Friday, March 28, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
ARCHI-TOONS™: The Backstory
Archi-toons was never conceived to be a running comic strip. Although the entertainers throughout the pages of Archi-toons are varied and at times eccentric, there are a few characters that are entertwined throughout the 'toons.
For example, the architectural office that contains the key players is known as Dezinefirm Inc. Begun eons ago as a three man start-up, the firm has evolved into a typical microcosm of the professional world. The principal of design is McGlade. Only one name but one big ego. He is faithfully served by Zack the Project Architect. You know the type. Fast track corporate climber, Pretty boy, family man. Miles the intern is as fresh as they come right out of design school. His naivitee and innocence may eventually be eroded by the real world but his spirit is galvanized by the refreshing creed that architecture can and will make the world a better place.
Jerry is the old timer. Every firm that has an “old man” that can run rings around any underling when it comes to putting a building together. The tragedy is that he would rather gouge out his eye with a protractor than to right-click a mouse. He is tortured by the evolving office political games that have evolved around him and by his own integrity he chose not to play. The supporting cast include Chuck the Contractor; Dezinefirm’s foil and chronically low bidder.Tom is the design school student. He will graduate, one day, but why? Architecture was so pure in school- why not just suspend that simple time ?
Professor Walker is the predominant academic
figure. A man of mystery, we are not aware of his true talent or his personal
life- only his steadfast love for his work.
ARCH TV is the 24 hour a day television
channel for all things related to architecture. It is owned by Doug, a
community access channel robber baron if there ever was one but it is Wyatt,
the number one fan fave and emcee that hosts
There are also fantasy panels interlaced
throughout these comic panels. The Architect’s Dream Sequence series are the daydreams of
what a.) we professionals would like our world to be or b.) are scared to death
that it could be. Forgotten Movements in Architecture is my way of just having
fun with all of the “isms” and labels that seem so common yet so shallow when
discussing architecture.
ARCHI-TOONS™: Yep, its a Registered TM so don't even think about it
I am an architect. I don't remember why I chose this profession on career day in high school and I certainly had no idea what a wonderful adventure it would become. Maybe at the time it was an art job that seemed safe and dignified. Maybe it was that my dad had aspired to be the same but money and college didn't work out for him as he had planned. Maybe it was Mike Brady. Maybe it was my fort built above girl level in the cedar tree in my backyard. Or maybe it was because I thought I could make the world a better place by giving people better public and private environments in which to dwell, work and function. Maybe I don't remember…but one thing of which I am certain: I love what I do.
I love being an architect. I love all things architecture and architectural. I even love the study of the history of architecture but this long term infatuation is not to be confused with obsession. The simple fact is that the architect is academically instructed and professionally trained to be an observer of life. It is an attribute that can't be turned off once it is turned on; it can only be temporarily suppressed by sheer will power or medication.
I have chosen to channel my continuous live input of raw environmental data into a graphic exercise called ARCHI-TOONS™. Cartooning, I have found, is not only therapeutic but can function as an effective method of communicating social commentary, cultural observation or just plain old funny stuff. Twenty years in the path and practice of the architectural profession, in large offices and small, have provided me with ample fodder of the plight, struggles, idiosyncrasies, and daily experiences of the architectural profession as well as the design and the construction industry.
Archi-toons was never conceived to be a running comic strip. Although the entertainers throughout the pages of Archi-toons are varied and at times eccentric, there are a few characters that are intertwined throughout these pages. The stereotypical professional, the academic role model, the public's perception of our craft and many icons of our industry are all "celebrated" in the broadest sense of the word.
I know that ARCHI-TOONS™ will bring a smile to your face and a thought to your mind. I love what I do but I also need to get some billable time in for this month so I need to go. There will be more Archi-toons to come because I can't stop them if I tried. Please feel free to drop me an email and tell me what you think.
Thanks for visiting and come back often!
Rick
I love being an architect. I love all things architecture and architectural. I even love the study of the history of architecture but this long term infatuation is not to be confused with obsession. The simple fact is that the architect is academically instructed and professionally trained to be an observer of life. It is an attribute that can't be turned off once it is turned on; it can only be temporarily suppressed by sheer will power or medication.
I have chosen to channel my continuous live input of raw environmental data into a graphic exercise called ARCHI-TOONS™. Cartooning, I have found, is not only therapeutic but can function as an effective method of communicating social commentary, cultural observation or just plain old funny stuff. Twenty years in the path and practice of the architectural profession, in large offices and small, have provided me with ample fodder of the plight, struggles, idiosyncrasies, and daily experiences of the architectural profession as well as the design and the construction industry.
Archi-toons was never conceived to be a running comic strip. Although the entertainers throughout the pages of Archi-toons are varied and at times eccentric, there are a few characters that are intertwined throughout these pages. The stereotypical professional, the academic role model, the public's perception of our craft and many icons of our industry are all "celebrated" in the broadest sense of the word.
I know that ARCHI-TOONS™ will bring a smile to your face and a thought to your mind. I love what I do but I also need to get some billable time in for this month so I need to go. There will be more Archi-toons to come because I can't stop them if I tried. Please feel free to drop me an email and tell me what you think.
Thanks for visiting and come back often!
Rick
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