8. The cunning plan!

I was now married to Maria and with my two kids from my earlier marriage,
I settled down with my pipe and slippers again  only to find I was going to be a dad
once more! At this point I decided we needed a better plan! So we created a freelance art company.

With a small drawing board and a tin of cow gum we took on many clients, gluing together leaflets and business forms, business cards and letterheads. I ended up with little money and sticky fingers.

But, the earlier success in the card market had given me lots of my own card designs and with the help of the greeting card portfolio I walked the streets of London and landed yet more card work.
Let me tell you at this point, sitting at a desk all day thinking up silly ideas for humorous cards is soul destroying and will render you isolated from friends who get tired of your punny quips in between their deep and meaningful conversations with their wives. Their wives found them dull and boring, me of course they found highly entertaining! “Isn’t your friend funny!” they would say.