Today we revisit cartoons published this month 25 years ago, to see how much (or how little) has changed. At first glance, it was sobering to see how many cartoonists are no longer with us and how much we miss the great work by J.B. Handelsman, Charles Barsotti, Leo Cullum, Danny Shanahan, Gahan Wilson, Jack Ziegler, William Hamilton, Eldon Dedini and Michael Crawford.
1997 was a simpler time of OJ Simpson, Brad Pitt affairs, Heaven’s Gate Cult, The Spice Girls and Mike Tyson eating Evander Holyfield’s ear. Also, Bob Mankoff took over as The New Yorker Cartoon editor in June of 1997 and naturally took a great cartoon on an evergreen subject by Bruce Eric Kaplan- Cats.
A quarter century seems like a long time ago but some cartoons are eerily prescient, such as this one by Bob Mankoff.
However, a few cartoons are certainly dated. I’m scared to ask anyone under 25 years old if they even know what movie this was. I’m also worried to explain to them what it was about…
Another tell-tale sign of a dated cartoon is phone booths, parking meters and casual smoking.
I was particularly surprised at the discerning eye the cartoonists had for the progressive future. The couple of cartoons below certainly could have been published last week.
It also appears we still have the same celebrities as 25 years ago…
This trip down memory lane brought up a few memories. Like they say, the more things change the more they stay the same.
VIEW MORE CARTOONS FROM SEPTEMBER 1997
Keep reading:
Cartoons From 25 Years Ago – The CartoonStock.com Blog
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Editorial Cartoons and Social Commentary
The Role of Hand-Drawn vs. Digital Cartoons in Modern Cartooning
Cartoon Trends: What’s Changed in the Last 30 Years
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