Friday Cartoon: 100 years of Portland bike fashion

Artwork copyright Mark Markovich
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– Illustration by Mark Markovich, concept by Jonathan Reed, Jonathan Maus and Mark Markovitch
Related story*

– See past cartoons here.

*If you missed the Virtuous Tweed Ride, you can still catch the Vice-themed ride on April 2nd. Details at TweedPDX.net.

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Todd Boulanger
Todd Boulanger
13 years ago

Thanks Mark – i enjoyed it!

PS. Perhaps you might have thrown in two small changes (for the kids) and fun. Lighting on the bike (1911: Kero lamp vs. 2011: LED front and rear lamp) and eye glasses (1911: reading type vs. 2011: wrap around sun glasses) for the rider. 😉

sabernar
sabernar
13 years ago

Is it just me, or are none of the cartoons the least bit amusing? (My guess is that we get four or five commenters telling me that it’s just me.)

Opus the Poet
13 years ago
Reply to  sabernar

It’s just you, I’m in TX and I got the “Tweed ride” reference.

sabernar
sabernar
13 years ago
Reply to  Opus the Poet

You misunderstand. I *GET* the cartoons. My intelligence is somewhere above ape-level, so I am able to grasp the deep meaning of the cartoons. I just don’t think that they are amusing. Or interesting.

Andrew
Andrew
13 years ago
Reply to  sabernar

It’s just you.

toby
toby
13 years ago
Reply to  sabernar

It’s just you. (oooh, I’m on the podium! ehem, #3)

I think it’s cute, but I’m simple that way 😉

Mike Fish
Mike Fish
13 years ago
Reply to  sabernar

Just you, they’re hilarious!

Suburban
Suburban
13 years ago
Reply to  sabernar

Repeatedly unamusing and dry, but well drawn!

s8ntandrew
s8ntandrew
13 years ago
Reply to  sabernar

It most certainly is not just you.

q`Tzal
q`Tzal
13 years ago

mmmmmmmm… deep fried cupcakes!

K'Tesh
K'Tesh
13 years ago

Nice comic this week! Kinda makes me wish I had some tweed! (And the ride would be rescheduled for late Feb; so I could join)

JR-eh
JR-eh
13 years ago

get off my lawn

matt picio
13 years ago
Reply to  Hart Noecker

How Portland is it that I know at least 4 freakbike builders who could build one of these? (or more likely, something equally or even more awesome)

A.k.
A.k.
13 years ago
Reply to  Hart Noecker

Haha, love it!

Hart Noecker
13 years ago

You say that as if any of us don’t.

Michweek
13 years ago

Timeless, that’s what I see!

Oh Word?
Oh Word?
13 years ago

I find this offensive to all centennial celebrations.

Brian E.
Brian E.
13 years ago

Showing the 1911 shop owner dressed as a slob is somewhat offensive to me. The shop worker would most definitely be dressed in his weekday suit. But then I understand its about the comedy.

Red Five
Red Five
13 years ago
Reply to  Brian E.

The food cart guy needs lots of tats and piercings to be an authenic PDX’er

Mike Fish
Mike Fish
13 years ago
Reply to  Brian E.

Interesting – I didn’t think he looked like a slob. He’s also not a shop owner. He’s selling apples out of a cart for 1 cent. It’s amazing what people can be offended by.

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
13 years ago

and in 2111 hipsters will be hosting lycra rides on crabon fibre bikes.

RC
RC
13 years ago

I laughed most at the rat replaced by the dog.

Skid
Skid
13 years ago

Return of the scorcher!

Kt
Kt
13 years ago

I agree with Michweek– I saw this as highlighting the timelessness of biking in Portland, but also the changes between 1911 and a century later.

I don’t think these cartoons are meant to be “funny”– kind of like the political cartoons in the newspaper. These aren’t comics like Dilbert or Stone Soup or Get Fuzzy.

jim
jim
13 years ago

actually its the same dude, he has been waiting for the light to change from portland highway to interstate northbound. he could have gone twice but missed it, fell asleep once and leg cramp the second time. I think he is still there waiting for that light to change

Merckxrider
Merckxrider
13 years ago

Cute and funny, I like it!

Butch Laika
Butch Laika
13 years ago

What a great cartoon! Mr. Markovich is a great artist and I hope his cartoons can continue to be a part of my Fridays at work!

captainkarma
captainkarma
12 years ago

The comments point out that the difference ‘tween then and now is how obsessed folks are about image. But I guess its not just Portland, it’s just that the bar is so much higher here one has to ride naked or something to be ironic.