An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws
editorial cartoon
A political cartoon, a form of editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically combine a ...
s that contain some level of political or social commentary. Their cartoons are used to convey and question an aspect of daily news or current affairs in a national or international context. Political cartoonists generally adopt a
caricaturist
A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures.
List of caricaturists
* Abed Abdi (born 1942)
* Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003)
* Alex Gard (1900–1948)
* Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977)
* Alfred Grévin (1827–1892)
* Alf ...
style of
drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, ...
, to capture the likeness of a politician or subject. They may also employ humor or
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...
to ridicule an individual or group, emphasize their point of view or comment on a particular event.
Media trends
The traditional and most common outlet for political cartoonists is the
pocket cartoon
A political cartoon, a form of editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically combine ...
, which usually appears in the
editorial page
An editorial, or leading article (UK) or leader (UK) is an article written by the senior editorial people or publisher of a newspaper, magazine, or any other written document, often unsigned. Australian and major United States newspapers, such ...
or the front news page of a newspaper, in the front news section of a newspaper. Editorial cartoons are not usually found in the dedicated comics section, although certain cartoons or
comic strips
A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of drawings, often cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics ter ...
have achieved crossover status.
Historically, these are quick, hand-drawn ink drawings, scanned and reproduced in black and white and published in print newspapers. The introduction of color came later, and more recently the use of digital drawing tools are a popular and efficient way to produce work quickly for newspaper deadlines.
Editorial cartoonists may reflect the political opinion expressed in the editorial page, or a newspaper in general, but they can also express opposing views, or opt for more populist humor that often reflects the
conventional wisdom
The conventional wisdom or received opinion is the body of ideas or explanations generally accepted by the public and/or by experts in a field. In religion, this is known as orthodoxy.
Etymology
The term is often credited to the economist John K ...
of the readers.
Historically, these artists have roots in ancient art forms, such as prehistoric
cave painting
In archaeology, Cave paintings are a type of parietal art (which category also includes petroglyphs, or engravings), found on the wall or ceilings of caves. The term usually implies prehistoric origin, and the oldest known are more than 40,000 ye ...
s, or the
hieroglyph
A hieroglyph ( Greek for "sacred carvings") was a character of the ancient Egyptian writing system. Logographic scripts that are pictographic in form in a way reminiscent of ancient Egyptian are also sometimes called "hieroglyphs". In Neoplatoni ...
s of Egypt, in terms of their role in informing society. Cartoonists in many ways take on the role of a
court jester
A jester, court jester, fool or joker was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch employed to entertain guests during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Jesters were also itinerant performers who entertained common folk at fairs and ...
, who though employed by a king or other ruler, would often mimic and ridicule him and his regime in his performances, to entertain the court, or
'the common man'.
In recent years, the internet has become a popular means for distributing this kind of short format media, humor, and minority political opinions, leading to a large growth in the popularity of online and alternative editorial cartoons.
The rise of
comics journalism
Comics journalism is a form of journalism that covers news or nonfiction events using the framework of comics, a combination of words and drawn images. Typically, sources are actual people featured in each story, and word balloons are actual quo ...
online, which combines the longer comic strip format as a means to relay a story in more depth, is very effective in a vertical web format. As
visual journalists, they can tell a story in a visual way, with words and images.
Critique in caricature
by Ananya Srivastava : First Post
''Firstpost'' is an Indian online news and media website. The site is a part of the Network 18 media conglomerate owned by Reliance Industries, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC-TV18.
The ''Network 18'' group was originally owned by Raghav ...
: May 14, 2017
Because an editorial cartoonist expresses an idea visually, with little or no text or words, it can be understood across many languages and countries. A strong tradition of editorial cartooning can be found throughout the world, in all political environments, including Cuba, Australia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India, Iran, France, Denmark, Canada and the United States.
In the United States, there are more than a hundred published editorial cartoonists, from both sides of the Republican-Democrat divide.
