You Can't Do That On The Subway!

Seoul has a magnificent public transportation system: the subway. With so many people riding the subway daily, simple rules need to be set to assure the comfort of all passengers.

What better way to communicate these rules than through cartoons? Cartoons can lay down the law of the subway without coming across as being overly harsh. They also aren't boring.

The following images come from four campaigns using cartoons to teach subway passengers common courtesy.

Campaign 1:

These images are taken from various public service announcements placed on the subway.

This guy looks like he enjoys causing others discomfort. How rude!

I feel sorry for this poor big guy. Maybe it's not his fault he's bow-legged and has to sit like that.

Yikes! I hope this image doesn't plant any bad ideas in anyone's head.

This campaign proudly brought to you by KORAIL.

Campaign 2:

This public service announcement was placed on the wall of the subway station.

Here's a closer look.

This simple message brought to you by Seoul Metro.

Campaign 3:
This poster was displayed on a subway station wall. Here are closer views of what's on them:

The subway station man in the last three images seems to really dislike confrontation.

This campaign humbly brought to you by Seoul Metro.

Campaign 4:
This large illuminated display was also placed within the subway station.

Check out the zigzag line being used to represent yakking.

This last campaign brought to you by Seoul Metro. Peace out!

Which of the four campaigns do you like best?

I pick Campaign 1. Why? First of all, the cartoon characters effectively convey the intended message. Unlike Campaign 4, they aren't drawn so loosely that they lose their believability as living characters. And unlike Campaign 3, they aren't drawn so rigidly that they are trapped in a limited range of emotions. When I see these characters, I know exactly what they are feeling and what I'm not supposed to be doing on the subway. Second of all, the layout of the images are really good. The images read easily from a distance. The layout in Campaign 2 seems cluttered and a bit confusing. I think the artist behind Campaign 1 is excellent!

What do you think?

Subway Station Pixelation

Here's some subway station pixelation for you!

Seoul has amazing public transportation. The vast subway system alone is a marvel. If you spend enough time in Seoul, you'll learn that each subway station is unique. Many subway stations are enriched with art. Sometimes, the ever present tiles used in Korean subways are arranged to make pixelated imagery.

Here's a close up look at the first image. See how this cartoon tiger is made up of small colored square tiles? This results in a very 8-bit look, doesn't it? I think that's what makes it so appealing.

These images of Hodori, the 1988 Olympic Mascot for Seoul (I'll write more about him later), are taken from the Dongdaemun Stadium station.

This next series of images is from the Yeouido subway station:
These horses and sheep create a mural that beautifully decorate a wall.

The mural is so wide that I had to break it down into slices. The very next image is the farthest slice to the left. As you scroll down, imagine you are looking from left to right at this mural.

I can't seem to remember which subway station the next series of images are from. These ones show historical Korean scenes.This is a close up of the lantern in the above picture with the women.

And this is a close up of the candle.

There is tons more stuff like this in Seoul subways. I've even seen abstract patterns using rectangular tiles. Of course, these are much better looking in person. So, if you ever get the chance, you should check these out.