Photo Of The Artist As A Teenage Nerd

I don’t remember where I ran across it, but this Popular Mechanics article from 1982 really took me back.

Xlg Top Six Computers 2



I used to have that computer in the lower left. That thing was my world for a few years.

I played endless hours of Munch Man, composed little songs, and wrote endless Basic programs (especially when I got the Extended Basic cartridge with the sprite function!).

Anyway, I have an old photo album sitting around the office, and my son and I looked through it last week.

I came across this photo soon after seeing the article above:

Youngmark

Yep, that’s me. I’m pretty sure I’m 14 there. Cutting out Benday dots for a cartoon for the high school newspaper.

What’s funny is how little I’ve changed since then.

Honestly, my desk is set up almost that same way today. And I’m still into Legos, the space program, Van Halen… OK, scratch that last one.

I was telling Mike Lynch yesterday that basically I’m still a dorky kid in a (hopefully) responsible man’s body, and I’ve begun to wonder if I’ll ever really “grow up.”

Listen, I’m not gonna get all Hallmarky on you here, just someone let me know when I’m an “adult,” OK?

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4 thoughts on “Photo Of The Artist As A Teenage Nerd”

  1. >I was telling Mike Lynch >yesterday that basically I'm
    >still a dorky kid in a
    >(hopefully) responsible
    >man's body,

    I'm sure Mike had already figured that one out! 🙂

    >and I've begun to wonder if I'll
    > ever really "grow up."

    Do yourself a favor and don't.

    Scott Adam had a blog post about a month ago discussing one's "permanent age." His, he says, is 42. Maybe yours is 14! Here's the post:
    http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/03/whats_your_perm.html

  2. Ha ha ha! Thanks for this. It took guts.

    The 80s were a difficult time for all of us. I, too, wore glasses that looked way uncool and cut up Benday dots.

    By the time I was doing a strip for my college paper, I went to straight pen & ink — no dots. But I still wore nerd glasses and had nerd hair. But, hey, the geeks rule the world now, so I'm royalty — along with you and the rest of us!

  3. I don't remember when I ditched the dots, but it was a good day.

    I remember I tried to find them about 10 years ago when I started in on cartooning and no one had any idea what I was talking about.

    Also, I think you're right, Angie. I dunno how good 14 is for my "permanent" age in the long run, but it's fun.

  4. Rest easy knowing that there were bigger nerds than you out there (my sophomore yearbook picture would make a pretty strong case.)

    And as far as the growing up part goes, please don't. We already have too many grown-ups out there, and if cartoonists start doing it, we're all in trouble.

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