The recession has hobbled media outlets, freelance writers, and publishers, but it has hurt another, less-publicized group of creators--the professional cartoon industry.

Today's guest on Morning Media Menu was Bob Eckstein, author of The History of the Snowman, and cartoonist for publications like the NY Times and Reader's Digest, and popular blogger. He discussed the life of a freelance cartoonist and author in this difficult economy.

Click here to listen to the whole show. Around the 2:15 mark, Eckstein revealed the cartoon submission process at a major literary magazine: "At the New Yorker you're expected to turn in 10 cartoons a week, and hopefully you can sell one. It's a grueling process, and it's not practical on any level. In the last two to three years, I produced about 500 cartoons."