A Lesson in Responsibility

In 1993, during some sketchbook sessions, I came up with this little concept. I thought it was a funny connection, so I created a full-color illustration of it. It wasn’t the kind of subject matter I normally took on, but I liked the concept enough to submit it to the Society of Illustrators. Fortunately—and unfortunately—it was accepted and printed the following year in Illustrators 36.

The piece was immediately noticed by an illustration rep who called me directly and wanted to take me on as a client. She wanted me to be her political illustrator. I thought about it for one second and, while still on the call, turned her down. The reason was simple: it wasn’t the kind of work I normally did, nor did I believe in the values represented in the image.

It’s a striking illustration, but I realized right then and there that I was responsible for everything I created. Having this piece out in the world has actually been a burden for me. I can’t show it, celebrate it, or display it in my home. The original still exists in a box in my longtime mentor and friend’s basement, and he wheels it out now and again to show it off, but part of me feels I should take it back and burn it.

What a lesson in creativity—and in the responsibility that comes with it. I did not want to be known for this. I wanted to be known for something more than a clever, controversial one-off. I wanted to create images and stories that were optimistic, meaningful, and true to who I was. So that’s what I set back out to do.