Cartoons and Memories

 This blog begins with a little bit about my childhood.

When I was a little kid my brothers and I watched all sorts of cartoons. We weren't junkies and our parents didn't placate us with television or anything like that. In fact we didn't even have cable till I was around 8 years old. I remember coming home from school excited because my mom had hinted there was a surprise at home. My brother ran inside first and by the time I got there was watching Rocco's Modern Life. Hoops and hollers filled the air!  Having cartoons was a big deal. We loved 90's nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Such favorites as, Dexter's Lab, Angry Beavers, Rocket Power, Kablam! and so many others. Of course there were those more intense off the cuff t.v. shows like Dragon Ball Z, Johnny Quest and X-Men. Being in a family of three boys I couldn't help but be pulled in to the action, adventure shows.

 We we're and are a crazy, fun bunch!

I'm going somewhere with this. 

One of our favorite animated series was Batman Beyond and we were obsessed! The dark, empty portrayal of a near future fascinated our melancholy sense of the world. Even as children my brothers and I had a deep understanding that life wasn't all roses and sunshine. I think a lot of this is due to all the different lifestyles we lived in a very short period of time. I moved 18 times before I was 17. My family's been poor, wealthy, lost everything and then poor once again. We've lived in the inner city where we had to run down the street from gunshots and out in comfortable suburbs where we road bikes from dawn till dusk over calm and gentle streets. The world was an always changing, uncertain place. My family and my God were my constants and my peace. Although life was crazy my random childhood doesn't haunt me, if anything all our struggles made me stronger and wiser. If anything my life was a breeze in comparison to many of the people I've come to meet. I always had love, many don't. I had parents that lived radically in love with Jesus. Rarely to people get to see their parents demonstrate such passion for the Lord. I know the Lord's hand saved me from a lot more evil that I could have easily gotten into. I'm grateful for where I've been and where I am now. 

But why am I saying all this? I think I'm feeling nostalgic because I recently came across an amazing website called 12 Illustrations for artists to feature and share different pieces they've done. There is a new theme every month and the theme for April is Batman Beyond. I've been in awe of all the amazing posts and remembering my sweet childhood and all the animated series I used to love.

Here's a few of my favorite pieces.
 

If you have a moment take the time to like 12 Illustrations on facebook. The creator is Dylan Rose a talented artist and old family friend :)

I hope this has been a fun trip down memory lane. It was for me.

- J