Over the years, comic artist and cartoonist Chris Ware has produced a plethora of creative work all while maintaining a flare for mutation. His style, although always distinct, perpetually changes with each iteration of either comic strip or animation. Best known for Acme Novelty Library, Ware is responsible for characters such as Quimby the Mouse, his own iteration of Superman, and the soon-to-be Rusty Brown.
Quimby the Mouse, another well-known Ware creation, was modeled after Mickey the Mouse and Felix the Cat but is almost an autobiographical character. Often perplexed, Quimby can't quite realize his place in society. Like many of his other characters virtually all are drawn in either Ware's signature rag-time era demeanor or a highly minimalistic bubbly look that often contrasts nicely to the complex social material laden Ware's stories. Embedded within his work is always this subtle hypocrisy of how simple life appears to be but yet never plays out in his character's lives.
Recently, with the help of animator John Kuramoto, Ware created a short series of animations, called Lost Buildings, for the radio show This American Life. The animations stand in to illustrate the audio from various radio shows. Here's one involving a conversation about a couple who happened to see Jacqueline Kennedy one day but still can't agree on the details of what transpired. Again, the humor and complexity of the stories contrast well with Ware's simple animations. I couldn't stop laughing about these kids who constructed fake cameras for a school project the the first time I heard in another episode of This American Life (to the left) on CBC radio. Now, coupled with the animation you can see well how the kids behavior, affected by these camera lenses, became incredibly sinister and perverse in a way that reflects adult use of said media technology.
This (above) is a strip Chris Ware did for The New Yorker. Again, the work's simplistic look contrasts the complex media theory the character finds herself contemplating. Whichever medium or format Ware chooses he seems to effortlessly pull off this remarkable synergy.
Quimby the Mouse, another well-known Ware creation, was modeled after Mickey the Mouse and Felix the Cat but is almost an autobiographical character. Often perplexed, Quimby can't quite realize his place in society. Like many of his other characters virtually all are drawn in either Ware's signature rag-time era demeanor or a highly minimalistic bubbly look that often contrasts nicely to the complex social material laden Ware's stories. Embedded within his work is always this subtle hypocrisy of how simple life appears to be but yet never plays out in his character's lives.
Recently, with the help of animator John Kuramoto, Ware created a short series of animations, called Lost Buildings, for the radio show This American Life. The animations stand in to illustrate the audio from various radio shows. Here's one involving a conversation about a couple who happened to see Jacqueline Kennedy one day but still can't agree on the details of what transpired. Again, the humor and complexity of the stories contrast well with Ware's simple animations. I couldn't stop laughing about these kids who constructed fake cameras for a school project the the first time I heard in another episode of This American Life (to the left) on CBC radio. Now, coupled with the animation you can see well how the kids behavior, affected by these camera lenses, became incredibly sinister and perverse in a way that reflects adult use of said media technology.
This (above) is a strip Chris Ware did for The New Yorker. Again, the work's simplistic look contrasts the complex media theory the character finds herself contemplating. Whichever medium or format Ware chooses he seems to effortlessly pull off this remarkable synergy.
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