The 5th Wave
Encyclopedia
The 5th Wave is a weekly gag cartoon
by Rich Tennant, published on Sundays. Started in 1981, the comic usually deals with computer
s and technology
. Tennant's cartoons regularly appear in the For Dummies book series, as well as PC Magazine
and Computerworld
, a magazine for which he worked from 1987 to 1999. Like most gag cartoons, Tennant's comics have no continuity, no recurring characters, and no storylines that continue into the next week.
The name of the comic comes from Future Shock
by Alvin Toffler
. In this book, societies are listed in wave
s, e.g., the Agricultural Age is The First Wave, the Industrial Age
is The Second Wave, and the Information Age
is The Third Wave. Tennant wanted to call his comic The Fourth Wave, but "through a series of missteps and miscommunications", it was first published in a newspaper under the title The 5th Wave, and the name stuck.
Gag cartoon
A gag cartoon is most often a single-panel cartoon, usually including a hand-lettered or typeset caption beneath the drawing. A pantomime cartoon carries no caption...
by Rich Tennant, published on Sundays. Started in 1981, the comic usually deals with computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
. Tennant's cartoons regularly appear in the For Dummies book series, as well as PC Magazine
PC Magazine
PC Magazine is a computer magazine published by Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009...
and Computerworld
Computerworld
Computerworld is an IT magazine that provides information for senior IT leaders. It is published in many countries around the world under the same or similar names. Its publisher is International Data Group. Computerworld serves the needs of IT management via print and online...
, a magazine for which he worked from 1987 to 1999. Like most gag cartoons, Tennant's comics have no continuity, no recurring characters, and no storylines that continue into the next week.
The name of the comic comes from Future Shock
Future Shock
Future Shock is a book written by the futurist Alvin Toffler in 1970. In the book, Toffler defines the term "future shock" as a certain psychological state of individuals and entire societies. His shortest definition for the term is a personal perception of "too much change in too short a period of...
by Alvin Toffler
Alvin Toffler
Alvin Toffler is an American writer and futurist, known for his works discussing the digital revolution, communication revolution, corporate revolution and technological singularity....
. In this book, societies are listed in wave
Wave
In physics, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time, accompanied by the transfer of energy.Waves travel and the wave motion transfers energy from one point to another, often with no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium—that is, with little or no associated mass...
s, e.g., the Agricultural Age is The First Wave, the Industrial Age
Industrial Age
Industrial Age may refer to:*Industrialisation*The Industrial Revolution...
is The Second Wave, and the Information Age
Information Age
The Information Age, also commonly known as the Computer Age or Digital Age, is an idea that the current age will be characterized by the ability of individuals to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge that would have been difficult or impossible to find previously...
is The Third Wave. Tennant wanted to call his comic The Fourth Wave, but "through a series of missteps and miscommunications", it was first published in a newspaper under the title The 5th Wave, and the name stuck.
Collections
- The 5th Wave (1992) ISBN 0-8362-1890-6
- Version 2.0 (1995) ISBN 0-8362-1783-7