editors
JERRY BECK (LA)
AMID AMIDI (NY)
It’s a Cartoon Modern World
February 1, 2008 3:12 am


Dear Brew readers, please indulge this shameless late-night post. I discovered a new fact tonight: nothing perks one up at 1:30am like walking by MoMA and seeing your book in their store window display. I snapped a couple phonecam shots for posterity.

Cartoon Modern at MoMA

It’s equally exciting to know that Cartoon Modern is extending its reach all over the globe. It was a delight to hear Paco Calderón, a cartoonist from Mexico City, state in a new Amazon review that Cartoon Modern was his personal “book of the year.” And on a recent trip to Japan, Christopher Butcher discovered that my book was on display in the country’s largest bookstore, the flagship Kinokuniya Books. He snapped the pic below showing it alongside some fine company: The Art of Ratatouille and the Fantagraphics Peanuts reprints.

Cartoon Modern at Kinokuniya

Of course, a book is no use if it just sits in a bookstore. Thankfully plenty of artists are putting it to good use. Guillermo García Carsí, the co-creator, director and designer of the exemplary CG preschool series Pocoyo told me that after going through Cartoon Modern he was inspired to create a stylized Flash-animated segment for a recent episode. He sent a few stills which I’ve posted below. Also be sure and check out his new website GuillermoGarciaCarsi.com which features Pocoyo and non-Pocoyo animation as well as plenty of his eye-catching illustrations.

Pocoyo

The accompanying Cartoon Modern blog is also inspiring artists. For example, Adam Garcia of Philly-based design studio The Pressure posted onto Flickr this page of studies based on images from the blog.

Cartoon Modern studies by Adam Garcia

Saving the best for last, here is an intriguing sight: knitted versions of the cover’s Ernie Pintoff/Fred Crippen-designed characters.

Cartoon Modern scarf

Why are they knitted? Because I’m now the proud owner of this awesome one-of-a-kind Cartoon Modern scarf I received from my friend, filmmaker Heather Harkins. It’s the perfect complement to my Mary Blair boxers. Thanks, Heather!

Cartoon Modern scarf

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Ed Kirk says:
02/1/08  5:33am

Shameless plug Amid – trust you’re paying the new ad option rates of $250/month!!! – got my copy already, it’s travelled 5000 miles to the UK.

 
Mark Kennedy says:
02/1/08  8:20am

Ha ha, not shameless at all – it was great to see how wide the book’s influence has spread. Congrats, Amid, it really is an amazing book.

 
Chuck R. says:
02/1/08  8:37am

Cool, Cool, Cool. You have every right to be proud.
…and I want to meet a filmmaker who can knit like that!

 
red pill junkie says:
02/1/08  10:16am

Paco Calderón is one of the best political cartoonists in Mexico; that is no small praise Amid, and I’m sure it is well deserved :-)

 
GeeVee says:
02/1/08  6:24pm

I don’t mind a shameless plug of something that’s as deserving of celebrating as Cartoon Modern. Its ubiquitous display is a positive sign that it fills a niche of a classic.

 
Kevin Kidney says:
02/2/08  12:45am

Wow to that scarf! So spiff!

 
Steve Gattuso says:
02/2/08  11:18am

Gave a copy to myself as a late Xmas gift, Amid. Well done. It’s a period and style that needed better coverage.

 
Robert Schaad says:
02/3/08  1:07pm

You’ve every reason to be proud. Oh yeah…nice scarf, too!

 
Adam R Garcia says:
05/28/08  9:47pm

Thanks Cartoon Brew and Cartoon Modern for keeping an eye out! Endless inspiration…

 
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