Comic Strip

Art & Sci are the two Jokers in the TRACS deck.

Art thinks on the right side of the brain - which specializes in "intuitive" thinking.
Sci thinks on the left side of the brain - which specializes in "analytical" thinking.

But, even in normal brains, the right brain controls the left hand and vice versa. So...
Art is holding the paint brush with his left hand.
Sci is holding the ruler with his right hand.

Are these Jokers Playing with a Full Deck?

Notice the shapes of the two Jokers. They reflect the odds of Red and Blue cards in a Full Deck:

Art is mostly triangles (head and hands). His face shows 3 triangles (teeth), 2 circles (eyes) and 1 square (nose).
Sci is mostly squares (head and hands). His face shows 3 squares (teeth), 2 circles (eyes) and 1 triangle (nose).

The two Jokers also represent two different styles of thinking in TRACS and in life:

Art is intuitive
Sci is analytical

Haitoon: A Blend of Haiku Poetry and Cartoon Drawings

As you read the comics, please notice that each one is an illustrated poem. That is, each strip has three lines in a pattern of 5-7-5 syllables, which is the metric format of Japanese haiku. (Each strip also has a title of 5 syllables.)

Despite the syllable count, haiku experts will tell you that mine are not real haiku because real haiku are written in Japanese (not English) and because real haiku are about "mother nature" (not "human nature"). Of course these experts would be right and my poems are perhaps better described as senryu, which are short poems in haiku format defined as "satire about the foibles of human experience" (Jane Reichhhold, "Writing and Enjoying Haiku", Kodansha International, 2002, pg. 39). Also, while haiku are "image poems" they are not actual pictures, so my cartoons might also be considered haiga, which is "a drawing that complements and responds to the haiku" (Bruce Ross, "How to Haiku", Tuttle Publishing, 2002, pg. 93).

Since most people have never heard of senryu or haiga, and since my comic strips are not quite the same as either one of them (or haiku), I call them Haitoons.

Not Just Flat Folks

Art and Sci are not just flat folks. They exist in real life, in all people (more or less), although they do not always get along (see above). Some real folks interested in the interplay between Art and Sci call themselves the Art Science Knights - House Of Worcester (ASK-HOW) and are "dedicated to the proposition that Art and Science are creative equals". The Art Science Knights are different from other artists because they make Artworks and ASK HOW Art works. For more details visit www.ask-how.org.

Art and Sci have also been seen in living color (actually sweat suits) at various parties hosted by artists and scientists (mostly artists, since their parties are more fun). Below is a shot from a recent gathering of comic characters in Worcester (MA) where they were seen chatting with Archie (nice hair). Rumor has it that Art and Sci cut a rug at the party while jiving to their jingle - the TRACS Trot. To hear it click here.