Google's #1 Ranked Offbeat Cartoon Watches Getting Attention

Aug. 21, 2013 - PRLog -- Hattiesburg, Ms. native Rick London (born at Forrest General Hospital on July 16, 1954) now goes by Rick London (his maternal family name).  Brett Farve & Tiger Woods are from the Hattiesburg area as well.

      London’s Washington, D.C. agent recommended it around 1988 when he had started the Scandal Tours bus tour in Washington and was being interviewed by the media who either always called back to learn how to pronounce his name or spell it and sometimes didn’t run the story due to the fact it would take forever to learn how to pronounce “Stetelman”.

     “It got old fast. In fact it got old growing up. I remember how easily people could spell “London” but “Stetelman” was a whole other story.  Even I had to think it through two or three times before signing my John Henry (see how easy Henry is too?) “.

     When London launched Londons Times Cartoons  in an abandoned tin shed/warehouse owned by Bob and Barbara McDonald on March 19^th, 1997, he’d been dabbling with it several years before then, but never committed to the idea of a full-color offbeat cartoon until that day.

     It was only going to be a fun hobby.  He’d worked in media a long time and was planning to eventually go back to it.  But fate had other ideas for him. By January 2005, his website had 7 million visits and about 4000 cartoons.  Today it has had 8.8 million visitors and has about 5600 cartoons.

    “I’ve cut back a bit on the volume”, says London.  I went back to college, had a few heart attacks and got married (all in that order).  God’s been very good to me.  I would never have imagined this life, a wonderful wife, a business that feels like play, and living in paradise (Hot Springs, Ar. Has been named the most beautiful city in the world more than once). 

     “My wife Lee and I spend a great deal of time hiking in the mountains.  The forest is where our “souls are restored”. She is a master nature/wildlife photographer and I am a master at remembering facebook and Twitter names and icons.”

     London was surprised around 2006 when he figured out how to import gourmet coffee and add his copyrighted images on mugs and coasters and create gift baskets.  Ruth London’s Exquisite Coffees are one of the biggest selling coffee gift baskets at Amazon. London imports whole beans from five different countries and one offering is 100% organic. You can find about 4000 of them by typing Londons Times Coffee into Amazon's search engine.

    London was also the first and only to dedicate an entire shop (Rick London Organics) to 100% organic cotton offbeat cartoon tees that are also GMO-Free with non-toxic dyes.  He launched it in 2006 and it remains the only shop of its kind on the Internet.

     Today, London found himself in the designer watch business (designed with his cartoons).  Soon he will also make Famous Quote Watches which feature famous historical figures and their most famous quotes. He already has them on other gifts Rick London Designs.

     “Watches are fun and a real challenge to me”, says London.  When Lee and I were engaged, she gave me a collectible CNN watch which I love.  I still have it but never wear it.  I look at these type watches more as collectibles.  If the image on them is significant, they tend to rise in value.  So we’re doing all we can to keep our website relevant, and of course our designer watches. 

     Twitter even verified London’s account due to the popularity of his designer products and cartoons Twitter.com/RickLondon.  His wife Lee Twitter.com/LeeHillerLondon has the very popular wildlife/nature blog HikeOurPlanet.com where one finds creatures and flora of every type.  She takes many of her photographs and designs gifts with them as well as her original artwork. You can follow them on Twitter for updates and promotions.  

     “We operate as a team”, says London.  She has plenty of activities and interests of her own of which I’m not involved and vice versa, but when it comes to the design business, we are each other’s consultants and critics. 

     London does try to respond to all questions, but he is partly disabled due to heart disease and several other ailments and semi-retired.  He says "his creations" keep his mind active and his hiking and vegan diet keep his body alive.