In India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, the most common and popular form of political commentary is the pocket cartoon. R. K. Laxman
Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman ''Pg. 11 in the source says that Laxman & his brother Narayan were Tamil Iyer Brahmins.'' (24 October 1921 – 26 January 2015) was an Indian cartoonist, illustrator, and humorist. He is best known for his creation ...
, Sudhir Dar
Sudhir Dar (14 May 1932 – 26 November 2019) was an Indian cartoonist and illustrator. Starting with ''The Statesman'' in 1961, he went on to work as the political cartoonist with ''Hindustan Times'' from 1967 for over two decades. Subsequently ...
, Mario Miranda
Mário João Carlos do Rosário de Brito Miranda (2 May 1926 – 11 December 2011), popularly known as Mario Miranda or Mario de Miranda, was an Indian cartoonist and painter based in Loutolim in the Indian state of Goa.
Miranda had been a ...
, E. P. Unny, Shekhar Gurera
Lalit Kala Academy
Shekhar Gurera, or Chander Shekhar Gurera, is an Indian editorial cartoonist, illustrator, and graphic designer. He publishes regular cartoons with comments about India's political and social trends. His daily pocket cartoons a ...
, Ajit Ninan are some of the popular editorial cartoonists, through their daily pocket cartoons.
A political cartoonist's aim is often to encourage debate; they can also fuel controversy. Their work can expose corrupt or abusive regimes, governments or political groups, and therefore often put themselves and their publishers at risk.
In 2005, Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard
Kurt Westergaard (born Kurt Vestergaard; 13 July 1935 – 14 July 2021) was a Danish cartoonist. In 2005 he drew a cartoon of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, wearing a bomb in his turban as a part of the ''Jyllands-Posten'' Muhammad cartoons, w ...
received numerous death threats and was attacked in his home by man with an axe .
In 2015, the French satirical magazine ''Charlie Hebdo
''Charlie Hebdo'' (; meaning ''Charlie Weekly'') is a French satirical weekly magazine, featuring cartoons, reports, polemics, and jokes. Stridently non-conformist in tone, the publication has been described as Anti-racism, anti-racist, sceptica ...
''s offices were attacked by two Islamist gunmen in reaction to publishing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
. Twelve employees were killed, including staff cartoonists Charb
Stéphane Jean-Abel Michel Charbonnier (; 21 August 1967 – 7 January 2015), better known as Charb (), was a French satirical caricaturist and journalist. He was assassinated during the ''Charlie Hebdo'' shooting on 7 January 2015.
He wor ...
, Cabu
Jean Maurice Jules Cabut (; 13 January 19387 January 2015), known by the pen-name Cabu (), was a French comic strip artist and caricaturist. He was murdered in the January 2015 shooting attack on the ''Charlie Hebdo'' newspaper offices. Cabu w ...
, Honoré, Tignous
Bernard Jean-Charles Verlhac (21 August 1957 – 7 January 2015), known by the pseudonym Tignous (, from oc, Tinhós), was a French cartoonist. He was a long-time staff cartoonist for the French satirical magazine '' Charlie Hebdo''.
On 7 Jan ...
and Wolinski.
Awards
The Cartoonists Rights Network International awards the annual Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award to political cartoonists who show bravery and risk their own safety to publish their work. In 2015, this accolade was awarded to Atena Farghadani
Atena Farghadani ( fa, آتنا فرقدانی; born 29 January 1987) is an Iranian artist and political activist, who was imprisoned for 18 months. Amnesty International considers her a prisoner of conscience. She was released on 3 May 2016.
...
of Iran, who was jailed for more than 12 years for publishing a cartoon of Iran's parliament with heads of various animals.
There is a Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
awarded every year for America's top editorial cartoonist — as decided by a panel of senior media industry professionals and media academics (see Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning
The Pulitzer Prize for Illustrated Reporting and Commentary is one of the fourteen Pulitzer Prizes that is annually awarded for journalism in the United States. It is the successor to the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning awarded from 1922 t ...
