Peace, love, cartoons

I think about cartoons a lot, my love for them as a kid, how I think about them now as an adult. I watched cartoons every Saturday morning growing up, but the ones I think about most often were on VHS tapes my mom would buy for my sisters and me. My parents still have the tapes, but they are in Memphis along with the only VHS player I know still exists.

My affinity for children's books and cartoons most likely stem from the fact that, back then, they offered much needed respite. They allowed me to take a break from days full of shy and awkward moments and helped my brain to rest. I would visually dissect each scene with my eyes, looking past what was going on in the foreground to all that was happening in the distance. I was just as intrigued by what illustrators decided to do with the space behind as I was in the space up close- Were there tiny houses in the background? Do the colors fade? Did they merely use a pattern as the backdrop?

If I had to explain why I make art, it would be tempting to lay a bunch of children's books out on a table and show cartoons for an hour. The way I viewed these things as a child reminds me of making work today. They each instill calm and focus and help me to become lost in contentment, because, for a glimmer of time, I quit thinking about how to be content.

Today I had a hankering to see the Bread and Butter Panthers from my past, and I found them. I watched this particular Merry Melodies Cartoon, A Day at the Zoo, over and over again as a kid. It's great to see it again.