Example of a modern cartoon. The text was excerpted by cartoonist Greg Williams from the Wikipedia article onDr. Seuss.
Acartoon is a type ofvisual art that is typically drawn, frequentlyanimated, in anunrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images intended forsatire,caricature, orhumor; or a motion picture that relies on a sequence of illustrations for its animation. Someone who creates cartoons in the first sense is called acartoonist,[1] and in the second sense they are usually called ananimator.
The concept originated in theMiddle Ages, and first described a preparatory drawing for a piece of art, such as a painting,fresco,tapestry, orstained glass window. In the 19th century, beginning inPunch magazine in 1843, cartoon came to refer – ironically at first – to humorous artworks in magazines and newspapers. Then it also was used forpolitical cartoons andcomic strips. When the medium developed, in the early 20th century, it began to refer toanimated films that resembled print cartoons.[2]
In fine art, a cartoon (fromItalian:cartone andDutch:karton—words describing strong, heavy paper or pasteboard andcognates forcarton) is a full-size drawing made on sturdypaper as a design ormodello for apainting,stained glass, ortapestry. Cartoons were typically used in the production offrescoes, to accurately link the component parts of the composition when painted on dampplaster over a series of days (giornate).[3] In media such as stained tapestry or stained glass, the cartoon was handed over by the artist to the skilled craftsmen who produced the final work.
Such cartoons often have pinpricks along the outlines of the design so that a bag of soot patted or "pounced" over a cartoon, held against the wall, would leave black dots on the plaster ("pouncing"). Cartoons bypainters, such as theRaphael Cartoons in London,Francisco Goya's tapestry cartoons, and examples byLeonardo da Vinci, are highly prized in their own right. Tapestry cartoons, usually colored, could be placed behind theloom, where theweaver would replicate the design. As tapestries are worked from behind, a mirror could be placed behind the loom to allow the weaver to see their work; in such cases the cartoon was placed behind the weaver.[2][4]
Mass media
John Leech,Substance and Shadow (1843), published asCartoon, No. 1 inPunch, the first use of the word cartoon to refer to a satirical drawing
In print media, a cartoon is a drawing or series of drawings, usually humorous in intent. This usage dates from 1843, whenPunch magazine applied the term to satirical drawings in its pages,[5] particularly sketches byJohn Leech.[6] The first of these parodied the preparatory cartoons for grand historical frescoes in the then-newPalace of Westminster in London.[7]
Bill Hoest,Jerry Marcus, andVirgil Partch began as magazine gag cartoonists and moved to syndicated comic strips.Richard Thompson illustrated numerous feature articles inThe Washington Post before creating hisCul de Sac comic strip. The sports section of newspapers usually featured cartoons, sometimes including syndicated features such as Chester "Chet" Brown'sAll in Sport.
Editorial cartoons are found almost exclusively in news publications and news websites. Although they also employ humor, they are more serious in tone, commonly usingirony orsatire. The art usually acts as a visual metaphor to illustrate a point of view on current social or political topics. Editorial cartoons often include speech balloons and sometimes use multiple panels.Editorial cartoonists of note includeHerblock,David Low,Jeff MacNelly,Mike Peters, andGerald Scarfe.[2]
Comic strips, also known ascartoon strips in the United Kingdom, are found daily in newspapers worldwide, and are usually a short series of cartoon illustrations in sequence. In the United States, they are not commonly called "cartoons" themselves, but rather "comics" or "funnies". Nonetheless, the creators of comic strips—as well ascomic books andgraphic novels—are usually referred to as "cartoonists". Although humor is the most prevalent subject matter, adventure and drama are also represented in this medium. Some noteworthy cartoonists of humorous comic strips areScott Adams,Charles Schulz,E. C. Segar,Mort Walker andBill Watterson.[2]
Political cartoons are like illustrated editorials that serve visual commentaries on political events. They offer subtle criticism which are cleverly quoted with humour and satire to the extent that the criticized does not get embittered.
The pictorial satire ofWilliam Hogarth is regarded as a precursor to the development of political cartoons in 18th century England.[11]George Townshend produced some of the first overtly political cartoons and caricatures in the 1750s.[11][12] The medium began to develop in the latter part of the 18th century under the direction of its great exponents,James Gillray andThomas Rowlandson, both from London. Gillray explored the use of the medium for lampooning andcaricature, and has been referred to as the father of the political cartoon.[13] By calling the king, prime ministers and generals to account for their behaviour, many of Gillray's satires were directed againstGeorge III, depicting him as a pretentious buffoon, while the bulk of his work was dedicated to ridiculing the ambitions ofrevolutionary France andNapoleon.[13]George Cruikshank became the leading cartoonist in the period following Gillray, from 1815 until the 1840s. His career was renowned for his social caricatures of English life for popular publications.
