Gary Larson is undeniably brilliant, but he is not a perfect pen and ink talent. Yet he used his unpretentious illustrative ability to convey clearly many quite abstract ideas. And he would do it in one panel.
He could reach into his very simple bag of cartoon inker's "Cow Tools" and produce an image that opens a window on a different way of seeing the world. One that reveals a unique viewpoint and explores general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.
He was more of a philosopher than a illustrator.
Larson's work raises the question: why aren't more philosopher's funny?
His work also suggests that you don't need to have every possible talent perfected to tell a story.
But all I have at my disposal for crafting stories for the 2013 Clarion Foundation Write-A-Thon are a few ideas and the basics of the writer's craft I learned at Clarion East in 1972.
That's my little bag of Cow Tools.
And yet I believe that sometimes, if you work very hard and simply do as well and as right as you can, that will be enough.
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