor, and more often than not, when the orders come in for our gifts and collectibles featuring lawyer cartoons, the names have a "comma and Esquire" at the end, in other words, our biggest customers who love to make fun of themselves, are, indeed attorneys.

Care For A Cat...Improve Your Attitude

Cats Are 4-Legged Gifts From God
by Rick

I have always owned dogs, but, recently I have learned, mainly from females influential in my life, the wonder and magic of cats and what they have to offer which is much. A lot of men are ware of cats, perhaps because "dog is man's best friend", which we learn from childhood, but, I've also learned, so can a cat. Though not always, a cat can be a bit more standoffish than a dog. Patience is required in cases like this. Many cats love their independence and one must "earn their trust". Once you have, many cats will follow you around like a dog. Of course, most dog owners know it is "love at first bite...of food". Whomever feeds them is their new mommy or daddy, whereas, with many cats, the first few months is spent trying to figure out what value is there in owning this feline anyway.

But as one owns a cat for awhile, it realizes this cat is an amazing intelligent creature, and can be just as loyal if not more so than a dog. Of the many cats I've owned, it has not taken more than a few days for them to want to curl up in my lap and rub its head continuously in a loving way (not to mention sleep on the pillow next to me no matter what).

Many of us struggle with health issues. A cat can be a wonderful therapist, doctor, or other type healer. Many people are unable to own dogs for various reasons, from apartment policies to travel, whereas a cat can be left alone for much longer and be ok. Cat ownership has been medical proven to help everything from high blood pressure to depression to even severe anxiety. Like dogs, cats have an amazing sixth sense, of how you are feeling. Unconditional love eventually evolves from most domestic cats given time. Patience can be the key. Some cats exhibit it right away. Some ask us to earn it.

Alas, cats, like dogs, make the world a much better place. Except for babies, and even babies have "their conditions"; really only domestic animals such as dogs and cats can teach us what unconditional love. I was very skeptical of all this upon learning the importance of animal care. I had read a lot but still did not believe the statistics much less the testimonials. Then I tried it, owning both dogs and cats all my adult life. It has enhanced my life like nothing else.

You may find yourself saying, "I haven't noticed any positive changes in myself". But it doesn't matter. They have already happened. Dog and cat ownership and care offer us the same paradigm shift of behavior that a newborn baby does. It offers us a chance to redirect much of our energies into a living loving creature that is there for us all the time. Yes we are there for it too, but not all the time. It does not care. If you give it a little attention, love and affection, it will give back in time, more than you ever gave it. Many times more in ways you never imagined.

Rick London is a cartoonist/entrepreneur and animal-lover. He founded Londons Times Cartoons, one of the Internet's most visited websites. Many of his cartoons and cartoon gifts and collectibles are cat and dog related. A percentage of those sales go to help stray animals and educate on animal-care.

The Internet's most popular offbeat cartoonist Rick London, founder of Londons Times Cartoons also founded RickLondonCollection.com and other stores that sell funny dog and cat related products. To see some of his line click here:

Major Depression: Try A Dog For Therapy

Though it is not something of which I am particularly proud, I struggled with major depression since age thirteen. It may be even further back than that, that is my first memory of "feeling different". I am now fifty three.

Of course I did not even know it was depression, and even if I had discovered it was, it would have been hidden, as, in the polite society of rural Mississippi, at the time, one did not see a therapist or psychiatrist and remain in society. He or she was hidden in the closet. Today things have changed and there are many modern- day state-of-the-art recovery programs and mental health clinics in the region. Alas, mum is still the word. I now live in southern California, where, at social functions, therapy and recovery are often a common them at social functions and events.

It was not until late in life, when I discovered a stray dog named "Thor" that I learned about alternative therapy. I had often heard that owning an animal can relieve depression and even lower blood pressure, but the dramatic changes were yet to be seen for the first few months of owning Thor. I noticed I wanted to get out more and walk him, as he loved that activity. This in itself lifted my depression. A long walk can, in fact, increase endorphins in the system.

Thor introduced me to people. People will open up to a cute dog faster than they will a human, hence they open up to the human as well. Thor loved people. I had owned dogs in the past, but Thor was my first rescue dog. The jury is out whether he rescued me or I rescued him. I did not adopt him from a shelter, but surely would have had I found him at one. He showed up in the rural Mississippi woods with a pack of two other dogs. He was the sickest of them, obviously abused and/or hit by a vehicle as he limped, and was a matted ball of fur. A vet friend took him home and put him on drips, shaved him, and gave him to me.

I researched and put him on the b.a.r.f diet. (bones and raw food). I put him on the same herbal tinctures I was taking. He never had another vet bill for a decade and lived to be nearly twenty two. He had ten very happy years as did I; mostly depression-free. Both of us were quite depressed when we found each other. He passed away nearly a month ago today. I continue to grieve over Thor but feel soon I will be ready for another rescue dog. I will visit the shelter. It is not completely selfless; I understand fully now the meaning of "they do much more for us than we do for them). A rescued dog remembers. He/she gives unconditional love and we get that gift to pass on to other people. I can't begin to tell you the difference in the way I am treated now by other people, and, the way I treat them. I do my best to do what Thor taught me; that is, love them unconditionally. He saw me as one of God's creatures; to him I was a god, and now I see all living creatures as part of God's creation. I never was that religious and am not now. But how can I not be spiritual. Thor helped cure my incurable depression.

Rick London is an e-entrepreneur and cartoonist. Many of his cartoon products are dog-related and a percentage of each sale goes to benefit various animal causes. He is also the founder of the Internet's top cartoon site, Londons Times Comics.

Rick London is a cartoonist and lover of animals, particularly dogs and cats. He founded the Internet's top cartoon Londons Times Cartoons and a number of E-stores featuring his dog cartoons. A percentage of sales benefit animal causes. Some direct pages of dog-related products can be found at http://www.cafepress.com/9500/4383555 at his Rick London Collection store. Another at RickLondonwear http://www.printfection.com/londonstimestees/DOGS-CARTOON-GIFTS-and-TEES/_s_81517 and his main cartoon site, Londons Times Cartoons http://www.londonstimes.us lures over 4000 vistors per day.

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