Cartography for dummies

Remember last month when there was that post about the person who severely misunderstood the typical map of the 50 United States? Unfortunately such people aren't alone:

Coup de grâce

Doonesbury by Gary Trudeau had a bit of a map in a strip a few months ago about planning a coup:

Historical Caricatures (con't)

During some recent research, I came across a collection of caricature anthologies that feature "great men" from various geographic areas. For the next few weeks, I'll be posting the caricatures from these collections that included globes.

Next up, here's L.F. Swift from page 303 in Chicagoans As We See 'Em, circa 1904:

- Amanda Murphyao

The poor craftsman blames the tools

Mike Baldwin's Cornered strip has a map joke. 

Flows through it

How about an interactive map by Andrew Hill of all 250,000+ rivers that run through the US colored according to their direction of flow

Under the sea

What will your city look like if ocean levels rise by about 80 meters? Seattle mapmaker and urban planner Jeffrey Lin made a few maps to try to figure it out. I think this is a bit overblown... but it could take another 100 years of global warming to find out.  But it's not as overblown as this.

Tracking Santa

Remember the NSA scandal from last year?  Good thing that's all over and done with, huh.

Nast-y navigation

We're going to visit Thomas Nast again, this time with one of his very, very many Christmas-themed cartoons, here a pair of kids plotting Santa's route to their house.

This is Y-axis

Geographic Christmas humor:

In the spirit of the season...

Wishing you a peaceful December.

Best,

Amanda Murphyao

Cuban cigar

Here's an editorial cartoon by Adam Zyglis about the shift in US - Cuba relations that nicely incorporates the silhouette of Cuba.



This one by Graeme MacKay is a bit less subtle


And I'm sorry, but this one by Bill Day is kinda lazy and pointless:

From South Africa

I have no idea what's going on in this South African editorial cartoon by Zapiro other than that's an anthropomorphized version of South Africa.

Lingua Franca

This is a different sort of interactive map showing the global influence of various languages. (clicky the linkeis for more):

The Map S

This was an unexpected surprise: A map-oriented animation from Cracked.com.  It's hee-larious:

The Most Underappreciated Weapon in Video Games -- powered by Cracked.com

Bay Area Mario

Making maps in the style of Mario world or Legend of Zelda can be a rather popular niche.  Here's one by Robert Bacon for the San Francisco area:

Disturbance in the flow

We've done one of these MinuteEarth videos before.  This one does an excellent job of explaining how rivers end up being curvy... and incorporates Darth Vader.

Historical Caricatures with Globes

Guest poster Amanda Murphyao here, back with more globes!

During some recent research at the Newberry Library in Chicago, I came across a collection of caricature anthologies that feature "great men" (usually architects, engineers, doctors, lawyers, and the like from the early twentieth century) from various geographic areas.

For the next few weeks, I'll be posting the caricatures from these collections that included globes.

First up, here's William H. Dumble from page 505 in Chicagoans As We See 'Em, circa 1904:

SAVE THE MAP!

Things is heatin' up over at the map-centric plotline in Lady Sabre and the Pirates of the ineffable Aether by Greg Rucka and Rick Burchett. Could there be better cartographic dialog?

Geographic names

This is where a face palm needs to become a dope slap

Simon Beck's snow art

Cartographer Simon Beck uses snowshoes and math to make BIG art in the snow:








...and sometimes he vacations at the beach:

3D inception map

This inception-esque cartoon by Edward Steed from a recent New Yorker  is from newlywed Rebecca

“That’s where we are right now.”

Here's another one by Steed:

“According to the map, the treasure should be right behind this door.”

Google map proposal

Here's a guy who went far more than an extra mile for a wedding proposal:

Diversity topology

In cartography there's a concept called "topology", or in other words the math behind how objects are spatially related to each other.  Topology can be a rather complex field of mathematics.  Luckily people like Vi Hart and Nicky Case can do an excellent job of explaining it.

And they can go a step farther, by using the principles of topology to create an interactive website that illustrates the math behind the segregation of "slight" racism.

Gary Clement's rail trip

From Amanda, here's a poetic cartoon explaining a trans-Canadian road trip taken by editorial cartoonist Gary Clement this last summer as he rode the rails on a cross Canada train trip from Halifax to Vancouver. His entire series of cartoons from the trip is here.

Where ya from?

My wonderful friend Adam provided us with this interactive map showing migration patterns into each state from all other states and overseas. Available in 1900, 1950, and 2010 flavors:

The Great Dismal Swamp

There's a map in Jack Elrod's Mark Trail.  It's a map of a swamp called The Great Dismal Swamp (no joke) and Mark's plan to save it apparently involves inviting that blue-clad CEO there on a fishing trip. How thrilling.  

Coffee is coming

Westeros coffee table:

North America beer

If you find this at the bottom of your beer glass you win the geography drinking game.

Lonnie Millsap

Here's a comic by Lonnie Millsap

Introducing: Zap!

Earlier this year Pascalle Lepas, who we featured recently, finished up another webcomic, Zap!, with an 11-year run. As you can imagine, it included the occasional use of maps:

Bed map

It has turned cold here so this item that Amanda discovered some time ago applies:

Introducing Wilde Life

Pascalle Lepas draws Wilde Life.  I've only just started it.  It's an engaging story so far, what with ghosts and werewolves and all.  Have a look:

Moby Dick 2014

Here's Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal webcomic by Zach Weiner with a modern take on Moby Dick.  Makes for a much shorter story.

Red Rover

I love comics that send up plate tectonics as thie xkcd webcomic by Randall Munroe does.  Incidentally, there's a new paper out that postulates that the Cambrian explosion may have involved a major plate tectonics event.

The "title-text" at the actual webcomic says:

I just learned about the Slide Mountain Ocean, which I like because it's three nouns that sound like they can't possibly all refer to the same thing.

Thanksgiving 1998

In Foxtrot, by Bill Amend, there's an annual tradition of making fun of the oldest son Peter's infamous gluttony:

Introducing Velabas

Velabas, the webcomic.  There's more travel comics there so more maps to be found in them. 

GIS: Wonder of the world

Slate.com is doing a series on the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.  Item #2 is effectively GIS.  Item 1 is actually air traffic control (which has a major GIS component).

Guest poster Amanda Murphyao here with some cartoon maps of Arizona:

Hot sauce, where are you?

Here's one way to prevent theft of hot sauce bottles.

Maternity leave

Here's a map-saturated look at maternity leave:

Run away!

Alaska-Hawaii hiway

Some people... ya just gotta wonder:

Sherlock Holmes and the case of the public domain

Dave Kellet in his Sheldon webcomic is celebrating the long-overdue arrival of Sherlock Holmes into the public domain.  Can Mr. Holmes survive in the world of Apple & Google?  BBC and Benedict Cumberbatch are betting yes. 

No Ebola

Here to address yer Ebola worries: