This is Not Magritte
I’m Dan Piraro, the creator of the Bizarro newspaper comic. Each week, I post my Sunday Bizarro comic, a short essay, and then the past week’s Monday-Saturday Bizarro comics written and drawn by my partner Wayno, whose weekly blog post I highly recommend.
And here’s this week’s ANSWER KEY to my Sunday comic’s Secret Symbols.
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If you’re not familiar with the name of surrealist painter René Magritte—the inspiration for the above cartoon—you’ve probably seen his work. Here’s a page of his most famous paintings.
Both Wayno and I have drawn numerous cartoons inspired by his work and it wasn’t until I picked up my (digital, inkless, electronic) pen to write this post that I realized why: surrealism and (our kind of) cartoons are two approaches to the same thing.
Each is a rearrangement of familiar objects or situations with a twist thrown in. They are images meant to challenge our preconditioned perceptions of everything from daily life to reality itself. They engage the viewer’s mind to reconsider what we’ve come to accept as settled law.
I have often described our cartoons as being for people who enjoy thinking around corners, and the same can be said of surrealism. Some people avoid this kind of challenge, finding it too difficult to understand or even unsettling. (People like this aren’t likely to be regular readers of Bizarro.)
I think I was born with a drive to think around corners and challenge established tradition, and it’s why I’ve been drawn to surrealism and this kind of cartoon since early childhood. My most recent essay for The Naked Cartoonist is titled “Searching for Bohemia in the Suburbs,” and is about paying attention to that drive, which I call my “True Self.” It is the driving force behind my creative efforts and choices in life and is fundamental to why I live in Mexico instead of Oklahoma, where I was raised.
A lot of readers especially enjoyed it, and that makes me as happy as a hummingbird with a six-pack of Mountain Dew. Below are a few of my favorite comments from that essay:
“Just ... WOW.... Thank you, Dan, for sharing your thoughts here! Your philosophical views are my favorites; I will never regret signing up to receive these posts.” —Delayne
“…you need to write an entire book based on that post. That was good, good stuff, and people need to hear ideas like that.” —Tony S.
“…I very much enjoy that you feel free to stretch those creative legs in what you so honestly share in your excellent writings.” —Gunnar
“Thanks for the thoughts, and the unfiltered honesty that allows you to share them with us. “—Gordy
“Thanks for the insightful meditation. I needed to hear this today because I've been feeling just the stuck you describe.” —Eric
“I think most of us would agree that you have made our lives better, and that's pretty good praise.” —Gerry
“Wow. Thanks for this reminder that I am more than my outward life, and that my True Self is, and has been, still in here, patiently waiting for my renewed attention.” —Cheryl
“I deeply appreciate your eloquence and vulnerability. Almost as much as I appreciate Peyote Cowboy & Bizarro, and that’s saying something.” —John
NOTE: I am not shamelessly promoting my newsletter, I am promoting it with some shame. Here’s more info and how to sign up.
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I will now shamelessly direct you to my partner, Wayno’s Bizarro cartoons for the week.
A reader pointed out the incorrect Spanish in our caption, but Wayno stands by it. Wordplay often does not employ correct grammar.
Some strawberry syrup would have assured a victory.
Next study: How many custard pies will fit into a tiny car?
I contend this guy must have an olfactory disability.
Wayno’s comment about this one in his blog post this week is super fun.
I confess that originally, I missed the clever team names on these little guys. It’s now my favorite part of the gag!
That dots the final “i” and crosses the final “t” on our cartoon credentials this week. We keep this site free of ads and sanitized for your protection and hope you’ll consider helping us keep it that way via any of the links below. In gratitude, we’ll write your name in the wet cement on the walkway outside of Bizarro International Headquarters.
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