Better late than never. This was drawn in November, 2014. It is one of my favorite time-change cartoons. This cartoon is notable in another way: it employs a benday pattern, the dots that produce the large uniform gray areas in panels one and three. For more than a century, newspapers printed with only one color, black. Any white was the color of the newsprint itself. All between shades of gray (and gray is all there would be) were created by breaking down areas of black with the use of dots which would vary in size and pattern. This is the benday pattern, named for its 19th-century inventor, illustrator Benjamin Henry Day Jr. Benday patterns have been integral to printing ever since, including the printing of color images, a varying but similar process. I say it is notable in this case, because I seldom have used shading to achieve gray in Arlo & Janis. Usually, it’s just black and white.
219 responses to “Gray Area”
You’ve all lost me, lost in the 60s I suppose.
I worked on an amateur super-hero comic book in the 1980s, and used various ‘densities’ of ben-day– or zipatone as we called it– for grays. It’s funny to think of it today in the world of photoshopping, cutting and putting the self-adhesive patterned paper down lightly on roughly the area to be toned, then cutting it precisely with an exacto-knife and peeling away the excess. I have comic strip art originals at least as far back as the 1950s that employ ben-day. Often on originals, the ben-day is badly yellowed, or has even fallen off leaving a yellow glue residue behind. The great Wally Wood apparently used a better quality type, as his ben-day film on the outer space strip “Sky Masters” (where he collaborated with Jack Kirby on the art) looks like new 60 years later.
Might Steve in RO been referring to Ben-Gay?
By the way belated Happy Birthday emb – (use with permission)
Here’s a Wiki site about such toning products. Had some Zip-a-tone sheets once, cannot remember what I fancied them for, ’60s or ’70s. Similar products were likely used to prepare a presettlement map of MN vegetation, used by Patricia Burwell in constructing map used as Map. 1 in “The mammals of Minnesota” [U. Minn. Pr., ’82].
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screentone
OB: Thanks. I turned 87 Thur. Doesn’t feel much different.
Apparently walk-shovelers were here while plows were working. Lots of lights on trucks. Think I’ll drive to hospital gym to work out tomorrow. Above freezing temps not due till next wk. Hope roads are decent by Tue.
Peace,
Let’s see if I can word this one right? Asked Mark if I might have been guilty of posting religious or political comments along with my usual offensive remarks?
He replied no, I hardly mention religion and was avoiding politics like the plague. I said like an ostrich with my head buried in sand and my tail feathers sticking up.
Mark said I was afraid I’d be ostrichized if I spoke up.
I said I’d do an Ann Rand feathered fan dance to avoid either subject. He said I had wrong Rand, I meant Sally Rand, Ann was author and while both were shocking, for different reasons.
It was funny pun.
Jackie, I’m laughing at your clever remarks. Yes, Ruth, he means Ben-
Gay. You are ahead of the rest of the Village.
I got it but thought everyone did. I can’t stand the smell, but I have rubbed emulate oil on my joints so I guess that makes me emu-sified as well as ostrich-sized.
No. No Hal!! Bad Hal! Bad! You ruined my pun!
I said emu oil on my joints!
Not emulate! Emu!
Old Bear they sell chicken poop lip gloss at Tractor Supply.
What can Debbe do with acres of poop besides chicken fertilizer?
Ayn Rand was the author. I read her in college. For the stories, though, not the philosophy. I skipped over John Galt’s speech.
Jackie, a chicken fertilizer is a rooster. You must mean chicken manure. Wonder what Hal thought your joints needed to emulate? Normal, non-painful ones I hope! Maybe you need to go back to the emu rub along with the chicken juice Nancy spoke of.
I think I understand emb’s reference above, but I am going to avoid political discussion.
Here’s a song to put any problems in your life in perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buqtdpuZxvk
I think they said that the little boy is the new head of the FBI.
Good morning Villagers….
Emb, a happy belated birthday….87 and still going strong, an inspiration you are.
Jackie, at least Hal didn’t use the word ‘bidet’ 🙂 which also rhymes with Sand’s bedday! As for the chicken poop, I can really sling it when needed!! Looked up that quote and found this article, hmmm….. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ethlie-ann-vare/all-cats-are-gray-in-the-dark-_b_1280797.html
Smigz, watching that video helped me keep things in perspective….now where is my password for the Social Security 🙂 Patience, Debbe, it’s the gubment, right?
Too cold to work today and tomorrow.
Mark, what chicken juice did Nancy bring up?
later…..
🙂 http://cheezburger.com/8987715584
Rooster comb injected into knees.
EMB,
Happy belated birthday. I’m less than a decade behind you and every year is very welcomed. I had two cousins who made it 104 and the last one went to a local casino and played the slot machines two weeks before the end. Here’s to many more good years for both of us! Pax te cum, my friend.
God bless us every one. God bless the USA.
P.S.
I am reminded of the old Sinatra song:
“If you should survive to a hundred and five,
Think of all you’ll derive out of being alive.
And here is the best part,
You’ll have a head start,
If you are among the very young at heart!”
May we all be young at heart!
cruising thru the cheeseburgers beats reading the news
https://i.chzbgr.com/full/8759972864/hD06B0282/
Jackie, if you would inject the juice of a rooster’s comb….you’d be:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHrCoHVw0SI
Domaucon, you are such a blessing here….thank you
Going to Philbrook Museum in Tulsa to see opening day of festival month. Hundreds of gingerbread houses, Christmas trees, gardens decorated in twinkle lights, music. Lots of seasonal spirit.
Jimmy: Today’s A&J, 3rd panel, “. . . Gus’ kitchen . . ..” If one were not reading that but simply saying it to someone, it would probably sound thus: gúhssiz, and be written Gus’s. To indicate possession, one generally should add ‘s to any noun, as Strunk and White indicate in chap. 1, Elementary Rules of Usage, number 1, “Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding ‘s.” Rule is accompanied by examples and exceptions [one of which I don’t follow].
Peace, emb
Strunk is now in dictionary, but not “gúhssiz”.
Thinking it is about time to call out the ghost hunters. Our resident Ghost has gotten lost in the 80s apparently.
https://youtu.be/r1-NvLJFDsw