Everything about Cartoon totally explained
A
cartoon is any of several forms of
illustrations with varied meanings. The term has evolved from its original meaning from the fine art of the late
Middle Ages and
Renaissance, to the more modern meaning of humorous illustrations in
magazines and
newspapers, to the contemporary meaning referring to
animated programs.
Art
A cartoon (from the
Italian "cartone" and
Dutch word "karton", meaning strong, heavy paper or pasteboard) is a full-size
drawing made on
paper as a study for further drawings, such as a
painting or
tapestry. Cartoons were typically used in the production of
frescoes, to accurately link the component parts of the composition when painted onto
plaster over a series of days. Such cartoons often have pinpricks along the outlines of the design; a bag of soot was then rubbed over the cartoon, held against the wall to leave black dots on the plaster ("pouncing"). Cartoons by
painters such as the
Raphael Cartoons in London and examples by
Leonardo da Vinci are highly prized in their own right. Tapestry cartoons were followed by eye by the
weavers on the
loom.
Print media
In modern print media, a cartoon is a piece of art, usually humorous in intent. This usage dates from 1843 when
Punch magazine applied the term to satirical drawings in its pages, particularly sketches by John Leech. The first of these parodied the preparatory cartoons for grand historical frescoes in the then-new
Palace of Westminster. The original title for these drawings was
Mr Punch's face is the letter Q and the new title "cartoon" was intended to be ironic, a reference to the self-aggrandising posturing of Westminster politicians.
Modern
gag cartoons, found in magazines and newspapers, generally consist of a single drawing with a caption immediately beneath or (less often) a
speech balloon. Many consider
New Yorker cartoonist
Peter Arno the father of the modern gag cartoon (as did Arno himself). Gag cartoonists of note include
Charles Addams,
Gary Larson,
Charles Barsotti,
Chon Day and
Mel Calman.
Editorial cartoons are a type of gag cartoon found almost exclusively in news publications. Although they also employ humor, they're more serious in tone, commonly using
irony or
satire. The art usually acts as a visual metaphor to illustrate a point of view on current social and/or political topics. Editorial cartoons often include speech balloons and, sometimes, multiple panels.
Editorial cartoonists of note include
Herblock,
Mike Peters,
David Low and
Gerald Scarfe.
Comic strips, also known as "cartoon 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're not as commonly called "cartoons" themselves, but rather "comics" or "funnies". Nonetheless, the creators of comic strips—as well as
comic books and
graphic novels—are referred to as "
cartoonists". Although humor is the most prevalent subject matter, adventure and drama are also represented in this medium. Noteworthy cartoonists in this sense include
Charles Schulz,
Bill Watterson,
Scott Adams,
Mort Walker,
Steve Bell.
Motion pictures
Because of the stylistic similarities between comic strips and early animated movies, "cartoon" came to refer to
animation, and this is the sense in which "cartoon" is most commonly used today. These are usually shown on
television or in
cinemas and are created by showing illustrated images in rapid succession to give the impression of movement. (In this meaning, the word cartoon is sometimes shortened to
toon, which was popularized by the movie
Who Framed Roger Rabbit). Although the term can be applied to any animated presentation, it's most often used in reference to programs for children, featuring
anthropomorphized animals,
superheroes, the adventures of child protagonists, and other related genres.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Cartoon'.
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