#65: Going fast

Hello speed demons,

A cartoon isn’t just a cartoon. It’s a way of life. Or, it is on a Thursday.

This week, we see a time when speed isn’t really important, and look at the harsh reality of triathlons.

Keeping pace,
Chris

Like what you see? Follow me on Instagram (@chrisshorten), or talk a friend into following me on Instagram. Or, buy some prints from my website.

Caption: “You know, there’s such a thing as being too fast.”

Sometimes, things just go too fast.

Maybe you’re a thoroughbred on the track, but that doesn’t quite pay off in other locations like, say, the bedroom.

And maybe you’re a horse.

P.S. Of all the cartoons I’ve made, this is one of my absolute favourites. I’ve made a few attempts to sell it, but no buyers. Still, I’m a huge fan of it.

A little artist’s note: I remember when I drew this. All the way back in November 2023, I was sitting in waiting room. I had had the idea that morning and I just couldn’t wait to draw it.

Visually, the one you see above is similar to the original submission, but not quite the same. At the time of the original drawing, I had a slightly different style. You may not notice a difference, but I see all the quirks. Here it was:

So, very similar, but the woman’s head is a slightly different shape, and the shading is a totally different fish.

Still, it was the start of something.

Caption: “So it's swim, cycle, wonder why you agreed to this torture, and then run."

You’ve got to be brave to do a triathlon. Or stupid. Or maybe both.

I think in any act of exertion like this, the mind goes through a lot of considerations. Am I in the right place? Are those my feet? Am I being followed?

And then you wonder why you’ve done this madness.

A little artist’s note: I’ve never ran a triathlon, a marathon, or any sort of -thon. But what I have done is considered how difficult it would be. How much sheer exhaustion would be involved in pushing my body to the limits, and then beyond. Could I do it? Maybe, with training. Would I choose to do it? It seems very unlikely.

On a visual note, this scene is fairly simple. I toyed with the idea of something more extensive, but the more I did the more I realised that it would just be far too distracting. I also didn’t want to have to draw a whole heap of triathletes in the background as I just don’t think it was needed. Of course, the flipside to this is that I was just being lazy. And, well, both of those things are pretty true, really.

Thanks for reading MiddleSquiggle!

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