UK cartoonist 'Angry Dan' needs your help mapping NYC hot spots
Driven by a 'lifelong fascination' with New York City, UK cartoonist Daniel Ryder is planning to chart the hottest spots across the five boroughs using hand-drawn cartoons.
5 Angry Dan is looking to map top landmarks of New York City.
Courtesy Angry Dan
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But he's calling on New Yorkers for help.
Ryder has spent the past few days pounding the pavement and handing out contact cards — encouraging New Yorkers to share their favorite spots to eat, drink and enjoy Gotham in all its glory.
'The core of the decision was, I just want to go to New York and draw it,' said Ryder, who goes by the moniker 'Angry Dan. 'I want to experience it. I want to know it better.
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'I'm hoping that the map will help to remind adults and to maybe show some kids for the first time, why it is one of the most wonderful places in the world.'
The cartoonist calls his maps 'wiggly-windy jigsaw' puzzles, where the best parts of a city can be visually represented in an engaging way.
He first began drawing as a child, but stopped when he learned he was colorblind. He only returned to it in his 30s, and hasn't put the pen down since.
He finished his first map of London last year, which he said took him thousands of hours.
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For that one, 'Angry Dan' sought advice from hundreds of Londoners to help him draw neighborhoods he didn't know as well.
On this side of the pond though, he's sure he'll need even more help.
5 Drawing the London map took Angry Dan thousands of hours.
Courtesy Angry Dan
New Yorkers can answer questions about their favorite pizza joint, museums, buildings, greenspaces and views of the city on Ryder's website — to make sure no neighborhood gem goes untouched.
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5 Angry Dan's cartoon rendering of Big Ben.
Courtesy Angry Dan
Luckily, they've so far been more than happy to oblige.
On his very first night in the city, Ryder went to a Midtown bar, and ended up chatting with two New Yorkers about their favorite place to grab a bite.
'Immediately they get into this argument about which of the diners in Manhattan are tourist rubbish and which ones are genuine hives of culture,' he told The Post.
5 Angry Dan is handing out cards, asking New Yorkers to share their spots.
Courtesy Angry Dan
The cartoonist first fell in love with New York on a trip with his buddies in his early 20s. This time around, he's joined by his wife and young child.
Drawing the five boroughs, he said, poses its own set of artistic challenges. Since Manhattan is more dense than Staten Island or Queens, visually representing the city accurately is a challenge.
But 'Angry Dan' isn't deterred.
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'I had a dream about four nights ago, about how I'm going to compose the bottom end of Manhattan from the angle that I want to draw it from, and I was imagining the two big courts,' Ryder explained, using his hands to demonstrate the facades.
'It was getting really silly and I thought, 'Oh my God I'm getting way too way too into this.''
5 Angry Dan installed a huge version of the map in London.
Global Street Art.
The maps are his way to give back to the cities he loves, Ryder said, and he hopes everyone will be able to share in the joy.
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'The image,' he said, 'is about the possibilities of a city and the reasons why we love them and why we love living in them.'
Visit Ryder's website for more information: https://www.angrydan.com/nyc
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