Jason Kotecki’s Escape Adulthood is a blog by a National Speakers Association member who is also a professional cartoonist.

Blogging since: April 22, 2002
Posting Frequency: 3-4 times a week
Post Length: 50 – 500 words
Aesthetic Appeal: Outstanding, unique
Graphics: Photos, book covers, banknotes, newspaper covers and lots and lots of cartoons grace every posting
Categories: Adultitis, Be Honest, Business Wisdom, Delight in the Little Things, Dream Big, Get Curious, Have Faith, Kim & Jason News, Live Passionately, Maintain Perspective, Play, Podcasts, Random Musings
Blogroll: 19 quirky, independent, playful blogs
Target Audience: The child in all of us…
Comments allowed: Yes
Trackbacks: No
Bonus: Podcast audio
Alexa.com traffic ranking: 999,829 (way high!)
Sites that link to this blog: 197
Yahoo Links: 2,599 (off the charts!)

Review:

The first thing to note is that Jason is a great cartoonist:

The second thing to note is that as well as Jason’s own blog, there’s a link to his wife Kim’s blog. I’ll limit this review to Jason’s, but couples who blog might be the wave of the future. He said, she said.

I don’t know how many cartoonists blog but Jason is as adept at blogging as he is at drawing. Both are forms of communication that require a regular commitment and become interesting when they demonstrate new ways of seeing the world.

Jason’s Bio offers wonderful insights into what makes him tick:

My dream is to use the talents God has given me to entertain others, while inspiring and encouraging them to renew their childlike faith and to believe in their dreams. In a world crippled by the desire for job security at the expense of their dreams, I am inspired by the saying that you should do what you love, and the rest will come.

Jason blogs on everything from the Pope to the Crocodile Hunter; Fidel Castro to Bolivian currency; Scrapbooking to Seattle. But the core of this blog are his rants about the importance of children and childhood, of seeing the world with a child’s eyes and combating what he terms ‘Adultitis’. If you have a moment (and if you think you don’t you are probably an Adultitis sufferer and need to take a moment) click on the Adultitis Category in his blog. You’ll find a treasure trove of whimsical advice. Example:

My goal is to live my life in such a way that when I come to the end of it, that same wonder will have weaved it’s way through my entire life story. I don’t want Adultitis to gloss over the wonderful things that life has to offer. These wonderful things are missed when we are moving so fast that we miss the smile from a stranger. They’re missed when we stop dreaming big, stop asking “why?” and stop taking time to just “be.” Slow down. Make the most of the time you have with your friends and family.

If reading Jason’s blog is too much of a grind then simply enjoy his cartoons and the wonders to be found in the rest of his web site, such as the reader photos, the Time Capsule or the 40 day Adultitis Escape Plan.

Jason’s blog, and the web site to which it so seamlessly linked, manages to include all the NSA “tricks” such as selling product and testimonials without seeming to be overly commercialized. The spirit of childhood and delight is apparent throughout. Unlike many NSA bloggers, Jason actually blogs about his speaking engagements, the audience feedback, the places he visits, and even information about how he can be booked (Hire a retired superhero to speak at your next shindig).

There’s very little to suggest for improvement. I would like to see the link to the blog more prominently displayed than under Tools off the home page. Other than that, I’m looking forward to taking some time to catch up with some of his gems from the last four years worth of blogging, starting with that 40-day Adultitis Escape Plan!