My Ten Most Whimsical Drawings of 2023
World Wide Whimsy Incorporated (President and Chairman of the Board: me) ranks my year's visual hijinks from ten to one. Can you stand the suspense? WRITTEN and ILLUSTRATED by PETER MOORE
OVER THE MOST RECENT 363 DAYS, I might have been obsessing over threats to democracy, the overheating of our planet, or wars in incendiary places like Ukraine and the Middle East. Instead, I was completing 643 drawings for publication in the Colorado Sun, Front Range NPR, Backpacker, and here on my substack. That’s a lot of whimsy, given the multiple cliffs our species ran toward, lemming like, in the past year. I guess I needed some distraction.
Maybe you did, too?
That might account for the astonishing fact that, when I made my first post of 2023, I had 394 subscribers to this substack. As of today, I have 2,843. So I guess the rest of you are craving a little distraction, as well?
As I was reading way-too-many year-in-review pieces in recent weeks, it occurred to me that I too needed a wrap up, to chart my heights of whimsy in 2023. May it provide a leap into even greater leaps of imagination for me in 2024, so I can ignore, refashion, or redraw all of that troubling reality into something merely amusing.
When it’s too hot in the kitchen, retire to the drawing room, sez me.
And now…drumroll…my ten most whimsical moments of 2023, rated by me. Hope it allows you a few minutes of escape from all that troubling reality out there.
From my post Cartoonapalooza #8, on November 15.
#9. From Cartoonapalooza #4, on October 21.
#8. From my post The Girl with the Pearl Nose Ring, on March 24.
#7. From my post Weight-Loss Strategies for a Sinking City, on May 30th.
#6. From Sketchbook: Alaska, on July 19.
#5. From my post Cartoonapalooza #2, on September 9.
#4. From my very first Cartpoonapalooza post, on August 16, before I did a bunch more Cartoonapaloozas, and began numbering them.
#3. From Cartoonapalooza #3, on September 30th.
#2. From Cartoonapalooza #7, on November 8th.
And…this year’s Whimsy Winner, at least in my opinion:
#1. From A Cool Post for a Long, Hot Weekend, on September 2nd.
Actually, that was kind of a tragic one. But that’s whimsy for you: When it meets the real world, sometimes that smile turns upside down.
Wishing you, me, and the bear, all the best in the year ahead.
Have any whimsical moments you’d care to share? I’m not the only one laughing through the tears, right?
Or just hit like, if any of these made you smile. That’s what this is all about, after all.
You are one funny dude with such a unique perspective ‼️ 👏👏👏👏👏 😂 👍👍👍
A wonderful retrospective Peter - I absolutely loved this post! Thank you for brightening my inbox so beautifully in 2023!