#160: StateStack
United Toons
If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that my name is Ellis Rosen. Another thing you should know is that I’m a native New Yorker. A third thing you should know is that I’m thirty-eight and I just learned for the first time that there are other places that exist that aren’t New York. Maybe you already knew this, but in the USA (no idea what that stands for) there are actually fifty so-called “states” besides New York, which are not considered part of New York. It’s confusing. I know I’m confused by it. People have tried to explain, but I’m a visual learner, so I asked my fellow Toonstackers to show me some examples.
One last thing you should know about me: I’m 6 foot 2.
Brendan Loper
New Jersey gets a lot of shit. It's not fair. People will talk shit about Jersey from inside their air conditioned apartment. Hypocrites. Air conditioning units were invented in the Garden State. People will talk shit about New Jersey while wearing band-aids and playing Monopoly. Hypocrites. New Jersey is beautiful, sophisticated and essential. I mean, can you imagine if there wasn't an entire state separating Mets and Phillies fans, Giants and Eagles fans?
Kendra Allenby
This cartoon is inspired by Colorado. This guy is in Colorado. He is on the plains and those are the Rockies, or the "front range" if you're in Colorado and want to sound cool. Or, you know, not really cool, just "in the know." Or, not really "in the know," just kinda nerdy about mountains. I have hiked the Rockies. With fancy 2020 hiking gear and all the towns that exist in 2020 with grocery stores and hot water and also this was in the summer. All to say, this guy, and his wagon, are F*$%ed.
Tom Chitty
You might be tempted to think that this cartoon is plain silly, but, in fact, it conveys a deep understanding of U.S. politics. Many important people are saying this, it's not me saying this.
Navied Mahdavian
In preparation for the "states" theme this week, I moved to (very) rural Idaho in 2016 and lived there for three years. I published a book about my time there, as a companion piece to this Toonstack blurb. You can buy it here or wherever books are sold, to learn more about the state of Idaho, or whatever.
Some one-star Goodread reviews:
"Reading it is something like eating a rice cake or three day old tofu."
"Mostly the protagonist flaunting how much he has read."
"The author is an idiot."
- Navied "Dumb dumb" Mahdavian
Ellis Rosen
When I picked this week's theme, I asked my fellow cartoonists not to choose cartoons about NY, claiming that I didn't want too many New York toons, because then this week's theme would become New York toons. The truth is, however, that I only have New York toons, because if I try to leave the boundaries of the city, I disappear and some child in a different dimensional plane of existence wakes up and says “I just had the strangest dream about this six-foot-two guy named Ellis from some place called New York. Anyway, what’s for breakfast? Slugs?” (In this dimension it's normal to eat slugs for breakfast.)
Hilary Campbell
This goes out to my homies in PA, I’ll be forever grateful they invented the heart shaped tub and the champagne glass bath. Without them, I’d never truly know what love was. Neither would my dog. I mean boyfriend.
David Ostow
I drew this on January 7th, 2021 and the New Yorker ran it as its daily cartoon. Luckily, our nation never skips a beat and it remains evergreen.
But wait, there’s more!
Hilary releases Cartoons by Hilary every Friday!
Amy Kurzweil’s graphic memoir, Artificial: A Love Story, was named a best book of 2023 by The New Yorker, NPR, and Kirkus!
Check out Navied’s critically acclaimed graphic memoir, This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America.
Amy Kurzweil teaches cartoon classes on Patreon! Sign up now to get the recording of every past class!
Jason Chatfield has a new Substack about making art called Process Junkie! And Subscribe to Jason’s regular weekly Substack at NewYorkCartoons.com
Sofia Warren's got an advice column! Read it here.
I loved this week's ToonStack! Brendan Loper’s clever defence of New Jersey was spot-on and hilarious, while Kendra Allenby’s depiction of Colorado was funny and insightful. Both pieces perfectly blend humour with perceptive commentary.