History And The Modern Usage Of Cartoons
A cartoon is a drawing. It is a basic expression of creative thinking and a perception of reality and dream. By drawing cartoons, cartoonists engage in practicing their creative skills. What makes cartoons so appealing for most, if not, all audiences? Cartoons represent nearly all aspects of life. For instance, these simple drawings could be interpreted as humorous, serious or erotic. Oftentimes, the cartoonist can capture the idea he or she wants to convey, to observe and exaggerate the characters’ satirical features. Cartoons are the type of illustrations typically portrayed in a semi-realistic or non-realistic style. The precise meaning of cartoons had evolved over time, much like how distribution of the content transitioned (from newspapers/magazines to online media platforms). Anyhow, the modern usage of the term cartoons usually alludes to either: an image intended for caricature, satire, or humor; or a motion picture that depends on a sequence of illustrations for its animation.
Historically, the roots of cartoons were found in simple, unsigned visual messages that poked fun at others. Untrained artists drew cartoons to reveal their own or an average person’s opinion about someone in power. These personal judgments tended to be missing from many mainstream historical documents. Fundamentally, there are three types of cartoons: caricatures, political, and humorous.
Caricatures are drawings of real people that distort certain characteristics but still capture the realistic features. In other words, a caricature is an exaggerated piece of portrait art. These rendered images portray its subjects as oversimplified through pencil strokes, sketching, or other artistic drawings. The primary purpose of creating caricatures was to present an impression of the original that was more staggering than the portrait. During the 16th and 17th centuries, caricatures became the most recognized genre of fine arts. Artists produced artistic content with satirical references to ridicule politicians or any public figures.
Oftentimes, there was a moral message attached to the caricature. Back when the majority of the population were illiterate, caricaturists communicated their messages without the need for written words. The most famous example was the satirical graphic art of Napoleon Bonaparte. James Gillray (artist) portrayed the French Emperor as relatively short and ridiculously unproportionate with his oversized hat. Knowing that caricatures were generally more influential than portrait paintings, the long-term effect of this particular work was that past and present audiences were likely to believe it was historically accurate (thinking that Napoleon was in fact, small and funny looking). Even today, caricatures remain its popularity as seen on prints (magazines) and on any device that can access the internet (smartphones, computers, etc. ) to poke fun at celebrities and politicians.
What changed over the past few centuries was the artist tool. Caricaturists in the past used charcoal, pencil, or pen to sketch their work. However, with the current technological advancements, artists are now able to access several graphic programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Corel Painter. Political cartoons are graphic caricatures of public figures, expressing the cartoonist’s opinion about a political event or issue. Typically found in the editorial section of a newspaper, these types of cartoons combined the creator’s artistic abilities, hyperbole, and satire to question authoritative decisions and draw attention to political violence, corruption, and other social ills. In other words, cartoonists used traditional visual metaphors (Uncle Sam) and political symbols (Republican elephant or Democratic donkey) to address complicated issues. The most famous example being the 1897 Uncle Sam and His Oyster Sandwiches.
Without prior knowledge of what’s happening in politics, one can simply make the accurate assumption that Uncle Sam (the United States) annexed Hawaii before any other country. Uncle Sam was depicted as a character holding a giant fork (aiming to stab at Hawaii) while pushing back the prime minister of England and Japan. Political cartoons can be incredibly humorous, especially for viewers who understood the context the artist is commenting on. However, the chief purpose is not to amuse, but to persuade the audience. For instance, a “good” political cartoon not only encourages people to learn more about current events, it also attempts to guide you to better understand the cartoonist’s perspective. The “best” works are the ones that alter one’s point of view without them knowing it. Last but most importantly, cartoons are meant to be humorous. Universally, most cartoons are drawn to make people laugh.
Cartoonists pull normally serious politicians out of context and place them in ridiculous scenarios by exaggerating the situations and characters to become funny and bold. Essentially, cartoons allow the artist to express words they wouldn’t dare say out loud. Successful cartoons are the ones that fuse humor with originality. Cartoonists use techniques like exaggeration, analogy, symbolism, irony, and labeling to create the best possible, funny, and influential cartoon. The contemporary cartoon Make Germany Great Again featured Adolf Hitler saluting the Nazi flag while wearing a gray cap that said, “Make Germany Great Again”. For those who don’t comprehend the political context, this cartoon referenced the artist’s opinion on the current president of the United States. The analogy was making a comparison between Hitler (a cruel, authoritarian, German Nazi dictator) and Donald Trump. Once the audience understands the analogy, they’ll be able to see the cartoonist’s political biases.
