Latvanian Council WORLD cartoon competition

If you are listed on the internet somewhere as a cartoonist, doesn't matter if you draw funny dogs in tight pants for Dog Fanciers Bi-Annual or you do daily editorials for a national newspaper, you'll get sent an email a bit like the following, once or twice a week:

Hello! Greetings of you! The Latvanian City Council is to have it's one year Cartoons Exhibition! We admire you work very high! Please send us original work of cartoon with the theme: Potatoes

Thanks you!

There are any number of opportunities to work for nothing as a cartoonist. You can spend hours creating work on spec. You could go into partnership with some bright spark who's willing to stake their sure fire comedic idea on your work (all you have to do is supply the talent and art supplies), or you could even do work just for the exposure, (like a streaker - everyone love a streaker).

But why would you expend your time, hard earned pen wrangling skills and postage for the chance to win a medal? What do you do with it? Wear it to the pub? Give it to your grandson to wear on ABWAC Day? You certainly can't spend it.

However the emails keep rolling in and so must the entries.