As you may know, I'm an illustrator. What you may not know is that at the beginning of January of this new year of 1998, I've been on a self-promoting blitz. I had sent out 500+ postcards with my url to magazines and book publishers all over the U.S.. I've also been dragging around my portfolio, which is no easy task, considering I work from 9-6 each week day. Lunch hours are becoming hectic. The first response I got from the mailing was in email form. Some guy out in California who got my card wrote to inform me the magazine he used to print is now defunct (and has been for quite some time. Thanks a lot "Artists' and Graphic Designers' Market"!) He also went on to say he was sorry he couldn't help me out, but that he loved my site. OK. I can deal with it. After I dropped my book off at "Spin", "Spy" and "Details", I decided to bite the bullet and haul it up to "Rolling Stone". For those who don't know, aspiring illustrators usually don't get to meet the art director. On the contrary. What you have to do is drop off your book with the receptionist, hope someone from the art department looks at it, and then pick it up the next day, without any feedback or encouragement what-so-ever. Do I sound bitter? Ha. It's a tough world out there. Anyway, "Rolling Stone" is my own personal Holy Grail. Why? Well, mainly because they're on of the few major distribution magazines that use a lot of illustration. I don't ever read it myself, but I guess some people get into it. So, the week before last I made the drop-off. To make you feel extra-lame, you don't even get to drop your stuff off with highly polished receptionist. You get directed to the second floor "messenger center" (read: mail room). All righty. To reinforce the obsticals facing young illustrators, every company has different days and times to drop off. Rolling Stone's is Tuesday. You drop off Tuesday, pick up Wednesday. Which I did. The next day I decided to call other magazines in the 50th Street vicinity and see who takes books on wednesdays. Save my self some tokens, right? An art department staffer at "US" haughtily told me, "We don't use illustration any longer." I see. The "TV Guide" receptionist transferred me to the Art Director's voice mail. Voice mail?!? Like this guy is ever going to all me back! I left a message anyway. You never know. Well, about a hour later, he called me. A real, live art director! I couldn't believe it! And the funniest thing was that the first thing he said to me was, "This is so weird that you called, because I was just looking at your website this morning!" He inquired when I could come in so he could check out my wares. I told him as soon as I picked up my portfolio from Rolling Stone that afternoon. We agreed to meet at 3. Around 2:30 I went back to the "Messenger Center" where much to my dismay, the guy at the counter informed me that no one from the art department had even come to pick the portfolios up. So. I wasted a day and 6 dollars in tokens to have my work looked at by no one. Fine. I grabbed my stuff and went over to TV Guide. The art director and his assistant were really nice and encouraging. They said they might have something for me in two weeks or so....whatever. I think he was a bit put off because I've never done anything for print. Jeeze. I've done two TV shows and multiple websites. Doesn't that account for anything? Sheesh. I zipped up my trusty black case, buttoned up my coat and made my way back out into the cold sun, back down to the subway. Back down town, to my day job.