“Is this a thing?” is a question cartoonists ask each other constantly. We’re frantically texting each other at all hours of the night, “Is this a thing? Have you heard of this? Is it just me, or does everybody know it?”

A thing is a very important tool in cartooning. It’s hard to define, but everything centers around the thing, and if the thing is, in fact, not a thing, then you’ve just made a cartoon that no one will get but you. That’s why it’s such an important question. Is this a thing that most everyone will understand, or is this just something that exists in my head, a connection made from the neurons bouncing around in my brain and no one else’s? Do I have Potential Cartoon Fodder (PCF) or is it back to the ol’ drawing board?

A thing can be so many things. Broadly speaking, a trope is a thing. But a cartoonist wouldn’t ask “is a desert island a thing?” because they already know that it is. That’s an easy thing. Another easy thing can be a common phrase you say around the house, or a phrase associated with a specific line of work.

Sometimes things are idioms. Sometimes a thing can be some form of etiquette. “No white shoes after Labor Day” is a thing. Not a very interesting thing, but a thing. There are lots of things out there. But the things cartoonists are really after are the things that we take for granted. The elusive things. The things that we didn’t realize are in fact things, until we text everyone to confirm. When you find a thing like that, you’re on your way to creating a good cartoon.

A thing isn’t just an idea. It comes before that part. A thing isn’t a subject, although a thing helps define what the subject will be. A thing is not an observation. Observations are personal, filtered through the individual’s outlook and experiences. A thing is not The Thing. The Thing could be anyone of us.

A thing is a connection. It’s a form of reaching out and asking, “am I alone?” If the answer is “no,” then you have unearthed a thing. Let me give you some examples.

I have a lot spices in my cabinet. Too many. Most of them were used once for one recipe and never opened again. One day I noticed this, and I thought, is this just me? Do I have a spice problem? Or are cabinets across America like mine? Is this a thing?

I love going on Zillow and looking at expensive houses that I’ll never be able to afford. Is that a thing? Or is just me?

I leave a lot of glasses of water on my nightstand. Was that just a forced plot point in Signs, or is it a thing?

This guy I knew awhile back once told me that he’s “more of an idea man” when it comes to the creative process. It made me roll my eyes, but that’s a thing, right? People say that?

OK, I’ve said enough about things. I think you get the picture. In other news, I’m going to do a Random Batch of the Week for next week’s newsletter and I need a number! Please send me any number you want, from 1 to 285. Don’t pick 38 though. I won’t discuss batch 38.

Okay that’s it for this week! thanks for reading!

What Else?

Nothing really. Just wanted to say that all the cartoons in this post are New Yorker cartoons, and you can get prints of any of them right here. Thanks !