In 1968, Ungerer proposed a series of posters for the New York State Lottery with the copy line, "Expect the Unexpected." Although the N.Y. Lottery subsequently produced some of Tomi's work and lightened up with regard to their function, they were at that time taking themselves very seriously: the whole emphasis of the Lottery was the public's golden opportunity to help educate its neighbor's children-"Your chance of a lifetime to help education." In light of such high seriousness, Ungerer's approach was viewed as bordering on sacrilegious.
However, when his friends Howard Smith and Daniel Wolf of the Village Voice saw these paintings in Tomi's studio, they asked to use them to publicize the popular weekly newspaper. The art and copy remained unchanged; only the bottom copy was changed from selling the lottery to selling The Voice. At a time of conspicuous waste, it's good to see that even discarded art can be recycled.
