Jesse Hamm ([info]sirspamdalot) wrote,
@ 2007-09-11 12:48:00
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McCay speaks.
Another response to Clare Briggs' 1926 questionnaire, this time from master cartoonist Winsor McCay, followed by the cartoon McCay chose to represent his work in Briggs' book:






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SPLAININ
[info]david_porta
2007-09-14 08:12 pm UTC (link)
.

The lines radiating from the front of the car indicate that the train has struck the automobile broadside, and, since the automobile is an immovable object, the 2,000 ton choo-choo derails and goes flying up into the air as a conswquence of its impact with the immovable object.

Casey Jones is the engineer.

The man at the wheel of the automobile (which has stalled on the RR Crossing) remarks upon the engineer's failure to halt the train, calling it "careless."

This is both hilarious and fantastic. Hilarious, because of the driver's foppery in making his comment. Fantastic, because the situation defies the laws of physics.

Anyway, that's the best I can come up with. My analysis may be wrong. I dunno. I had to make up a reason for its being hilarious, because it isn't. As to fantastic, I had to study it, and guess what was going on. The lines radiating from the front of the car are misleading, since the front of the car isn't even in the path of the train. The concussion lines should be coming from the invisible side of the car. Adjusting the perspective might have allowed that, but McCay was a master of perspective, so, I guess he had a good reason for doing it the way he did. But it is not funny, and why the train is defying gravity is not readily apparent. Perhaps color would have made the concussion lines more prominent. I didn't even notice them, at first. What drew my eye was the fying train. Trains can't fly. What is going on here? Winsor, you got some splainin to do.

Or, maybe he chose an unfunny and confusing gag panel to illustrate his remark, "so badly done you will be ashamed of yourself for showing it." This refers not to the illustrative style, which is very eyecatching. "If a person has funny ideas, the comedy to be funny, humor in him, ideas for cartoons." As a reader of the gag, I find this example illustrative of either a failure to have a funny idea in the first place (i.e., his creativity of conception is what was "badly done"; or else, had something with entertainment potential going on in his head, but his execution was "badly done," insofar as it does not resonate with this reader).

*******

As to his basic message: "WORK! WORK! I drew to amuse myslf. Works hard."

As Pat said of his son-in-law (wrt the fellow marring Pat's daughter): "He likes to work. It's nice when things turn out the way they are supposed to."

What kind of sick, perverted, depraved personality actually LIKES to work?!

I believe it was the guy who wrote that book, "What Color Is Your Parachute?," who said, "Do what you love. The money will follow."

McCay: "If you are not capable, if it is not in you, then quit, and get a real job."

.

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