Kids! The Toonsical
Good morning and welcome back to another Toonstack! This week, I (Navied Mahdavian) have asked my fellow cartoonists to share cartoons about kids.
It may come as a shock to some of you, but the cartoonists of Toonstack were human children once. Surely, like Athena springing forth from Zeus’ head, we must have come into the world fully formed (and in a full set of armor). No, no, just like you, we once were kids. And like many great artists before us, we sometimes tackle in our work that strange (and gross) period of our lives called childhood.
So without further ado: Kids! The Toonsical*
*Not to be confused with the 1995 coming-of-age film, “Kids” which features zero cartoons and like, maybe one or two jokes
Even though I love to tell my boyfriend I’ll never be ready to be a mom, I’m actually, dare I say, great with kids? This cartoon was born from a time when I was a Brooklyn nanny. Like all 25 year old Brooklyn nannies I was always hungover at the park, hiding in the shade with a cup of coffee, watching my adorable little antisocial 4 year old learn about weight of human consciousness via the playground (Life is really hard it doesn’t matter what age you’re at!!!).
I eventually created this character called Hungover Girl to funnel all of my emotions through and the cartoon you’re seeing here was one of the first I drew of her. She sees life quite bleakley, and treats the children as adults—that’s what they want anyway, right? So when something tragic happens like dropping your ice cream cone, Hungover Girl’s advice is not to scream, but just really send a lot of texts to everyone you know.
P.S. This week I’m off teaching a cartooning camp for kids in Northern California -- if all goes well I will convince a group of 7 year olds to become anxiety ridden artists when they grow up!!
As the father of an almost-two-year-old, my life is filled with so much silliness, joy, and love which I immediately debase by mining it for cartoon material. There’s nothing like taking the profound emotion you feel as you watch your child figure something out for the first time and converting it into a crude little picture with the hope that it will make someone snort. Years from now, as my daughter leaves home to take on the world on her own, I'll put my hands on her shoulders, look her in the eyes and whisper “Thank you. You gave me everything a father could want: about 4 or 5 cartoon sales.”
I became an uncle recently, a role I’ve apparently been preparing for my whole life. I’m cartoon-drawing, tuba-playing, balloon animal-making Uncle Johnny from the big city. And you better believe when my nephew has his first lemonade stand, I’m gonna be first in line to hand him a glass of lemonade.
The saving grace of parenting? Kids are inherently funny. For example, my two-year-old likes to end his yoga practice with the word “Namasteak.” And if my four-year-old’s teddy gets lost at the zoo, Teddy can always take the bus back and magically appear at home, no questions asked (cue backup Teddy). Parenting fuels creativity like nothing I’ve ever experienced, other than being a child myself. If looking cute gives kids a biological leg up, well, so does being hilarious.
My name is Navied and I am a dinokid. Or I was a dinokid, at least. Every class has one (“It’s ank-eye-la-saur-us”). In the 3rd grade, I had a dinosaur club that met inside my closet. Attendance was generally low. But there was Carlos, who knew the correct pronunciation for each dinosaur (“Shut up, Carlos”), and Randic who could draw palm trees (such fronds!). Membership peaked at three and precipitously declined when the Jurassic Park craze was replaced by Power Ranger mania.
My name is Navied and I am a Power Ranger kid.
And friends, that baby was Elon Musk.
After a week of 9 hour days in a summer classroom of masked teenagers, I deserve an ice cream cone and an aphorism.
I don't have kids, but when I do, I can't wait to try to monetize anything they're good at.
For Your Pleasure: Cartoon Extras
Pre order Send Help! a desert island cartoon collection by Ellis Rosen and Jon Adams
Follow Kendra Allenby as she walks the Continental Divide Trail for 5 months!
Amy Kurzweil’s Patreon offers a new online cartooning class every month! Join just for the month, or stay a while!
Enjoy diary comics from Hilary Campbell on Patreon!
Be sure to check out Shelby Lorman’s newsletter, Please Clap!
The same goes for Sofia Warren’s advice newsletter, You’re Doing Great!
See more cartoons from Ellis Rosen’s weekly Junk Drawer!
Follow @drawdeanadraw on Instagram to see her drawings of the Rue Soufflot neighborhood in Paris.