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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
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Steve
Steve
1 year ago

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

11
Reply
Birdie
Birdie
1 year 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
1 year 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
1 year ago

You nailed that on the head. Another great comic

5
Reply
Ben Harris
Ben Harris
1 year ago

What happens if you combine PTSD with PreTSD?

3
Reply
Barbara E. Morgan
Barbara E. Morgan
1 year ago
Reply to  Ben Harris

Just plain T.

0
Reply
Birdie
Birdie
1 year ago
Reply to  Ben Harris

ha.

1
Reply
Laurie K
Laurie K
1 year 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
1 year ago

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

4
Reply
Neal Leibowitz
Neal Leibowitz
1 year 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
1 year ago
Reply to  Neal Leibowitz

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

2
Reply
Taggart
Taggart
1 year ago

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

3
Reply
Miriam
Miriam
1 year ago

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

8
Reply
Edward Soloway
Edward Soloway
1 year ago

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

4
Reply
Birdie
Birdie
1 year 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
1 year ago
Reply to  Edward Soloway

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

2
Reply
David
David
1 year ago

Ouch!!!

4
Reply
Mad Smith
Mad Smith
1 year ago

So relatable!

3
Reply
Adrienne
Adrienne
1 year ago

I feel seen!

4
Reply
Rebecca
Rebecca
1 year ago

Is it Friday yet?!

3
Reply
Ellen White
Ellen White
1 year ago

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

3
Reply
Julian C. Lander
Julian C. Lander
1 year ago

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

3
Reply
Kathy
Kathy
1 year 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
1 year ago

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

4
Reply
Don
Don
1 year ago

Hilarious and SO true!!!

3
Reply
APC
APC
1 year ago

The Sunday Scaries are very real this week.

3
Reply
Anne Watkins
Anne Watkins
1 year ago

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

3
Reply
Agnes Frank
Agnes Frank
1 year ago

Even without mentioning the French elections.

3
Reply
LJR
LJR
1 year 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
1 year ago
Reply to  LJR

He’s a portrait of the artist.

1
Reply
Alex
Alex
1 year ago

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

3
Reply
Mark
Mark
1 year 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
1 year 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
1 year ago

Laugh-out-loud funny! Spot on!

2
Reply
OPOD
OPOD
1 year 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
1 year ago

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

1
Reply
Cork
Cork
1 year ago

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

1
Reply
Lisa
Lisa
1 year ago

I know the feeling

1
Reply
Deborah
Deborah
1 year ago

This is fantastic!

2
Reply
Stacey
Stacey
1 year ago

Gary nailed it again. Brilliant.

2
Reply
Ron
Ron
1 year 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
1 year ago

Another great creative Martoon.

1
Reply
Meg Roberts
Meg Roberts
1 year 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
1 year ago

How about the next four months?

1
Reply
Joe Chiplock
Joe Chiplock
1 year ago

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

1
Reply
Melissa
Melissa
1 year ago

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

1
Reply
Nelson
Nelson
1 year 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
1 year ago

My thoughts exactly! Well put Martoons!

0
Reply

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