#88: Get into town!

Hello city-dwellers,

It’s the week before Christmas and, somehow, I don’t have a Christmas cartoon for you. But, given the chaos of the past week, it’s a bit of a miracle that there are any cartoons.

Anyway, this week is a revelation on a city street, and a COVID mask taking on a whole new use.

Keeping a low profile,
Chris

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Caption: “Thanks to the weed, you can barely smell the urine.”

I was in New York City earlier this year…

It was my first time there since 2019 and, as I stepped out of the subway and into lower Manhattan, my nose immediately sensed, not the light scent of urine I was expecting, but the thick and unmistakable air of weed. It was everywhere. It was intoxicating. And, in that moment, that smell drowned out everything from the taxi exhausts to the hot dog stands.

Still, it was nice to be back.

A little artist’s note: This is entirely based on a true story. It all happened and this is almost word for word what I wrote down when I experienced it. It just blew me away.

And I don’t know whether this revelation was because it’s not as prevalent where I live, or whether it was simply because of something outside that particular Manhattan metro station. But, whatever it is, it was strong and truly unmistakable.

On the art side of things, this one is intentionally simple. Because, all you really need to know here is that it’s in the city. It could be any city really, as all of them have their share of both urine in the streets and weed in the air, so it was important to not start throwing in New York City landmarks and context clues. People will see it for what they want to see. And, you know, if could even be certain parts of Melbourne, Australia. I’m looking at you Acland Street, St Kilda… and, you know, anywhere in Collingwood.

Caption: “Oh, no this is to hide my anger.”

Masks can be really valuable. But what are they really hiding?

Is it because of some sort of COVID infection? The kind that drifts around and clings to anyone within an arm’s length. Or, is it because the mask covers the wearers immense disdain about something. Anything. Choose your own adventure.

I’ve needed this mask a lot lately.

A little artist’s note: There is a lot going on in this world right now, and not all of it is good. In fact, some of it can make me feel pretty angry. I’m sure you can guess what I’m talking about, or maybe you can project on here what’s making you angry. Whatever it is, sometimes we need to keep that anger hidden a little. Like, behind an oversized mask.

So I had a Christmas cartoon in mind for this week but, as often happens at this time of year, I didn’t have time to actually draw it. It’ll be around next week. But then, I was looking through my archives and I remembered I had this one that I had started, but not quite finished. Cue a montage of strokes and shades and, here we are.

Thanks for reading MiddleSquiggle!

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