Mike Lynch Cartoon in July 3, 2007 Wall Street Journal

This cartoon was drawn in late May 2006. It took 6 months to sell.

"I'm set in my ways. I urge each of you to get set in my ways too."

The only nice thing I can say about this boss character is that at least he's telling his employees the truth -- which is more than he wants to hear from them.

More interested in loyalty than honesty, he is, obviously, an old ogre. Like Aunt Josephine said in ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, "I like people who make me like them. Saves me so much trouble forcing myself to like them. " Of course, Aunt Jo had the reputation of being an old ogre, but turned out to be a kindred spirit.

Above is the first cartoon. That's the version that was sent to a half dozen markets, before Wall Street Journal bought it in November 2006. (And then there were eight months between the buy and it seeing print. There are a lot of cartoons waiting in the "Pepper ... and Salt" queue!)

As you know, WSJ prints the cartoon in a small, square format on its editorial page. The editors asked for a redraw with a "bold line" that would withstand the shrinkage.


And here's the redraw. I pulled this from the WSJ site. I have no idea why there's a period and then a question mark in the gag line. I made the boss's suit black so as to make him the focus of attention.

A big tip o' the chapeau to my pal Dave Carpenter for letting me know I had a cartoon in today's WSJ.