Every now and then I dare to check Google to see if my cartoon is already out there. It’s a cartoonist’s worst nightmare (or close to) to publish a cartoon that someone else has already done – similar in notion to inadvertant copying. If you find out afterwards, it’s a bit like going through the seven stages of grief, starting with disbelief and shock (I mean, how could someone else possibly come up with my great, unique idea before I even had a chance to put pen to paper?). Luckily, this time I was relieved to find nothing similar. I found an article titled ‘Fifty shades of blue’, where my heart momentarily skipped a beat. However, it was short lived – It was a blue hair colour dye trend article.
Ever had your great idea trumped by someone else?
PS. If you find a cartoon along a similar vein, feel free to not contacting me with the information 🙂
Yes, I have (unfortunately) had that experience more than once. For example, one evening, I thought about a tire valve cap that could tell you if your car tires were inflated properly. The next morning, a coworker parked her car at the same time I did. Stepping out, I noticed she had green valve caps on her tires. I asked her and she confirmed that they were tire pressure indicators. [Sigh…]
I hear your grief. I had an idea for an eco-vegetable bag to replace all that plastic people use in the supermarket to carry a few potatoes… Yep, found some on line…and they were a better design mine! 🙁