SERIOUSLY? THE ART OF REJECTION

Another Hit Book By Lance Martin, Amazon.com

By C. MacDonald

Don't let the title fool you! Lance Martin has been more successful as a cartoonist than he thinks. Even though his clever, autobiographical book is on cartoon rejection, readers will be delighted to find out that his memorable work was nationally-syndicated by The Cartoon Factory to more than 50 weekly newspapers across the United States.

His cartoons, which Peanuts creator Charles Schulz encouraged him to do, also have appeared in college and community publications like the Fountain Valley View and the Huntington Beach Wave; larger papers like The Los Angeles Times and The Orange County Register; as well as The Men's Hairstyling and Barber Journal, The Oil City Chronicle and many others.

He has created and illustrated four books with incredible stories—one of which you can actually see on video, and befriended other cartoonists through The Comic Artist Professional Society, who accepted him as a member. Through the society, he has met Sergio Aragones of Mad Magazine and other prominent cartoonists.

The talented artist, who always wanted to be a cartoonist but was sidetracked into the family barber business, is extremely creative—both in dialogue and drawing—and has an amazing sense of humor, as you'll soon see. (He created one frame showing a drive-thru barber. I think he was ahead of his time!)

His book, which I couldn't put down, has such variety that you'll learn about his life, his passion, his encouraging family, and his relentless roller coaster ride in pursuit of acceptance (and wealth) in the very challenging (and diminishing) world of professional cartooning.

His subject matter ranges from Cutting and Styling Hair (which he has done for nearly 50 years), to Bad Dates, Golf, Baseball, Coaches, Odd Man Out, Publishing and so much else. The funny guy even came up with a cartoon strip called, BButchered.

Lance is a true treasure, who I accidentally discovered nearly 25 years ago, when my son and I went in for a haircut at On Deck Barbers. His brother Dave, who, like their late father Bill, cut hair for decades, still works there today.

When I happened to see his first cartoon book (Comedy of Hairs, I was floored with laughter and knew this was a truly gifted artist. I still think he draws better and comes up with more clever lines than most of the professional cartoonists whose work you see in the Sunday Paper.

I think Lance Martin has paid his dues and WILL BE discovered to become one of America's most famous and successful cartoonists.

If you like cartoons, you may never find a more honest, funny, enjoyable book. Good Luck in trying to put it down.

(Pulitzer Prize nominee C. MacDonald, the author of 23 books, wrote a nationally-syndicated hobby column--At Your Leisure--which appeared for 5 years in more than 2,000 newspapers in the United States.)