aNewDomain.net — When I was little we played with toys that were more or less basic geometric shapes. They were simple toys like blocks, balls, hula hoops, and tops. Modern higher tech electronic toys were bound to make their advent, and one of them was the game Operation. It had a light and a buzzer. Wow. We also had electric football, erector sets, and remote control cars (with a wired remote). You could play with all these toys alone or with friends. Hours of fascination! Our parents would yell at us to go outside and have fun.
Cartoon by Tom Sloan
Skipping ahead to present day, those toys still exist. But now every kid has an electronic appendage connected to their hand. If it isn’t a smartphone, it’s an iPad, a VTech toy, or some other Gameboy-type nano thing. A group of kids, each sitting there with their gadgets might look mundane to us, but it’s as wonderful to them as it was blowing up toy cars with firecrackers to us. I admit, if I was little and had these hand held devices, I’d be just as much in love with them as I love them now. But back then, I still did go outside everyday with my neighbor John Ferri and play kickball without being told.
For aNewDomain.net, I’m Tom Sloan.
Tom Sloan has drawn cartoons and illustrations for numerous publications — including the original BYTE magazine. Not limited to print, Tom’s cartoons and collages are displayed in museums and galleries throughout the United States. He’s also an accomplished animator. He’s created animations for such as clients Sesame Street, HBO, Nickelodeon, Captain Kangaroo, Romper Room, Burger King and McDonalds.
