cartoons - more than just a joke

PETE: Have you seen that bloody Leonardo Da Vinci cartoon?… I couldn’t see the bloody joke.

DUD: Well, of course, you know, Pete, people’s sense of humour must have changed over the years… I bet, when that Da Vinci cartoon first come out, I bet people were killing themselves. I bet old Da Vinci had an accident when he drew it.

Today we use the term to mean a comic illustration, usually rendered in black ink and, more often than not, coloured in one of a variety of media.

Cartoons can be used for a wide variety of purposes, to powerful effect. Many a dry and boring article has been brought to life with a cartoon: mere photos or library graphics rarely encapsulate and illuminate the message so precisely. In mainland Europe, cartoons command great respect: there is always a wide selection of satirical newspapers on sale at every news kiosk.

Many people in the humour business have an affinity for cartooning. Some top comedians (Bob Monkhouse, Willie Rushton) and film directors (Steven Spielberg, George Lucas) started out as cartoonists, and many entertainers and celebrities (Jonathan Ross, Richard Branson) collect cartoons and comic books.

joke cartoons

A JOKE CARTOON in a newspaper provides an oasis of humour in a desert of grey newsprint. Often political, it can plumb the depths of mundane human experience showing us things we knew but were unable to express. Or else it can surprise us with audacious visual puns and imaginative jokes drawn from a lateral perspective. More>>

comic strips

THE COMIC STRIP extends the joke into three or four panels or, even, several pages; and like a mini sitcom, relates funny little stories from the lives of its characters. These characters are the most important ingredient: get them right and the strip virtually writes itself. But as all comic strip artists know, getting them right isn’t always easy! More>>

political cartoons

WHEN THE SERIOUS issues of the day require a deeper, more satirical lambasting, the political cartoon comes into play. Cartoons and caricatures provide a potent arsenal of inky, satirical weapons with which to splatter the powerful and corrupt. More>>

cartoon illustrations

HOWEVER, CARTOONS in the media are really just the surface of UK cartoon activity: in the worlds of advertising, education, PR, promotions and business presentations, cartoon illustrations are often found to be one of the most effective ways of communicating an idea. More>>

caricatures

FINALLY WE come to the cartoon portrait or caricature. It is used in all the above situations when depicting particular individuals. A caricature is an exaggerated likeness of a person’s face and/or body. More>>