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Oh JEEZ I never even noticed that he wrote “Butterfry”. 😒 The problem I’ve always had with Dobson’s argument of “kids cartoons can be deep too!” is not so much that he’s right, but it’s still that classic “even when he’s right, he’s wrong”. Kids cartoons can touch on deep subjects to some extent, but I crave more complexity and depth. Certain aspects of life, like the mind-fuckery portrayed in George Orwell’s "Nineteen Eighty-Four" by the Thought Police, go beyond what kids cartoons can effectively address. It's not merely a simplified "control what you think" concept; it delves into a system that manipulates your thoughts to the point where you accept contradictory ideas because the state demands it. Kids shows might lightly touch on such themes, like an authoritarian teacher in an afterschool special, but they lack the full impact and permanence of the real world situations. Kids are undoubtedly intelligent, almost like young adults, but they lack the personal history that comes with age. It's akin to comparing the Ancient Greeks to modern civilization; both involve smart humans, but our understanding of right and wrong is shaped by thousands of years of history, which the Ancient Greeks didn't have. Similarly, kids cannot fully comprehend why something is good, bad, right, or scary until they experience it themselves. Considering this, kids shows are crafted with the understanding that children lack certain knowledge, so they might not be the best medium to introduce certain topics.

So... when I think of “mature” storytelling, I agree, it doesn’t need to always have a dark, gritty, swear-filled story... but it helps underline the cruelty of adults better than without it. And while I can certainly appreciate kids cartoons for their willingness to touch on deep topics, they ultimately rarely have the same level of gravitas and respect that a genuine adult story would have. Sure, some edgelord "adult" cartoons may be less mature than the best examples of mature storytelling in a kid cartoon, but that fact doesn't automatically make kids cartoons inherently more mature in comparison. While kids shows can certainly delve into meaningful themes and evoke emotional responses, it's important to acknowledge that they operate on a different level compared to truly adult narratives. Moments like Littlefoot's loss of his mother in The Land Before Time (which I absolutely cried about as a kid) or Ash's decision to part with Butterfree in Pokémon are poignant and touching for a younger audience. However, they don't reach the same level of complexity and real-world gravitas as the intricacies of characters like Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men or Django in Django Unchained, which covers topics and matters which simply have no child-friendly alternative (translating Chigurh into a school yard bully undermines his tale, and there’s simply no way to involve slavery and racism in a children’s show short of actually involving it at face value).

Adult shows often explore profound adult cruelties and complexities that kid shows simply cannot match. There's a clear distinction in the depth of storytelling and the themes that can be addressed in these two different genres. While kids shows can be deep and emotionally impactful, adult narratives delve into more profound and nuanced aspects of the human experience. (And let's be honest, Lord of the Flies may involve kids but it’s definitely not a kids story, while Catcher in the Rye serves as baby’s first introduction to adult themes more than anything. Hell, that may be the best point I could make in all this.)

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EDIT: "I would argue that many children's cartoons and comics often treat these mature subject matters with FAR more respect..."

Define "respect". It seems that kids shows tend to handle these deep topics delicately to make them more understandable for children, considering their limited ability to deal with such complex issues, and you're interpreting that as "treat[ing them] ... with FAR more respect".

Let's draw a parallel to the first time you encountered disturbing content, like Rotten.com or a video of someone unaliving themselves. Would you say you're better prepared now as an adult for the next time you stumble upon another unaliving video, or back when you didn't even realize this was a thing to begin with? Kids shows approach these topics with what is often referred to as "respect" by shielding young audiences from explicit details, as many children more often than not lack the necessary tools to handle these details. It's like telling a child that their grandparent "passed away" instead of using harsher language.

The problem here is, this approach narrows down the portrayal of these topics to a more pleasant, 'nicer' representation, missing out on the various ways both kids and adults navigate and manage their emotions surrounding these deep matters. While these shows may aim to be "respectful," they might only offer a limited perspective on how people genuinely react and respond. In contrast, adult shows have the freedom to explore these subjects without the primary focus of being a "teachable moment" or enforcing specific conduct when dealing with these themes.

