Mike Lynch Cartoon in May 2010 Reader's Digest

"A show of hands: Either we go with Mr. Kelly's restructuring plan
or this little fellow and his 'pot o' gold.'"

Above is the cartoon of mine that's in the new issue of Reader's Digest (look for Michael J. Fox on the cover). You can see the cartoon at the RD site here.

Below is the rough; the version I sent to the magazine that was approved. I redrew it to help make the leprechaun more ... uh ... "leprechaunish." Of course, coloring his suit green helped!

I like how the 2 people sitting around the table do not look impressed by either Mr. Kelly or the little fellow.

In the final redraw, for those who care, I eliminated one of the pieces of paper on the table and drew one extra cup.

I was asked yesterday if clients tell me what to draw. In the case of the the Digest, the editor will just remind the contributors what he is looking for. Usually, it's related to holidays, family events and trends. Cartoons are usually drawn 60-90 days in advance of publication.