More Fun with Charts – When Sales Decline


Another business cartoon by Andertoons - sales decline

Here’s another very early cartoon of mine.

I remember writing this cartoon vividly. It was a very rare, true bolt-of-lightning, “a-HA!” sort of idea. I wish I could offer more of an explanation, but all I can say is I was thinking about a line graph and that little arrow and BAM!

Most ideas don’t come that way. I tend to require a lot of time staring and reading and staring some more to generate ideas. But I’m always grateful when I get a freebie!

(One more thing – I don’t know why, but the word “apparently” makes this caption work. Seriously. Try taking it out and it’s nowhere near as funny.)

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Mark Anderson, professional cartoonist

About the Author: Mark Anderson’s cartoons appear in publications including The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. Anderson is the creator of the popular cartoon website, Andertoons.com, where he licenses his cartoons for presentations, newsletters and other projects. He blogs at Andertoons cartoon blog.

12 Comments ▼

Mark Anderson Mark Anderson's cartoons appear in publications including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. His business cartoons are available for licensing at his website, Andertoons.com.

12 Reactions
  1. You definitely picked a good one from your archives this week that matches our current economic status. I agree that it would not be nearly as funny without the “apparently”. 🙂

  2. Mark, Hilarious. If you talked about “moving back in time,” you are watching markets and you are watching TV! That’s what they have been telling us on TV all the time 🙂

    Chaitanya
    http://www.p2w2.com/blog

  3. Very true. The best ideas come in a BLINK just like what that book called BLINK says. “Moving back in time”. I have been tripping on this idea for quite some time. Taking it on super freak out levels, people should all come down to the same level in a hunter gatherer sort of way and start recreating civilization itself. Scary and amusing at the same time

  4. I laughed when I read this one! I particularly like the look on the woman’s face like “Whah?” Funny!

  5. Like what Kiran said, I too was thinking the same thing last week. Maybe this economic crisis WILL take us back in time and reduce us to hunting and gathering. If not that far back, then at least far enough to make us get back to basics. There’s got to be a silver lining!

  6. Great cartoon.
    I always find it amazing how a cratoon can cut through the clutter and makes points way more powerfully than saying the simply words.

  7. The question is not about the silver lining Colleen. It sure has to exist. Even the present scenario around us sure calls for a silver lining. The question is where, when and most important how?

    It sure calls for small businesses to understand the methodologies and philosophies to follow to reach the lining.

  8. Compare Ebook Readers

    this is really hilarious

  9. Is it time for “back to the future”?! 😉

  10. What do you mean by that, Martin?

  11. Rose, I meant the movie, Back To The Future http://www.answers.com/topic/back-to-the-future
    Going back in the history and fix the problems before they occur later on… 😉

  12. Ooh I See, Martin. How I wish we can actually do that. 🙂