Dobson also claimed he liked the Pokemon anime and he didn't list that either. He even made an SYAC about it. Although he may not like Pokemon period anymore. I seem to recall he got bitchy when one or two of the games were announced and he claimed "more important things" were going on or something. This might have been Sword and Shield.

To be fair, it just didn’t make his top 7. It could still be an anime he likes/used to like. And hey, excuse to share the “Butterfry” comic again.

As for the angry Pokémon post, it was less about being mad and more about “wow, the President is for sure totally this time gonna be impeached for realities and all people are talking about is the new Pokémon starters!”

THE ONE TIME DOBSON MADE A COMIC THAT I GOT A LEGITIMATE GIGGLE OUT OF: I've sold my own comics at comic conventions, and the #1 rule of real estate always applies: LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION It's legitimately hard to compete against super eye-catchingly edgy works with great art (when my own artwork is plain and boring) or super sexy artists who can gather an audience by being super sexy (when I'm not sexy at all). I mean, I'm great once you get to know me, but who has time for that when 200 other artists are trying to fight for people's time just the same?? To me this comic represents Dobson's failed potential. He had a habit of making comics out of low-hanging fruit. This could've been his most boring comic out of a collection of bangers, but instead it ended up being one of his funniest out of a collection of bland comics.

COMICS THAT I NEVER MADE AN "EVIL TOM PRESTON" COMIC VERSION OF: Maybe I'll consider making this into a comic to celebrate the tenth anniversary of "Evil Tom Preston". However, what bothers me about this comic in particular is the idea that "[pissing] tons of people off" with a "controversial view" ultimately means you're either in the wrong place to share it, or the view isn't significant enough to genuinely upset people.

If I were to share controversial views in the wrong context, like being a flat earther or—even worse—a Trump supporter in San Francisco... it could easily and rightfully provoke anger. But for me to then strawman those who would be rightfully upset, it brings up questions of what it says about me as the creator for depicting them as such.

Alternatively, if I express safe """controversial views""", like say "Super Mario 64 isn't that good of a game", the lack of a legitmately strong backlash renders the comic pointless. And if anyone does get overly upset about a harmless position, their disproportionate anger suggests deeper issues. In both cases, "owning" them is a waste of my time.

Ultimately, I found it futile to turn this into an "Evil Tom Preston" comic. I just couldn't find a way to remake the original comic in my brand of anti-humor, and any attempt to make it entertaining would undermining the essence of Regular Tom Preston's message (however shallow it was). ... That said, if I could take a stab at it today... GUY 1: People really got mad at you for this comic? EVIL TOM: ...yeah... I piss tons of people off because of my very controversial views! GUY 1: Such as? EVIL TOM: Oh, stupid things... Like how I don't think Super Mario 64 is the greatest Mario game ever made... GUY 2: WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU? MARIO 64 IS THE--- EVIL TOM: Hey hey, no need to shout. I know I'm in the minority here, although honestly it's not that big of a deal. But that's just how I feel. Let's just agree to disagree. GUY 2: ...Oh, ok, sorry for yelling. EVIL TOM: No worries! Enjoy the rest of the con! I mean... maybe that could work? But that would still require me to imply that Evil Tom had """controversial views""" that had incited serious anger from people, and that just doesn't make any sense to me. It's even harder to make it today because I'd like to think that Regular Tom Preston has since realized that strawmanning his opponents is a stupid trope and not worthy of a cartoonist like him. Afterall, his original comics were made well over 10 years ago, people can change... right??

Oh crap!

lol I forgot I managed to snatch up this username when it was made available

Once upon a time, I played a version of “Tom Preston”. Too bad the real “Tom Preston” has quit the internet. Maybe for the better. I wonder where he is now...? Maybe he learned his lesson about how not to be insufferable. But we’ll see.