). Other major awards given each year to editorial cartoonists include the Sigma Delta Chi Award
The Sigma Delta Chi Awards are presented annually by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) (formerly Sigma Delta Chi) for excellence in journalism. The SPJ states the purpose of the award is to promote "the free flow of information vital ...
from the Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is the oldest organization representing journalists in the United States. It was established on April 17, 1909, at DePauw University,2009 SPJ Annual Report, letter ...
, the Thomas Nast
Thomas Nast (; ; September 26, 1840December 7, 1902) was a German-born American caricaturist and editorial cartoonist often considered to be the "Father of the American Cartoon".
He was a critic of Democratic Representative "Boss" Tweed and ...
Award from the Overseas Press Club
The Overseas Press Club of America (OPC) was founded in 1939 in New York City by a group of foreign correspondents. The wire service reporter Carol Weld was a founding member, as was the war correspondent Peggy Hull. The club seeks to maintain ...
, and the Herblock
Herbert Lawrence Block, commonly known as Herblock (October13, 1909October7, 2001), was an American editorial cartoonist and author best known for his commentaries on national domestic and foreign policy.
During the course of a career stretch ...
Prize.
Organizations
* Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC) is a professional association concerned with promoting the interests of staff, freelance and student editorial cartoonists in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With nearly 200 members, it ...
, (AAEC) : The largest organization of political cartoonists, have over 300 members worldwide.
* National Cartoonists Society
The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the ...
: welcomes editorial cartoonists in the United States.
* Cartoonists Rights Network International : It helps cartoonists who are exiled, jailed or in danger of persecution.
* Indian Institute of Cartoonists
Indian Institute of Cartoonists is an organisation based in Bangalore that serves to promote and preserve cartooning and cartoonists in India. Founded in 2001, the institute hosts the Indian Cartoon Gallery with rotating exhibits focusing on di ...
, (IIC) : The only organisation in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
dedicated to the art of cartooning and regularly exhibit cartoons of various cartoonists
Books
There are several North American books that have collected together the majority of cartoonists being published at the time. ''Attack of the Political Cartoonists'', written by J. P. Trostle, was published in 2004 and includes profiles of 150 mainstream American and Canadian cartoonists. ''Attack'' was an effort to update the 1962 tome ''Today's Cartoon'', by ''New Orleans States-Item'' cartoonist John Chase, which included most of the editorial cartoonists working in the U.S. at the height of the Cold War. The 3-volume ''Attitude'' series includes some of the political cartoonists who have appeared in alternative newspapers and online — see '' Attitude: The New Subversive Cartoonists''.
There are also a number of North American annual collections published each year, including ''Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year'' from Pelican Publishing, ''Best Political Cartoons of the Year'' from Daryl Cagle
Daryl Cagle (born 1956) is an American editorial cartoonist, the publisher of Cagle.com and owner of Cagle Cartoons, Inc., a newspaper syndicate.
Career
Cagle worked with The Muppets from 1979 through 1993. He drew a daily editorial cartoon ...
, and Portfolio, which showcases the best Canadian cartoons of the year.
See also
* List of editorial cartoonists
*Indian Institute of Cartoonists
Indian Institute of Cartoonists is an organisation based in Bangalore that serves to promote and preserve cartooning and cartoonists in India. Founded in 2001, the institute hosts the Indian Cartoon Gallery with rotating exhibits focusing on di ...
*Center for the Study of Political Graphics
The Center for the Study of Political Graphics (CSPG) is a United States non-profit, educational and research archive that collects, preserves, documents, and circulates domestic and international political posters relating to historical and conte ...
* Animated political cartoons
*Graphics
Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of data, as in design and manufacture ...
References
External links
Cartoons Magazine
Cartoonists Rights Network International
Association of American Editorial Cartoonists
The Nib
- an American online publisher of political cartoons and comic journalism
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