What do our fears for the future look like?

November 19, 2012 12:51 PM

FindThatCartoonFilter: Can you help me find an image illustrating how we used to imagine the future vs. how we now imagine the future?

This is a long shot, but my google-fu is failing me! I remember seeing this illustration in two parts--I think I may have seen it on Reddit. The upper image was captioned "How we used to imagine the future" and had, like, flying cars and towers reaching off into space. It was very sixties sci-fi modernist. The image below that was captioned "How we imagine the future now" and it was a sublime burning wasteland - I don't remember the specifics other than it was very devastated and empty, and I think it was drawn in shades of orange.
Do you remember this image? Do you have any suggestions for hunting for it? I've tried all of the search terms I can think of. Alternatively, do you have an alternate image that gets the same idea across?

posted by Edna Million to media & arts (5 answers total)

Sounds like you're looking for retrofuturism. :) Google "retro future" and see what comes up.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 12:56 PM on November 19, 2012

Arthur Radebaugh's work, perhaps?
posted by Madamina at 1:10 PM on November 19, 2012

Boulet?
posted by Nomyte at 3:03 PM on November 19, 2012

Is it this one?
posted by mirage pine at 12:33 AM on November 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thanks Mirage Pine! I'd given up, and missed your answer, but I'm so happy you found it!
posted by Edna Million at 3:57 PM on January 3