For lots of us fogies, today’s panels were the simpler times. My childhood memories of the 30’s and 40’s include every one of today’s panels, except for the bike helmet. Probably could have used one, considering some of the things I did later.
It’s really very simple, young man. The desire for a return to ‘simpler times’ is totally due to the “selective memories” of those who SURVIVED those ’simpler times! It has little, if anything, to do with reality!
I’m usually pretty good with words, but I do have my stumbling blocks. Like the difference between “simple” and “easy,” which sound like two very similar words, and are, except for when they might as well be the polar opposite of each other.
What I’ve learned is that if you keep things simple, you have a shot at easy. But if you start out looking for easy, you can kiss simple goodbye.
Let’s take today’s output from the Frazz Factory as our illustration, as it were. There’s not a lot of background. I can’t say this for sure, since I tend to forget the past so I don’t have to do all that humiliating learning from it, but I would guess I was feeling a little bit under the gun and thought I might streamline things a little bit. Which would be a good idea, right? Keep it simple. Who needs background if the figures can tell the story? And it WOULD have been a good idea if I’d have looked at it as the simpler way. But I had to go looking for the easy way, and I didn’t stand a chance against myself. Because I didn’t have a lot of background, that left me all sorts of time to add even more figures to the foreground, and figures that were DOING STUFF. Action! And since I denied my readers all that useless background, I kind of felt I owed them some too-clever-by-half design elements as well. The easy way was anything but simple. Though I did have a lot of fun.
The embarrassing thing is, I look back on these few paragraphs and see that, however simple the art, I was still going to provide you with a lot of useless background.
Bilan about 7 years ago
The ones with one foot in the grave.
Fiammata about 7 years ago
Well see, he’s playing without his cellphone or other electronic gaming device. He’ll know it when he sees it and then wish for prior times too.
ACK! Premium Member about 7 years ago
Wait ’til he sees his first tax form.
Richard S Russell Premium Member about 7 years ago
Kite, tree, bicycle, swimming — those are the simpler times this kid will someday remember with fondness as well.
paul.stumme about 7 years ago
I really like the way the tree figures in 4 panels and ties into the the bottom right kite scene.
sandpiper about 7 years ago
For lots of us fogies, today’s panels were the simpler times. My childhood memories of the 30’s and 40’s include every one of today’s panels, except for the bike helmet. Probably could have used one, considering some of the things I did later.
wellis1947 Premium Member about 7 years ago
It’s really very simple, young man. The desire for a return to ‘simpler times’ is totally due to the “selective memories” of those who SURVIVED those ’simpler times! It has little, if anything, to do with reality!
Thomas Thieme about 7 years ago
Beautifully done. Framable.
Kind&Kinder about 7 years ago
“Boy the way Glen Miller played
Songs that made the hit parade.
Guys like us we had it made,
Those were the days."
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] about 7 years ago
Frazz
13 hrs ·
I’m usually pretty good with words, but I do have my stumbling blocks. Like the difference between “simple” and “easy,” which sound like two very similar words, and are, except for when they might as well be the polar opposite of each other.
What I’ve learned is that if you keep things simple, you have a shot at easy. But if you start out looking for easy, you can kiss simple goodbye.
Let’s take today’s output from the Frazz Factory as our illustration, as it were. There’s not a lot of background. I can’t say this for sure, since I tend to forget the past so I don’t have to do all that humiliating learning from it, but I would guess I was feeling a little bit under the gun and thought I might streamline things a little bit. Which would be a good idea, right? Keep it simple. Who needs background if the figures can tell the story? And it WOULD have been a good idea if I’d have looked at it as the simpler way. But I had to go looking for the easy way, and I didn’t stand a chance against myself. Because I didn’t have a lot of background, that left me all sorts of time to add even more figures to the foreground, and figures that were DOING STUFF. Action! And since I denied my readers all that useless background, I kind of felt I owed them some too-clever-by-half design elements as well. The easy way was anything but simple. Though I did have a lot of fun.
The embarrassing thing is, I look back on these few paragraphs and see that, however simple the art, I was still going to provide you with a lot of useless background.