I’ve always loved the Monkeys Like Us strips.

Some of them still make me chuckle even 20 years later, while others leave me wondering what I was thinking when I posted them. But overall, I have a deep fondness for the series.

Over the years, I tried changing the format a few times. Even as early as 10 strips in I realized I needed to try something different. Unfortunately, the original graphic files were lost, and what I had left was of poor quality.

I attempted to take new photos of the original Monkey, but one of the pair had been given to Pixie, and I couldn’t quite capture the magic of that first image. So, I had to make some changes.

But those changes didn’t go over as well as I hoped.

My first change was switching to a deliberately poorly drawn monkey, which lasted for three (embarrassingly unfunny) strips before I reverted back.

Eventually I tried a new approach, using Pacman-style ghosts. They were easy to draw, looked decent enough (or so I thought), and sometimes I could give them a little smirk, which allowed me to get a bit more creative.

At some point, I also tried to recreate the original Monkey magic using two of the mini versions of Monkey from a PG Tips promotion. But as always, the original remained the best.

I started to wonder if it was time to accept that I’d never improve on the original. But now, 20 years later, the poor-quality images look even worse, and I have even fewer of the original graphics left.

Then I had a breakthrough: I still can’t draw – but I can AI! I spent a lot of time experimenting with prompts, trying to find a style that felt right. And finally, I’m really happy with the result. I’ve got two core monkeys, set against a plain background, with space on either side to change the scene. I love how it’s come together.

As a bonus, the original Monkey comic was used as the first image prompt for these new creations, and that feels pretty great.

Some of the Monkeys Like Us cartoons are lost. I’ve managed to recreate a few from memory in the new style. But others, like the one titled The Elephant, where the only text in the post was “elephant.jpg” are lost to time.

I do like the way the old comics look in this new style. While I’m not planning to replace the originals, I’m thinking of doing a short series of remasters, bringing back some of the old favorites from 20 years ago with a fresh 2024 look.

I’m excited to blog again, and I’m excited to do more Monkeys Like Us 🙂

Now, I just need to get myself involved in enough Monkey-worthy conversations to keep up a steady flow!