Harold’s Planet
WWhahatt Pl Plaanneett AAre You On?re You On?
key benefi t of the Abacus’ nothing about card publishing so the fi rst 24 populate Dorling Kindersely’s series of
A
acquisition of Clare Maddicott last cards failed completely,” explains Ralph. “We children’s reference titles. They are published in
year was that it came with the thought they were all beautiful, but with illegible 18 languages.
license for cartoon humour brand, arty text and esoteric landscape images, they And where to next with Harold’s Planet?
Harold’s Planet. did not have much success.” With 10 solid years behind the project, Lisa
Harold’s Planet was created by Lisa Having learnt from their mistakes, the and Ralph are nowhere near letting up. “Harold
Swerling and Ralph Lazar (above) as a part- next 24 cards were an instant, runaway and is getting better with each passing year”
time project in 1999. At the time, Lisa ran her enduring success. explains Ralph. “He’s our real baby and we put
own graphic design business and Ralph was “Within three months our home had been a lot of energy into keeping him fresh and in
an investment banker in London. taken over by cards. The orders were coming tune with the world around him”.
Initially conceived as a collection of short in faster than we could fulfi ll them, and we
stories and animated TV show, Harold’s Planet were to-ing and fro-ing between home and the
won the International Project Competition post offi ce with baby strollers full of packages.”
Sample of typical daily comments
at the Annecy Animation Festival in France explains Ralph.
through www.haroldsplanet.com
in 1999 (one of the world’s most prestigious But the pressures of running a card
Hi Lisa & Ralph,
animation festivals). On the back of this manufacturing business forced Lisa and Ralph
I want to say thank you!
success, Lisa and Ralph decided to leave their to choose between manufacturing or licensing Something I normally do not say to somebody, who
jobs and focus full-time on the project. They the artwork. They opted for the latter.
sends me daily emails ;-)
moved to a tiny island in the Seychelles (with “It was a diffi cult choice.” explains Ralph.
But you manage to brighten up my day and I laugh
at your cartoons from the bottom of my heart. I
just 50 inhabitants) and began fl eshing out the “It was great getting our hands dirty in the
found somebody who sells your cards here in Vienna
concept. industry, but fulfi llment of orders was eroding
as well, so at any occasions I can pass this kind of
Ten years later and the popularity of our creative time”. Harold’s Planet was humor to my friends as well.
Harold’s Planet shows no sign of slowing licensed to Clare Maddicott Publications, and
Eva (Austria)
down. a few million cards later, the rest is history.
Another little gem of genius.
Lisa tries to account for its enduring The creative demands of numerous
Thank you!
popularity saying Harold is poetic, whimsical, licensees and active web publishing keep the Huge regards
humorous and at its heart, optimistic. content fresh. In print, Harold has appeared
Gina (UK)
“The feel-good factor of Harold’s Planet weekly in The Financial Times, and is currently
Wonderful, mellifl uous, etc etc - I was recently in
makes it especially relevant in these times,” a weekly strip in The Scotsman. A new Harold’s
London and found a store w/you cards - I bought
she explains. “Harold manages to be upbeat, Planet cartoon gets sent to a mailing list of
8 - thank you for starting my week and my days with
without being too sentimental. In the beginning 13,000 subscribers by email daily. “Fans email a smile!
we worried that Harold did not have a mouth us with lovely messages from all over the
Mardie (US)
so he could not smile. But in fact Harold never world,” says Lisa. “It feels great to know that we
Always original and inspiring!
looks too downcast either - he just are making people smile, every day.”
Your devoted reader
takes life as it comes - on the nose!” Now based in London, Ralph & Jonathan (UK)
Several Harold’s Planet books Lisa travel extensively, and spend at
have been published by Penguin least three months of the year out
Fantastico!!!!!
You guys freakin rock!!!!!
and Time Warner, and a range of of the UK. Southern Africa is a big
Nic (Australia)
merchandise and giftware has been source of inspiration.
licensed over the years. At one stage Through their company Last I am a devoted fan of Harold’s Planet since the
Harold’s Planet was the exclusive Lemon Productions (www.lastlemon.
beginning!
animated e-card content supplier com), they have a portfolio of
My journey has begun in 2004 when my girlfriend -
currently wife :) - gave me the fi rst Harold’s postcard.
to Microsoft’s Hotmail in the UK, successful character properties.
Later we both have started to exchange postcards
bringing millions of visitors to their Vimrod (www.vimrod.com) is their on various occasions...Postcards subjects/stories
website, www.haroldsplanet.com. other card property, which is hugely
were always closely related with our current feelings
But it is really the card business successful in the UK, with sales also
and in some way they helped our love to boost!
Piotr (Poland)
that has been exceptional. in the millions, along with 14 books
After returning from the published by Harper Collins and a
Hi Guys I just had to tell you that im going through a
Seychelles in 2001, Lisa and Ralph plethora of successful licensing deals. crappy time at present but what ALWAYS brings a
got married and started self- The Brainwaves (www.
smile to my face is my daily Harlod Planet cartoon.
publishing cards from their home thebrainwaves.com) are another
They so appeal to my sense of humour. Don’t ever
stop!!! Great Work!!! yayeeeee....
in Oxford. “Ten years ago we knew product of the creative duo, and
Micky (South Africa)
28 Greetings Today
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