Internet CARTOONS Forum Launches Today
Sep 16, 1996

CARTOONS - they're not just for kids! Grown-up women and men, as well as younger people, appreciate the humor, the feeling, the storytelling, and the artistic talent represented in this great communcation art form.

For six years, cartoonist and online techno-geek Pete Oakley has hosted and managed the "CARTOONS Forum" on the America Online computer network. Now he's taking it to the World Wide Web! The "Internet CARTOONS Forum" launches today, and can be found by setting your WWW browser to http://www.cartoonsforum.com.

Pete explains the big move: "I'd been working to make the forum on AOL an inviting place for people of all ages who appreciate the cartooning arts - a place where amateur and professional cartoonists, collectors, and fans could share ideas, instruction, encouragement and debate about the business, the fun, and the future of this special form of communication."

Last year, the CARTOONS Forum earned over $140,000 in revenues from America Online's membership of five million people. Even though it is a small "niche" market, online cartooning has proven itself. But most of last year's income went to America Online; very little went to the cartoon creators who contributed features to the site.

In order to improve the compensation to cartoonists, Pete is turning to the Internet, where there is a much bigger audience. And a web-built CARTOONS Forum gives Pete more flexible capabilities in presenting cartoon features and building interaction among the forum's visitors.

"I had been managing and hosting an online forum in my spare time for too long. Tired and in need of a big break, I decided in July 1996 to quit my 'day job,' where I was Senior Graphic Designer at Videodiscovery, Inc., in Seattle. It was a great job, with wonderful people to work with, but I was drawn by the siren call of cartooning community, and wanted to give it my full attention."

It will take nearly two years to determine whether or not Pete's new Internet CARTOONS Forum can succeed as a business. Getting that huge audience on the web to pay for this new forum will be a challenge. If success comes, Pete intends to pay 50% of the gross income each quarter in royalties to the contributing cartoonists.

"Online cartooning is a brand new market," says Pete, "and those who venture into it in these early days are the pioneers. It's an exciting time to be a cartoonist, a creator. I hope that with my online hosting and computer experience, I can help set the rules and expectations so that creators are fairly rewarded for their talent. If that happens, then there is a bright future ahead for professional cartoonists."

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"Internet CARTOONS Forum" is a trademark of Oakley Home Pictures, Vashon Island, Washington, USA. Oakley Home Pictures develops online cartoon features for electronic communications networks. For further information, contact Peter Oakley via e-mail.