editorial cartoons by daniel nott

CARTOONSEDITORIAL

Honors Project by Daniel Nott

Editorial Cartooning

Independent Honors Capstone Project by Daniel N

ott

ContentsI. Notes & Illustrations

II. Sketchbook & Cartoon Ideas

III. Final & Revised Cartoons

IV. !esis & Bibliography Introduction..................................................11. Dissecting the Visual Language of the Cartoon...............................................22. Reading Cartoons in Context.....................113. Re!ection.....................................................214. Annotated Bibliography.............................32

I. Notes &

Il

lustrations

II. Sketchbook &

Cartoon Ideas

III. Final &

Revised Cartoons

Revised Cartoons2008 - 2011

IV. !esis &

Bibliography

Introduction..................................................11. Dissecting the Visual Language of the Cartoon...............................................22. Reading Cartoons in Context.....................113. Re!ection.....................................................214. Annotated Bibliography.............................32

!e Layered Language of Editorial Cartoons: !e !eory, History and Practice of a Uniquely Visual

Language

IntroductionOver the past 50 years, people all over the world have contributed to the creation of a vast

new infrastructure for information and content distribution that has turned all industries previously

involved upside down. !ose responsible for the publishing and distribution of movies, books,

and music have struggled to adapt not only to the ease and convenience of free content sharing

through the Internet, but also to the way that the Internet is rewiring our minds to favor content

that is quickly and freely consumed and digested. Journalism has received a great deal of attention

throughout this transformation, as centuries-old news institutions across the country have been

broken down and thrown into cyberspace to compete with a new community of bloggers and news

aggregations.

With the thunderous collapse of the print journalism industry, few have noted the more

quiet demise of an obscure worker within the trade: the political cartoonist, who had once relied on

the editorial pages of the ubiquitous local and national newspapers to carry his or her work. With

less than 90 full time editorial cartoonists working on the sta" of major newspapers today, it is not

surprising that the trade does not get much attention and is o#en misunderstood as merely a visual

supplement to editorial and news content.

Editorial and political cartoonists do not just draw pictures; they use a complex visual language

of icons and symbols to construct meaning. !e use of a unique visual linguistics enables political

cartoonists to pile layer upon layer of meaning into their work, and to do so within a condensed

package that is—unlike quality journalism—perfectly suited to new media consumption. It seems

that now is a better time than ever to ask questions of this strange hybrid language and its creators:

What tools does the editorial cartoonist use to create messages? Where did the tradition come

from, and where is the medium going?

!e $rst part of this paper will be devoted to outlining a theoretical framework for understanding

how the messages in political cartoons are constructed. !is includes the way icons and symbols

are arranged with metaphors to create messages, as well as the way that the visual style of the

artist contributes to meaning. !e second part of the paper is devoted to using this framework to

!e Layered Language of Editorial Cartoons Nott 1

analyze the messages in a selection of cartoons within their historical context, with the intention

of showing the e!ectiveness of cartoons in practice rather than theory. In the third part, I will

re"ect on the contemporary environment that political cartoonists operate in and how I accessed

their “conversation.” Additionally, I will describe the development of my own process and use the

framework developed in part one to explain the way I used the visual language of cartoons to

convey my own messages.

Part 1: Dissecting the Visual Language of the CartoonTerminology: Cartoons, Comics, and Graphic Novels #e $rst step in understanding the editorial and political cartoon is to distinguish it from

other similar genres. Scott McCloud, in his illustrated analysis Understanding Comics, describes

cartooning broadly as a form of “ampli$cation through simpli$cation” (30). If this understanding

is quali$ed with illustration, then it works as a manageable, but still expansive de$nition. A cartoon

is an illustration that uses simpli$cation to amplify a message. Linus Abraham reaches a similar

conclusion, when he claims, with a somewhat more limited scope, that the intention of cartoons is

to “condense and reduce complex issues into a single, memorable image o%en pregnant with deeply

embedded meanings” (121). While cartoons can combine words with its images, many rely solely

on the visual vocabulary of icons and symbols for the creation of meaning.

Abraham’s single-image de$nition of cartoons is limited, as it does not contain the possibility

for a comic to be a cartoon. A comic is a unique form of art that uses multiple, sequential images,

o%en within panels, to communicate to readers. Comics as a genre are unique because its reliance

on closure—or the phenomenon of observing the parts but perceiving the whole—requires the

reader to engage actively with the content to $ll in the material between the frames (McCloud 63).

Additionally, comics are o%en—but not always—text-driven, which provides a di!erent mode of

message transmission than image-driven cartoons. Graphic novels, which lie outside the scope of

this paper, develop stories through use of the language practiced by comics in a cohesive, literary


format that simultaneously o!ers a range of visual possibilities not available to traditional novels.

