#28: Square, round, and cube

Hello future-gazers,

It’s that time of the week again, so get yourself comfortable.

This week we look at some problematic rock, a big Sunday morning, and a very complicated operation.

Riding that wave,
Chris

Like what you see? Follow me on Instagram (@chrisshorten), or talk a friend into following me on Instagram.

Caption: “We're going to play some new stuff, some old stuff, and some stuff that's problematic in a modern context.”

Things change constantly, and often what was great before, is less great now.

This cartoon puts the humble rock band in the spotlight in one of their tougher gigs: when their hits become problematic. Maybe it was a change in language, society, or taste but whatever happens, the result is the same.

Problems. Nothing but problems.

A little artist’s note: Are you ready to rock and roll? Or maybe just roll? For such a simple joke, this cartoon took way longer than I expected. It turns out that drawing musical instruments can be really hard work. No matter how many details you think you have, there are always more to add. Drum kits seem especially hard, I think it’s the endless angles of all the bits. And, as I noticed now, it looks like the guitars are missing their straps… you can’t win them all, I guess.

Caption: Sunday Morning Fever

This is me, every Sunday morning.

But, more importantly, it’s also what John Travolta’s character in Saturday Night Fever is probably doing on a Sunday morning. Maybe.

Stayin’ alive.

A little artist’s note: Sometimes things arrived fully formed, and I can think of nothing that fits that bill more than this cartoon. From the moment I had the idea, I knew exactly what it was going to look like, as well as the composition and shading. I knew it had to have that hand high in the air, like the poster, and I knew he had to be wearing the suit, and the rest just made itself. I did consider adding in a background. Maybe of a diner or something, but it just didn’t feel needed.

Caption: “We were able to save your husband, but there were… complications.”

This is such a sorry state of affairs.

We all had that friend at school who managed to complete the Rubik’s Cube by taking all the stickers off and putting them all together. It was equal parts an amazing achievement and a complete cop out. But what happens in an accident, when those stickers are gone, never to come back?

And if that doesn’t pull the heart strings, just look at the look on the the face of Mrs Cube.

A little artist’s note: Gosh, this one was a lot of work, because Rubik’s Cubes are a lot of work. And then you have to ask yourself, well, how would one look if it was standing in front of you? How big would it be? Which colours would you choose? The challenge with this cartoon was to establish the details around the cube, but especially for Mrs Cube. When I initially drew it, I remember working out the angles and the details, and then realising that it had taken me a good hour longer than I had planned. Still, the pay off is in the details.

Thanks for reading MiddleSquiggle!

Follow me on Instagram @chrisshorten for new cartoons every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Or subscribe below for a weekly email every Thursday.