I was asked by MSR to illustrate an instruction pamphlet for a military issue cooking stove. Cartoons have been used by the military for years to convey technical information to troops who will be using or maintaining hardware. Looking at the reference of existing instructions there is often an element of..."humor" is not the correct word...but "targeted playfulness"...yes I like that phrase. Machine parts or tools might become slightly anthropomorphized with the addition of eyes or mouths to help build the instructional narrative and help to reinforce an action essential to the safe operation. In this case there were some procedures that differentiated the operation of this stove from previous models such as the mechanism to shut off the flame and the required use of JP-8 fuel. All in all a fun project AND I got to draw a Humvee.
