Mike Lynch Cartoon in February 2007 Reader's Digest

There are those that look at cartoons and then forget them. And then there are cartoon connoisseurs. Those are the kind of appreciative, thoughtful, good-looking, kind, reverent and cheerful people that frequent the Mike Lynch Cartoons blog.

There is a kind of serendipitous relationship between the words and picture in a cartoon. Divorce a funny drawing from its gag line, and it all falls apart.

And a good gag is one that you, the reader, has to put together yourself.

A single panel cartoon has a few seconds to show you a drawing and some words. It's up to you too put 'em together and, I hope, then, emit a nice chuckle or laugh or smile.

This is one of those cartoons where I first got the picture of a fellow in what's really a tic-tac-toe kinda cubicle arrangement. I drew the picture in my spiral bound sketch book. I was wondering what a fellow who was caught in the middle would say. Obviously, he can't leave until someone else goes. the line went through a couple of revisions ("I won't be home on time" and "I can't see my way out"). The cartoon was bought by Reader's Digest this past fall. It was turned down by 3 other markets before RD bought it.