Magical Urbanism, a website about urbanization, design and social change, is maintained by Mike Ernst. I'm an urban planner and designer based in New York City. I graduated from the Paul Madonna Draws the Neighborhoods of San Francisco
Paul Madonna is an illustrator based in San Francisco. He’s best know for his urban observations rendered in pen, pencil and watercolor. His work is published as “All Over Coffee” every Sunday in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Although his work does occasionally feature sketches and illustrations from other places, San Francisco is his first muse; coffee seems to be his second.
He often focuses on the mundane: powerlines, architectural ornamentation, the overlooked nooks in your favorite coffee shop.
He punctuates his drawings with a phrase or two, sometimes a paragraph, often with hidden meanings or obtuse references.
As an article on the Chronicle’s website mentions, for a graphic artist who publishes in a newspaper, Madonna’s work isn’t really funny. Maybe that’s why he struggled at first to find an outlet for his designs.
But if it’s the appropriate title for him, I’m glad there’s a market out there for serious cartoonists.
These samples from his website don’t really do his work justice; you’d be better off buying his book on Amazon.
