Thread by @spumdonor

How did the blandly inexpressive, vacantly infantile modern style become so widespread?

Does it have to do with our broader modern culture emphasizing cooperation over competition, conformity over ambition?

Consider the sociological effect of Tumblr on young cartoonists…🧵

Young cartoonists on Tumblr exist in a virtual community of 1000s of other cartoonists. Many of them watch/read a wide visual variety of cartoons & comics - so why do they only draw like their friends?

Is this a simple socialization effect?

Or is it over-socialization?

Young cartoonists learning to draw online begin to see drawing as a non-confrontational, social interaction, a means of fitting into a group.

Overtly expressive, "out there" art is seen as too aggressive.

Competition becomes based around whose art is the most friendly & squishy

In an "online community" the incentive is to get along - not to stand out.

Complex character designs, difficult dimensional angles, even highly exaggerated poses & animation becomes "showing off" or "tryhard"

& no longer just Having Fun Making Cartoons With Your Friends Online

I've heard that Tumblr cartoonists have gotten more into 90s/2000s "in-your-face" aesthetics lately. Maybe, but if they get into the industry?

Cal Arts actually does require good technical skills to enter, but modern animation requires them to draw way below their skill level

The most striking thing about the online cartooning community, to people who aren't acclimated to it, is that past a certain point, there isn't much difference between the "amateur" level you see on Tumblr & what you see on actual pro-level Hollywood TV productions

The modern softboi style trickled up from Tumblr into the industry just like other online movements invaded the mainstream- "Shucks Im just a smol lil scribbly cartoon doodler fella"

It's not about striving for excellence but being part of a "community" - even at the pro level!

The anime / western cartoon fan schism exists partly because anime fans see the animators & artists still have some sense of healthy competition to outdo each other whereas in Hollywood if you create something exceptional the “animation community” just kind of politely ignores it

The planted axiom in "the online cartooning community" is everyone has their own "style" - but if you point out that many of them seem to be the same, well - they know that, they just think it's good there’s a popular, easy style. That's "inclusive"

Nobody has to feel inadequate

In sum, I think Tumblr socialized a generation of cartoonists to draw "cute" (bland) & "chill" (stiff) so no-one in "the community" (pros & amateurs merged online) would have hurt feelings

A social construct of false naiveté about skills, to passive-aggressively hide competition

"Every era has it's own look, The industry never really changes, Nobody's art is any better than anyone else's, past or present, it's just a matter of taste"- This is the imposter snydrome of cartoonists who know how interchangeable / disposable the modern style has made them

Anyways, I take back everything I just said, drawing's really hard so every cartoon that gets made is like a precious little miracle to be celebrated. Remember to contribute to the Boxtown Kickstarter & help support independent animation artists who are following their dreams /🧵