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Alexa Ratings: Who Do They Choose For Top Indie Cartoonist? 
By: Alexa Ferotina
If I told you who I thought was my favorite cartoonist, you would, probably, in turn, tell me who is yours. And it woud be different. What I'm writing about is not favorite, but most popular, most viewed worldwide. I checked some analytical sites such as Alexa and others and found some good facts. Rick London is wining the race, but not by a long-shot. He is known for his surprises, so never say never, that he might fall into second. He has many creative tricks up his sleeve.
Scott Adams (Dilbert) and Gary Trudeau (Doonesbury) pretty much saturated the market in the later part of last century. Adams continues to be popular. In my opinion, both cartoonists are brilliant, but both have become a bit repetitive; unlike Gary Larson who retired early, he said "Before He Landed In The Mediocre Hall Of Fame". He was always my favorite, until Internet cartoonist Rick London came out of nowhere. He and his team of illustrators have created almost twice as many cartoons as Larson did. I am not saying they are better, but they are in a similar genre, and both The Far Side (now retired), and Londons Times (still going strong) are brilliant and enchanting.
Scott Adams had a reputation for rendering funny pictures of his bosses and getting caught. But more importantly, he revealed to us the "new corporate America" which was pitiful at best, at least from the point of comfort and ambiance, due to the fact we were all packed in cubicles, which he, as most workers, hated. Gary Larson (The Far Side, Rick London (Londons Times Cartoons), and Dave Coverly (Speed Bump) are all three brilliant in my book. This is only my opinion and I have heard others think differently. I prefer this genre of cartoojns because of its "extreme editing". These creators tell us a full-page news story in one small panel. I understand why the Pulitzer Commitee gives awards out to cartoonists. How could they not? It is the best journalism available. It takes more than genius to do what they do. Mensa, eat your heart out.
Speaking of Mensa, it is based on IQ, high IQ at that, and the old analytical IQ. Since Mensa was founded, best-selling author and PHD psychologist Robert Goleman, who was considered autistic growing up, discovered Emotional IQ which, though requires high intelligence, it is a very different type of intelligence than is what is what is required to pass a Mensa test.
Cartoonists, artists, writers, etc are known to have higher EQ's than IQ's. This is not the type members Mensa is looking for, but I doubt these creators care. They are in the business to make people laugh and feel good, and they do a very good job.
When Gary Larson and Dave Coverly started, periodical and newspaper publishing were king. In fact, the Internet was in its infancy and rarely if ever used for cartooning. I wish Coverly had more books out. I am sure it would be like when Gary Larson did and I collected them and kept them near my bed. If i felt tired or bad, I simply opened a Far Side book and my mood changed for the better. That is how I feel when I go to Rick London's cartoon site today.
Like Yves St. Laurent in the fashion world, who was not a very good artist, and hired others, Rick London had a similar obstacle. He too had to form a "team of creative illustrators to render his thoughts and ideas." But it worked and he surprised a lot of people, as he started with nothing, not even training or education, and ended up being the top cartoonists with the highest-ranking independent site on the Internet.
Choosing best in working cartoonist today is no easy task. But when one views Rick London's collection, many of them well-known classics, published worldwide and highly critically-acclaimed, one has to wonder how he did it starting with nothing. but he did. My vote is for Rick London as the greatest cartoonist and humorist in our lifetime.
Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles
The Internet offers thousands of funny cartoons. Ranked highest among them worldwide is Alexa Rankings: Top Cartoon On The Intenet, Rick London's Londons Times Cartoons
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