By the mid 19th century, major political newspapers in many other countries featured cartoons commenting on the politics of the day.Thomas Nast, in New York City, showed how realistic German drawing techniques could redefine American cartooning.[14] His 160 cartoons relentlessly pursued the criminal characteristic of theTweed machine in New York City, and helped bring it down. Indeed, Tweed was arrested in Spain when police identified him from Nast's cartoons.[15] In Britain, SirJohn Tenniel was the toast of London.[16] In France under theJuly Monarchy,Honoré Daumier took up the new genre of political and socialcaricature, most famously lampooning the rotundKing Louis Philippe.
Political cartoons can be humorous or satirical, sometimes with piercing effect. The target of the humor may complain, but can seldom fight back. Lawsuits have been very rare; the first successful lawsuit against a cartoonist in over a century in Britain came in 1921, whenJ. H. Thomas, the leader of theNational Union of Railwaymen (NUR), initiated libel proceedings against the magazine of theBritish Communist Party. Thomas claimed defamation in the form of cartoons and words depicting the events of "Black Friday", when he allegedly betrayed the locked-outMiners' Federation. To Thomas, the framing of his image by the far left threatened to grievously degrade his character in the popular imagination. Soviet-inspired communism was a new element in European politics, and cartoonists unrestrained by tradition tested the boundaries of libel law. Thomas won the lawsuit and restored his reputation.[17]
Scientific
Cartoons such asxkcd have also found their place in the world ofscience,mathematics, andtechnology. For example, the cartoonWonderlab looked at daily life in the chemistry lab. In the U.S., one well-known cartoonist for these fields isSidney Harris. Many ofGary Larson's cartoons have a scientific flavor.
The firstcomic-strip cartoons were of a humorous tone.[18] Notable earlyhumor comics include the Swiss comic-strip bookMr. Vieux Bois (1837), the British stripAlly Sloper (first appearing in 1867) and the American stripYellow Kid (first appearing in 1895).
In the United States in the 1930s, books with cartoons were magazine-format "American comic books" with original material, or occasionally reprints of newspaper comic strips.[19]
In Britain in the 1930s,adventure comic magazines became quite popular, especially those published byDC Thomson; the publisher sent observers around the country to talk to boys and learn what they wanted to read about. The story line in magazines, comic books and cinema that most appealed to boys was the glamorous heroism of British soldiers fighting wars that were exciting and just.[20] DC Thomson issued the firstThe Dandy Comic in December 1937. It had a revolutionary design that broke away from the usual children's comics that were published broadsheet in size and not very colourful. Thomson capitalized on its success with a similar productThe Beano in 1938.[21]
On some occasions, newgag cartoons have been created for book publication.
Because of the stylistic similarities between comic strips and early animated films,cartoon came to refer toanimation, and the wordcartoon is currently used in reference to bothanimated cartoons and gag cartoons.[22] Whileanimation designates any style of illustrated images seen in rapid succession to give the impression of movement, the word "cartoon" is most often used as a descriptor for television programs and short films aimed at children, possibly featuringanthropomorphized animals,[23]superheroes, the adventures of child protagonists or related themes.
^Samuel S. Hyde,"'Please, Sir, he called me "Jimmy!' Political Cartooning before the Law: 'Black Friday', J.H. Thomas, and the Communist Libel Trial of 1921",Contemporary British History (2011)25(4), pp. 521–550.
Becker, Stephen D.; Goldberg, Rube (1959).Comic Art in America: A Social History of the Funnies, the Political Cartoons, Magazine Humor, Sporting Cartoons, and Animated Cartoons. Simon & Schuster.
Bishop, Franklin (2009).Cartoonist's Bible: An Essential Reference for Practicing Artist. London: Chartwell Books.ISBN978-0-7858-2085-7.
Blackbeard, Bill, ed. (1977).The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics. Smithsonian Inst. Press.
Harper's Weekly – 150 cartoons on elections 1860–1912; Reconstruction topics; Chinese exclusion; plus American Political Prints from the Library of Congress, 1766–1876 (archived 31 July 2010)
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