These 1940’s cartoonists drew their characters blindfolded. Dick Tracy is almost perfect…

[Meanderer]

In a 1947 experiment as silly as it was fascinating, the Chicago Tribune asked several cartoonists to draw one of their classic characters…and then wear a blindfold or close their eyes and draw the character again. It’s clear they’re all incredibly familiar with their subjects, but especially impressive is Chester Gould with his near-perfect blind replication of Dick Tracy.


When the paper published the results they rounded out the article with a bit of surprisingly critical commentary in the captions…
http://twentytwowords.com/these-194...ers-blindfolded-dick-tracy-is-almost-perfect/

 

[SifuPhil]

That's interesting - I wonder how the newspaper came up with that idea?

Tracy is the best. I'd like to see today's cartoonists give it a try and see how they do.

Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) and Berkeley Breathed (Bloom County) would be my faves ...

 

[NancyNGA]

I think they all did well too, Meanderer. The authors got all the parts almost perfect. It's just when they had to
pick up the pencil and move to another spot they misjudged the distance. One would expect that.

Yes the comments are too critical. I'd like to see the commenter try it.

 

[Meanderer]

Yeah, it's just that seeing Secret Agent X-9 smoking a cig out of his ear was a little un-nerving!