When People Ask Me What I Do, and How I Do It

Rick London is the founder of Google & MSN’s #1 Ranked Offbeat Cartoons and Funny Gifts. His Webcomics site has 5000+ cartoons and 250,000+ cartoon gifts & has lured 8.7 million+ visitors.

I get this question a lot: “Did you draw that?” “Wait… is this AI?” “Are you even allowed to sell this?”

And my answer is always some version of: “I’m a concept artist and humorist. I collaborate with digital tools to bring my ideas to life.” 

I don’t pretend to be a traditional draftsman. I don’t sit with a sketchpad and charcoal. What I do is dream up surreal, pun-packed, pop-culture-infused scenes—like dead roaches playing baseball or crickets playing cricket—and I guide digital systems to help me visualize them. It’s part art direction, part storytelling, part comedy writing. And yes, it’s very much art. 

But Isn’t That Cheating?

Let’s rewind the art history clock. 

When photography emerged, painters scoffed. 

When digital painting took off, illustrators balked. 

When Duchamp put a urinal in a gallery, critics lost their minds. 

Every time a new tool enters the creative space, there’s pushback. But tools don’t make art—ideas do. And I’ve got plenty of those. 

Why I Don’t Always Say “AI”

Because for some folks, it’s a loaded word. They imagine soulless machines cranking out soulless content. But that’s not what I do. I’m not pressing a button and walking away. I’m crafting, refining, and directing every piece. The humor, the concept, the timing—that’s all me. Plus, what I actually do is known as “mixed media”. Sometimes I use a photograph and/or pencil sketches to mix with AI. That’s a far-cry from giving orders to AI.   

If it helps, think of me as a cartoon director with a very responsive assistant. I don’t draw the frames, but I choreograph the scene. 

What I Really Do

I imagine surreal mashups and absurd scenarios. 

I guide digital tools to visualize them. 

I write captions, titles, and promo copy that spark joy. 

I optimize for discoverability so people can actually find and enjoy the work. 

I collaborate with my wife @LeeHiller, whose support and creativity fuel everything I do. 

“I’m a storyteller who uses digital tools to bring my ideas to life. It’s not traditional drawing, but it’s still creative direction, humor, and visual composition. I don’t hide the process—I celebrate it.”

How My Autism Shapes My Art

I’m autistic. That’s not a disclaimer—it’s a creative engine.

My brain is wired to notice patterns, dive deep into ideas, and connect dots that others might not even see. That’s why my art often feels surreal, layered, and a little sideways. I don’t just make cartoons—I build worlds where insects play sports, organs go on tour, and puns come to life.

Autism gives me a unique lens. It helps me stay focused on the message, the humor, and the emotional tone of each piece. It also makes me deeply intentional about ethics, empathy, and clarity. I don’t hide how I make my art—I explain it. I don’t pretend to be something I’m not—I celebrate what I am.

So when people ask, “Did you draw this?” I say, “I imagined it, directed it, and collaborated with digital tools to bring it to life.” And when they ask, “How do you come up with this stuff?” I smile and say, “My brain doesn’t do boring.”

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Rick London is a writer, artist and gift creator. He has an online shop of funny gifts which ships worldwide and accepts Afterpay called RickLondonGifts.com. Rick also maintains a cartoon archive site at LTCartoons.com.

 

Londons Times Cartoons
Google & MSN’s #1 Ranked Offbeat Cartoons SInce 2005
Verified Twitter Account: @RickLondon

Source: https://ricklondonsyndication.wordpress.com/2025/10/22/fasdfsfdsafsdfas/