Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown Edward Mapplethorpe was restricted by limited access to his studio and materials to pursue his artistic practice. The idea for American Cycle was conceived from the depths of his isolation in response to the barrage of dispiriting news coverage concerning the deplorable state of our United States.

Dirk Van Stralen saw his first cartoon published in Coquitlam’s Tri-City News in 1987. In 1990 he began a 17 year relationship with the Georgia Straight producing the much loved and award-winning weekly single panel cartoon, “vanstralen”.