Colouring Books for Adults.
The trend began in the 60's - a good decade really to begin any trend.
Comic books that presented black and white illustrations that could be coloured - but geared mostly to adults; line drawings of a mostly satirical nature to be filled in with colour - subliminal therapy as a release. These were not floppy-eared bunnies, or chickens to be turned bright yellow, but political or anti-establishment statements.
Technology - or rather the lack of what we have today - couldn't turn this trend into an archetypal part of contemporary lifestyle - like eating ice cream or using pencils or owning a cellphone. As trendy as these items were at one time they are now an everyday part of our lives - things quickly accepted that got better with time - while retaining the basic concept.
The coloring book trend hit the brick wall of illustrators who were few, far between, and expensive for adult colouring books. People that could draw bunnies and chickens and snowmen were dime-a-dozen - most people can draw reasonably well. Humans are drawn to Art naturally, entranced by depth and line, color and light, shade and chroma from the moment they could daub mud or blood, limestone or pitch on a surface.
But artists that can create superfine line-drawings appealing to the adult mind were not that easily found. The trend ground to a halt (and with it all the inplied ramifications of this loss to society.)
But just over a year ago the trend began to surface again. An adult seated poring over a colouring book. An unmistakable picture of peace.
To address the issue of the therapeutic value of this pastime is a whole other discussion itself - from the studies involving mass murderers and childhood play to the disciplines of zen mindfullness involved - but suffice to say (for the purposes of this post in this thread) it is now a trend at its peak spawning ever new surprises as it comes back full circle to the cartoon and comic book world again.
The computer spawned illustrators and illustrators spawned illustrations that are filling books and the books are now filling the shelves of every major retailer. A trend of the past reached the future - our present.
It is now officially a 'thing.'
Mandalas, zentangles, tropicals, secret gardens, streets of Tokyo, New York - if it exists it can be drawn, it can be coloured.
Your way.
Even do
Spawn your way.
Not so much an insignificant trend anymore - it is mainstream.
You must have your own book or at a the minimum of social consciousness have heard about it - the latter at least making you trendy enough to be 'in the know' - so that at least you could 'pooh -pooh' the phenomenon off as another grab by generation Peter Pan.
To actually have a couple of books and a set of fine colour pencils?
Well, then, you're are beyond trendy. Even beyond hip.
You're with it.
And probably a very peaceful person.
Please. Enough with making everything go black. It's been almost two years now since everything started going 'black'. In fact, when it comes to your Visa card Black is better than Platinum.
, and my mom got one for my gf.
