Archicartoons

Image via Quino

Cartoons have always touched our hearts with their simple yet captivating messages. Although...
There is so much more beyond the simple satire, you can always find a critical viewpoint and it's narrative, found among the caricatures.
The narrative of movement, insightful information, social critique and of space, translated into images.
In this world where design has been refined to it's utmost degree, where publicity saturates our senses whilst simultaneously providing the simplest of graphical interfaces, we have found a parallel between the narrative of the building and the comic strip.


Image via Nicolas de Crécy

As architecture evolved, it grew closer and closer to the object, to the movement and the graphical communication of those aspects in the most concise yet descriptive way.
This is the kingdom of the intersection between architecture and the graphical novel: the habitat of the human being in the fourth dimension, set in an afterthought of contemporary lifestyles.
In this reflection we found the day-by-day questions we have about the craft of projecting with a harsh yet honest view.
Conforting, in a way.


Image via Architexts

But not everything has to be about the veteran's reality. Cartoons are many times associated with the young ones and it is shown well in all the fairy tales we grew up with. In these, we find the invasion of architecture's armies, changing the message in an odd yet fun perspective.


Images via Steven Guarnaccia

Beyond the stories we know, there was the need for new children's tales that would inspire future generations of architects to flurish.
Here's a read we highly recommend for the young creative types! 


Images via Andrea Beaty

In these we see the mutual relationship between the architect and the cartoonist, the intrinsical critique inwards and outwards of the two different crafts.
From the architect's standpoint there's the use of comic strips as a means of presentation:
Rem Koolhaas' proposal for the Euralille 80; Herzog & DeMeuron's use of Jean Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg fresh out of the movie Godard to describe the Basel project; And most memorably, Bjarke Ingels' infamous hit book: "Yes is More"!


Images via Rem Koolhaas e BIG

Another use of comic strips by architects is the explanation of the inner workings of a building through a more atractive medium than the usual tecnical drawings.
In those realms Chris Ware has paved the way.


Image via Electric Works

Although there are examples of the contrary, Architecture has it's own way of invading the imaginations of the funny pages, anyone can see it by paying a closer attention to the backdrops of renowned New York Herald and New York American artists like Winsor McCay.


Image via Winsor McCay

Speaking of dreams, we have here the World Institute of Dream by Marc-Antoine Mathieu, a true infusion of imagination into the fusion of these two arts.


Image via Archipelago

Dreams and cartoons constantly invade our minds, but they can invade our lives too!
To the more familiar with the japanese drawings of manga, here is a simple household utensil with a fun touch...


Image via Mika Tsutai

And whilst changing the way we eat might seem fun, we musn't forget about all the other household items we can dare to change with the patterns cartoons bring us!


Image via Vintage Vibe

Art of this caliber can serve as an inspiration for a bold room painting! Or several!
Create a new identity for your house and use comic strips as a way to have some fun with your children's rooms.

Image via Sallsa

Architecture, even though it's most usually related with cinema and literature, will always have ties with this art form.
There are always ways for inspiration itself to take hold as we tell a story, as are even more ways to tell them.
The stories about people and about how they live will live on, translated across the times and across the pages of the common comic strip!


Image via Am Sampson