A large pink dog-unicorn-dragon gazes happily at the moon. The glowing moon is suspended in a bright blue daylight sky, which is filled with bananas and chocolate chip cookies. A pilot, stewardess and five passengers seated on saddles are ready for a flight to the moon, as announced by a sign near the wooden stairs. A larger sign says “Future Mythological Transport Service.” In the sky it says “Enjoy Your Trip!”
When I started the 1998 version of Whimsyload.com I created a new computer graphic each month, and put them on the first page of the site. It was fun because it formed a monthly visual journal entry. “Unidog Transport” from March 2001, has received more attention over the years than most of them, in the form of requests for prints. Why?
Because wouldn’t it be great to just go to a new magical place where life would be different and better? That’s what the Unidog Transport Service is offering. It a trip to a future mythological world on the moon. There are no security checks or powerful drugs required. Just hop on and go! It’s even safe for families. The shiny moon is quiet and there is lots of room. Maybe there are more dog-unicorn-dragons there, and you can pat them and feed them strawberry milkshakes.
I guess it’s ironic, because most of us know there is no atmosphere on the moon. There is no “hop on and go” in our world. Sometimes when I look at my own artwork I wonder if I and am an “escapist” or some kind of denier of all the suffering on our world. It may look that way, but really I just want to offer an alternative. My mother-in-law once told me I am an idealist, and for someone who lived through the second world war, idealism is a negative thing. I can see her point of view, and I can see the ugliness of the world too. If reducing suffering, and improving life for all beings is needed, there there really needs to be idealists who propose alternatives. Even wild funny silly alternatives are needed.
“Enjoy your trip!” could also be seen as an ironic statement, because most of the “trips” we go on as human beings are not enjoyable. We all struggle a lot. What I mean by “Enjoy your trip!” is enjoy your wild funky life as it is. Delusions and disappointments, fantasies and unrealistic ideals are all part of it. Include bananas and chocolate chip cookies once in a while, and even ponder a trip to the moon. Maybe that’s what “Unidog Transport” is all about.
Unidog Transport – Computer Graphic – 2001
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