Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Paul Bunyan

paul bunyan
I've really gotten into Paul Bunyan lately. I found a fantastic collection of Paul Bunyan stories from 1947 chock full of the Real America which is really inspiring. It's a bit weird for me, because i was a pioneer in the whole eco-Punk element & really bought into the whole environmentalist line during my brief flirtation with all things leftist. Having grown up & seeing what it actually takes to keep people going, & re-aligning my interests with the American working class, i understand that there's conservation which is good, & then there's environmentalism which is a college campus based semi-religious ideology that is misanthropic at its core.

Anyhow, Disney, which i have a love/hate relationship with covers all of this old Americana territory, but they didn't do it with the proper guts, gusto, nuts, grit, grime & aggression to sustain the nation. They do about a "half castration" in the 50s, while today they do a "complete gender reassignment surgery".

8 comments:

Uland said...

Totally agree re: Conservationism vs. environmentalism.Not so much interestested in promulgation of the concept of class, however.

Aeron said...

Great cartoon, it's too bad Disney can't still be what it was in the early part of the last century. I lvoe the more surreal old cartoons of Mickey Mouse, such as the episode where he passes through the mirror into that weird backward universe.

Anyway, it's nice to be reminded of the mythology of America, what little of it there is. I suspect in the future we'll have some mythic explanation for why there's nothing but strip malls, walmarts and burger kings from coast to coast.

Anonymous said...

When I see this cartoon, what makes me mad is the kind of souless drek they are putting out now. At least this had style and talent. I too love the myth of the US. I love colonial stories (especially by Hawthorne) but I love all the kids stuff about Boone, Crockett, Bunyan, Icabod Crane, and John Henry. BTW, I love your interpretation of Bunyan. Is is for sale?
Mostyn

zeke said...

That's a beautifull drawing style, great balance of cartoon and realistic imagery.

Paleo said...

the more you look at it the better it looks, that's a great drawing Sean.

Jeffrey Meyer said...

Eyvind Earle worked on that Disney cartoon, his style is extraordinary:

http://www.gallery21.com/

Human Mollusk said...

Great drawing, Sean!

I'm tempted to comment on the worldview part but I'll pass. Internet discussions always leave me with the hollow feeling of having wasted precious hours on bullshit.

Gaspard Pitiot said...
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