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Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder

July 7, 2024 | 5:48 AM
in ART, COLUMNS
48
Illustration by Gary B. Martin.

By Carol Tannenhauser

Martoonerville is not immune to personal and collective struggles. “[I’m] submitting this image for what has been a very hard week and it’s only the beginning,” Gary Martin wrote, along with this week’s illustration. “Mostly it’s about the news from last week, the Supreme Court et al.”

Gary B. Martin is an illustrator and animator who has lived on the Upper West Side for over 30 years. His illustrations appear in the Rag on Sundays, chronicling life in the neighborhood and New York City.

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48 Comments
Steve
Steve
2 years ago

As usual, Gary channels our feelings. A picture and a caption capture thousands of words!

11
Reply
Birdie
Birdie
2 years ago

Ooph! Gut punch! Watching last week’s news — Biden/Trump, Chevron decision, climate (change? what change?)– all while celebrating our nation’s independence, leaves enough residual angst to anticipate another coming week of exhaustion. Spot on Martoons!

7
Reply
Barbara E. Morgan
Barbara E. Morgan
2 years ago
Reply to  Birdie

I wake up Every Single Day thinking “What fresh hell will we have to deal with today?” Meanwhile, we are almost literally Living in hell!

0
Reply
Sharon
Sharon
2 years ago

You nailed that on the head. Another great comic

5
Reply
Ben Harris
Ben Harris
2 years ago

What happens if you combine PTSD with PreTSD?

3
Reply
Barbara E. Morgan
Barbara E. Morgan
2 years ago
Reply to  Ben Harris

Just plain T.

0
Reply
Birdie
Birdie
2 years ago
Reply to  Ben Harris

ha.

1
Reply
Laurie K
Laurie K
2 years ago

I seriously almost just shot coffee out of my nose on this one! Way to wake me up and have me start my day with a laugh and cry. Now I have to wait another week though!!!!!

3
Reply
Joanna
Joanna
2 years ago

Oh Wow. This hits it right on the nose. Agree with Steve about channeling our feelings.

4
Reply
Neal Leibowitz
Neal Leibowitz
2 years ago

Smart, funny and (sadly) extremely accurate. If our cartoons can’t cope, what hope is there for the rest of us?

8
Reply
gmartin
gmartin
2 years ago
Reply to  Neal Leibowitz

thank you for understanding. it’s gotten weird out here.

2
Reply
Taggart
Taggart
2 years ago

I wish I didn’t love this so much! Spot on.

3
Reply
Miriam
Miriam
2 years ago

You’re not kidding! I think I’ll skip next week…

8
Reply
Edward Soloway
Edward Soloway
2 years ago

I like the futuristic background and palette, reminiscent of The Jetsons and that suggestive cartoon era of easy times.

4
Reply
Birdie
Birdie
2 years ago
Reply to  Edward Soloway

I think you make a great point about this cartoon capturing both the future and the past. Echoing what he said about ” grammar gods excus[ing] my use of the present perfect continuous tense to describe what’s coming.”

1
Reply
gmartin
gmartin
2 years ago
Reply to  Edward Soloway

thank you sir. i was worried about the orange color.

2
Reply
David
David
2 years ago

Ouch!!!

4
Reply
Mad Smith
Mad Smith
2 years ago

So relatable!

3
Reply
Adrienne
Adrienne
2 years ago

I feel seen!

4
Reply
Rebecca
Rebecca
2 years ago

Is it Friday yet?!

3
Reply
Ellen White
Ellen White
2 years ago

Love this cartoon and the recurring character! Keep ‘em coming Gary Martin! ❤️❤️❤️

3
Reply
Julian C. Lander
Julian C. Lander
2 years ago

Surely the future perfect would have worked: “Next week will have been so exhausting.”

3
Reply
Kathy
Kathy
2 years ago

Seeing Gary’s weekly Martoon takes me back to the days when I looked forward to comics in the Sunday paper. Smile of the week!

3
Reply
David
David
2 years ago

Alas, so true. But, at least, very funny.

4
Reply
Don
Don
2 years ago

Hilarious and SO true!!!

3
Reply
APC
APC
2 years ago

The Sunday Scaries are very real this week.

3
Reply
Anne Watkins
Anne Watkins
2 years ago

Love the cartoon, the feeling, the phrase and the headline. Brilliant. Next up: Martoonerville’s Dictionary

3
Reply
Agnes Frank
Agnes Frank
2 years ago

Even without mentioning the French elections.

3
Reply
LJR
LJR
2 years ago

Ha!!! Isn’t this so true of so many of us! Does this relatable character have a name? (Not that he needs one.) He’s becoming an icon of the UWS.

2
Reply
Neal Leibowitz
Neal Leibowitz
2 years ago
Reply to  LJR

He’s a portrait of the artist.

1
Reply
Alex
Alex
2 years ago

So sadly accurate, but at least Martoonerville speaks the truth with humor.

3
Reply
Mark
Mark
2 years ago

Ugh. I *so* feel this. Unfortunately, we have a lot of next weeks ahead of us. But thanks for giving us a humorous way to think about them, Gary.

5
Reply
Andrea R
Andrea R
2 years ago

Boy, can I relate! The madness of it all is overwhelming with no end in sight…yet. Stay positive! Great job, Gary.

2
Reply
Deb M
Deb M
2 years ago

Laugh-out-loud funny! Spot on!

2
Reply
OPOD
OPOD
2 years ago

There are 2 types of Democrats, ones who knew Biden had severe cognitive problems, or ones who don’t pay attention. The media coverup of Biden is criminal, and put the whole world in danger.

2
Reply
Howie Cherpakov
Howie Cherpakov
2 years ago

Never mind next week; what about the week after that?!! 🙂

1
Reply
Cork
Cork
2 years ago

Thank god next week’s cartoon has been so entertaining as well.

1
Reply
Lisa
Lisa
2 years ago

I know the feeling

1
Reply
Deborah
Deborah
2 years ago

This is fantastic!

2
Reply
Stacey
Stacey
2 years ago

Gary nailed it again. Brilliant.

2
Reply
Ron
Ron
2 years ago

Exactly! Martoons hits it right on the head. (And it’s only gonna get worse!) I see a t-shirt in your future.

2
Reply
Barbara
Barbara
2 years ago

Another great creative Martoon.

1
Reply
Meg Roberts
Meg Roberts
2 years ago

This entire run up to the elections is causing me pre-traumatic stress! And it is combined with post traumatic stress disorder also! Thank you Gary – you continue to keep us at least smiling occasionally!

4
Reply
Betty Samuels
Betty Samuels
2 years ago

How about the next four months?

1
Reply
Joe Chiplock
Joe Chiplock
2 years ago

Writing this comment on Monday….Gary’s correct.

1
Reply
Melissa
Melissa
2 years ago

So funny and at the same time… so sad. You capture it perfectly Gary!

1
Reply
Nelson
Nelson
2 years ago

So true! And it looks like it will feel this way right up until elections in November!
Great work Mr Martoons 😂🤣

1
Reply
Mia T
Mia T
2 years ago

My thoughts exactly! Well put Martoons!

0
Reply

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