By Gary Martin
Gary B. Martin is an illustrator and animator who has lived on the Upper West Side for more than 30 years. His illustrations appear in the Rag on Sundays, chronicling life in the neighborhood, New York City, and the Universe. See them all here. For a broader range of Gary’s work, including animations and other motion graphics, please visit www.martoons.com
Listen to Rag Radio’s interview with Gary Martin — HERE.
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Ain’t that the truth! – Law of Unintended Consequences!
There’s a fine art that NYC natives know, to walk the city streets in a rainstorm without an umbrella. Sometimes those sidewalk sheds and scaffolds are a good thing. Other times — not so much!
Martin nails it again. While I have no love for Big Scaffolding which must have an amazingly powerful lobby, I do appreciate them on a rainy days
I still relate to this!
What does the “join us” posting mean? Is it political, cultural or extraterrestrial?
it’s Symphony Space’s current promo.
i think its just meant to be a poster advertising an event – maybe at Symphony Space?. It looks like Jeff Hiller and Patti Smith(?) as 2 of the people
Yes! This is the fun of the Martoonerville cartoons. It’s the little things in the background that make you see he’s doing these for us folks on the UWS. Sometimes an inside joke.
That is most definitely a Symphony Space poster. Now, I’m curious — where is Myron the Magnificent performing??
I love the commentary and look forward to seeing them each week!
Yes! Especially when walking a 🐕!!!
Especially when walking a dog! Every *single* footing is like a high school class reunion to a dog!
So true!
Has everyone become so “lazy” that they can no longer deal with something called an “umbrella?” Yes, the sidewalk sheds provide (as Bob Dylan might say) “shelter from the storm.” But on balance, I would rather have the sidewalks clear and use an umbrella than have over 300 miles of sidewalk sheds. Besides, you need the umbrella anyway for all those stretches that DON’T have sidewalk sheds.
I think people were being lighthearted. Go ahead and give it a try.
Thank you.
This is perfect! I can now walk almost all the way to the R train not using an umbrella in the rain! So much scaffolding. You got it right again!
I dunno. Getting soaked with “sidewalk shed juice” was never my idea of convenience.
Bingo!
Ha! Time to get out your umbrellas.
Looks like you two have the goods to not get wet! Think of all the flowers and weeds that can make scaffolding look better. 🤔
You have to live in NY to fully appreciate this-no scaffolding in the “burbs in MA”!
lucky you.
I love when Nancy is featured!
So true!
Or when the scaffolding gets removed and you walk past your own apartment lol
Love it! But not the scaffolding; too much smoking and dog piss.
Sincerely, Cranky New Yorker.
No worries — like the cherry blossoms, they’ll be back.
I wonder if people who don’t live in NYC can truly appreciate our relationship to sidewalk scaffolding…
Being in the construction industry, I have always said, “You’re going to miss these when they’re gone…”