If it seems like technology and cartoon humor don’t fit as well together as crusty old millionaires and big-boob gold-diggers, it’s probably true.
The principles that drive tech innovation are based on a certain amount of hopeful enthusiasm that is hard to make fun of sometimes. Many new gadgets focus on dry accumulative hardware developments that are technically dense and the personalities driving them are often, on the surface, quite serious.
But with a skillful drawing, a great cartoonist can find insightful humor in anything. And often, the artist expresses commentary that can be more than funny. It can be reflective, mocking, or brutally honest in a single panel of narrative.
As the Daily Telegraph once stated, what makes a great cartoon is that its "action and character must be read and recognised at a glance, subtleties and depth of meaning may emerge as the cartoon is studied."
This year, the gadget world provided cartoonists with great opportunities to show the growing hold that tech has on our lives. From Bill Gates’ retirement to the global launch of the iPhone 3G, the cartoonists were there, ready to comment with a stencil and a knowing smile.
Here are the winners:
12. Should You Buy a Smartphone or Gas?, by Beeler
One of the biggest stories of the year was the record-high price for gas. On June 20th, the average price for one gallon of regular gas reached $4.68. As a result, commuters cut their gas budgets and ridership in public transportation increased, leading to a huge spikes in bike sales. In the following months, the demand for oil decreased and prices fell precipitously. As shown in the cartoon, sensible budget-management led many to reconsider their own investments in high-priced gadgets, like the Blackberry. But the Crackberry habit proved too enticing essential for the life of daily workers — it’s still the top smartphone in the market. Even Barack Obama has had a hard time letting go.
11. Human Computer Interaction, by Alexandr Zudin (St. Petersburg, Russia, 4/12/2008)
2008 was another year full of innovations in the world of robotics, bringing us ever closer towards the robot uprising. This cartoon nicely portrays the growth of artificial intelligence as it is bound to our own intelligence. It mirrors the continuing goal of electronic user interfaces (as well as net tools like search engines) to accurately match a person’s true intent, which is of course found in the cognition engine of the brain. Plus, the cartoon is just plain creepy. Check out our robot hand gallery from a few months ago to check out how close we are to bringing this cartoon to life.
10. MICROSOFT and YAHOO, by
Patrick Chappatte (The International Herald Tribune,
2/20/2008)
Microsoft made a surprising and unsolicited $44.6 billion bid for struggling Yahoo! at the beginning of 2008 and we spent the rest of the year figuring out when the Silicon Valley giant would finally cave in. The appearance of the company’s perceived helplessness and stubborn delusions in these cartoons shows how far the company’s fortunes have fallen in comparison to its rivals. The toon suggests it has essentially become the bait in a power struggle where only one Big Dog (or Pac-Man) gets to eat. NomNomNom indeed.
If this is resolved in 2009, it will lead to a bigger question: Who gets to be Pac Man and Mrs. Pac-Man?
9. Rake The Leaves, Son, by
Randy Bish (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 10/13/2008)
This year, the Macarthur Foundation unveiled a study that being on the internet is not actually a bad thing for students. Turns out they told us what we already knew: That social and technical skills are easy to develop online and that maintaining a permanent public record of your friends may not be such a bad thing. Still, the generation gap between parents and kids who grew up on the internet is still big. And chores will always be chores, no matter how high-tech we get.
8. Ballmer Can’t Catch a Break, by
Milt Priggee (Puget Sound Business Journal, 6/12/2008)
In his rule as CEO, Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer is trying to reach a few markets that are still within grasp of the company but that have gotten away from them just a tad. One such service is in search, where Google controls the market to such a degree that it’s become a verb for the term. Earlier this year, MS came out with a cashback program that allowed users to get rebates for purchases they make through Live.com, essentially ‘tipping’ people to use their search engine. It doesn’t look like it worked. Maybe if they buy enough robot-controlled brain implants . . .
7. Cell Phone Ban, by Theo Moudakis (1/29/2008)
This one is all about hypocrisy. In 2008, a growing number of states, including California, passed laws that made driving while talking on the cell phone illegal, unless you had a hands-free device. The law arose out of the growing need for safety regulations and the growth of cell phone use. the number of deaths related to cell phones is estimated to be about 2,600 a year. But it’s not a full solution. As the toon suggests, dangerous car incidents also occur because of a growing number of reasons. Sleep deprivation, multi-tasking, drunk driving, and even stress contribute to many accidents.
6. COLOR FAA Communication Flop, by Larry
Wright (The Detroit News, 8/26/2008)
The disparity between the quality of the technology available in the private sector and that being used by the government became pronounced this year when problems with FAA computers delayed hundreds of flights across the country. This satire plays upon that theme, but we also see the slow growing pains that the airlines are going through to provide better in-flight tech services, like wireless internet, while being tethered to an old-system that needs to change.
5. Cell Phone Plans Runaround, by Angel Boligan (El Universal, Mexico City, 4/22/2008)
(El Universal, Mexico City, 1/14/2008)
We found out this year that the telcoms are ripping us all off. Oh, we already knew that didn’t we? Recently, reports found that text messages cost carriers close to zero, and the huge bills from cell phone data plans and roaming fees surprised more than a few people. Mr. Boligan told Wired.com he drew this cartoon as a response to the monopoly in different wireless communications enjoyed by many international telcoms, like Mexico’s Telcel.
4.The Joy of Tech, by Nitrozac & Snaggy
The Joy of Tech has always been good for a consistently hilarious approach to the world of tech, and Nitrozac & Snaggy didn’t disappoint this year. The Wii Fit system proved popular but many thought the game’s assessment of people’s fit level was far too honest. But others, like Wired’s Chris Kohler, believe it’s good enough to put you in a good exercise routine, even if the challenges aren’t that difficult. As for the iPhone cartoon, it’s a self-explanatory depiction of an Apple fanboy’s tunnel vision when it comes to his favorite company.
3. The Dark Side of Google Chrome, by David Fitzsimmons (The Arizona Star, 9/11/2008)
This year, Google unveiled a browser after years of rumors. But with all of its new features, like a unique rendering model and new V8 JavaScript engine, plenty of criticism also came with it. Privacy advocates found that actions performed on the browser could be linked to your main Google account, which could potentially extend the company’s reach of personal information. Gives the definition of ‘Googling’ a whole new meaning.
2. Altered Gates, by Joy of Tech
Bill Gates retired earlier this year from full-time duties at Microsoft, and along with moving on to his foundation, he also created a think tank called bgC3 LLC. But the project’s somewhat mysterious quality, along with the public’s fascination with one of the richest men in the world caused everyone to come up with their own ideas.
1. No Exit, by Andy Singer (U.S., various dates)
Andy Singer’s work is always acerbic, hilarious, and knowing. We picked these cartoons among several good works throughout the year as the year’s best because they show a consistency of humor and depth and really, Singer just draws the funniest eyeballs in the business.
All images depicted are published at the courtesy of the artists. Thanks guys, and keep them coming for 2009!
Gadget Lab 2.0: Jose Fermoso’s Twitter feed; Gadget Lab on Facebook.
Sales figures for the PC Market have been updated and Apple fans have reason to celebrate after Apple has reclaimed their position as the third largest PC seller in the US market. How did the other PC vendors do? Here are the top five:
