The great rivalries in sporting history are more than just contests of talent and effort; they’re studies in contrast.
All-American baseliner Chris Evert Lloyd vs. Czechoslovakian net-rusher Martina Navratilova. Graceful, dancing Muhammad Ali vs. power-puncher Joe Frazier. Bird vs. Magic. Nicklaus vs. Palmer. Contrasting styles, which, when brought together in head-to-head competition, snap together like puzzle pieces and produce spectacular, unpredictable results.
We now add to that list Shaun Inman vs. Kevin Cornell. Designer/programmer vs. designer/illustrator. The cerebral vs. the visceral.
Is it true that devoting two years to the development of the web application Mint has left Inman's visual skills atrophied? So says one inside source whose name I promised not to reveal, who was Kevin Cornell. Is it true that the funnier the comic strip, the more fragile the psyche of the artist, and thus the more prone to crack under the pressure of competition?
We find out Friday. Please, maintain proper hydration levels throughout the contest - Layer Tennis is a thirsty game.
Shaun Inman is a designer and programmer in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His web stats app, Mint, is both exquisitely clever and exceedingly popular. It's like crack for bloggers. His personal web site and weblog is shauninman.com, which Inman redesigns -- splendidly each time -- on a seemingly weekly basis.
Kevin Cornell is a freelance illustrator and designer. His illustrations are evocative, his designs are magnificent, and his comics are funny. His web site is Bearskinrug.co.uk, but the ".co.uk" is a trick intended to fool the authorities, as Cornell resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
John Gruber publishes Daring Fireball, an intelligent and opinionated journal devoted to geeky things like operating system interfaces and just about anything that has to do with Apple. John has the ability to make complicated things simple and the enthusiasm to cut through the noise and get at what's what.
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Thanks to Adobe and to all the artists, commentators and fans that made Friday afternoons so deliciously unproductive during the season. If you haven't checked it out yet, take a peek at our Season Retrospective video. There is a lot cooking for the Fall and, as usual, Season Ticket holders will get the news first.
Shaun Inman is the LT Season 2 Champ!
The winner will be decided by your votes. To vote for a player simply post a Twitter message that includes #LYT and your favorite's name with the "hash" sign in front of it. So, #LYT plus #inman or #hubacek for the early match.
You know how at the end of the NCAA basketball tourney CBS airs a retrospective montage? Yeah, it's sorta like that, only with better music.
Find links to all the matches played previously and check on matches to come here.
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