Sources of Cartoon Content #e political cartoon is a subset of the editorial cartoon, and depending on how expansive

one’s de$nition of politics is, they can o%en be used synonymously. However, for the purposes of

classi$cation, the editorial cartoon will be de$ned as working with the broadest aspects of human

interaction, political and social. For the political cartoon, which is the focus of this paper, I will

use and expand upon the classi$cation system created by Martin Medhurst and Michael DeSousa

(1981). In their work Political Cartoons as Rhetorical Form: A Taxonomy of Graphic Discourse, the

authors describe political cartoons as coming primarily from four topoi: Political commonplaces,

literary and cultural allusions, popular perceptions of personal character, and idiosyncratic and

transient situations.

1. Political Commonplaces

Political Commonplaces are the broad topics inherently available in the nation state system,

such as the political and electoral process, and domestic and international a!airs. Most political

cartoons draw from some aspect of the political commonplace to convey their message.

2. Literary and Cultural Allusions

Literary and Cultural Allusions are the themes and references drawn from popular legend,

literature and culture. #ese references can add multiple layers to a cartoon’s meaning, but require

the audience to be familiar with the cartoon’s context. #ese inspirations can come from a broad

range of content, from Shakespearean themes and Roman mythology, to popular culture references.

Joan L. Conners notes that over a quarter of the cartoons she surveyed contained cultural allusions,

and that many cartoonists use popular contemporary topics as a method to help their audience

relate to and engage with complex political issues (264).

3. Popular Perception of Personal Character

Popular perception of personal character is when a cartoonist takes the perceived personality

traits of a politician or public $gure and renders them visually in a way that adds layers of meaning


to the reading of the subject, o%en through caricature. #e way that artists use ampli$cation and

exaggeration to engage with popular perception of personal character will be discussed later in the

section devoted to an artist’s use of visual rhetorical style.

4. Idiosyncratic and Transient Situations

Idiosyncratic and Transient Situations include the events that occur unexpectedly, and

therefore have an “immediate impact and timely message” but little salience to those unfamiliar

with the context (Medhurst and DeSousa 202). Cartoonist who draw $ve to seven cartoons a week

o%en base their messages around these events—such as candidate ga!es and current events—to

give their audience content that is relevant to the current news and national discourse.

Forms of Rhetorical Disposition Medhurst and DeSousa discuss how the editorial cartoonist uses three di!erent elemental means

of rhetorical disposition and arrangement (205). #is can also be described as how the cartoonist

fundamentally frames his or her persuasive argument, and their choice has crucial implications

for how the audience will interpret the message. A cartoonist may establish a metaphor by means

of contrast, which invites individual re"ection and consideration, by means of commentary, which

describes a situation as it unfolds, or by means of contradiction, which will lead the audience directly

to the artist’s perspective.

Cartoonists use contrast to create tension between forms and ideas, and the viewer’s attempt to

reconcile the two competing forms is one of the processes that makes cartoons so engaging. Artists

achieve this in multiple ways. #ey may juxtapose two images—a wealthy, fat man and a poor,

skinny man, for example. Artists may also create contrast between an image and text, between two

verbal texts, or between the reader’s expectation and the artist’s $nal rendering.

Commentary is used by cartoonists to a&rm a reader’s perception without providing the

“clash or tension from which this truth evolved” (206). Medhurst and DeSousa give the example

of a political cartoonist, who, at the end of a political campaign, depicts tired runners approaching

the victory tape. #is image does not “force a clash of ideas, but safely implies or re"ects a cultural


political truism” (207).

#e third method of rhetorical arrangement is contradiction, which invites the audience to

share in the artist’s condemnation. #is may involve an image of a politician doing one thing and

saying another at the same time. While contrast invites the audience to consider the range of issues

that arise between two opposing forms, contradiction explicitly leads the audience to how that

tension should be interpreted, o%en highlighting hypocrisy. Simply stated, all contradictions are

contrasts, whereas not all contrasts are contradictions.

Icons, Symbols and Metaphors in Visual Meaning Making Cartoons are intended to condense complex issues and arguments into a small, o%en single

frame, and because of this, artists use images that are layered with meaning. McCloud explains that

the images in comics are almost all icons, which he de$nes broadly as “any image used to represent

a person, place, thing or idea” (27). He breaks icons down into symbols, images used to represent

concepts, ideas and philosophies, icons of language, science, and communication, such as numbers,

mathematical signs, and punctuation, and pictures, which are images designed to resemble their

subjects. By omitting detail and simplifying pictures to be more iconic—which is at the heart of the

cartoon—the artist causes readers to engage with the image, o%en $lling in the vacuum with their

own “identity and awareness” (36).

Abraham outlines a semiotic system—one based on the study of signs—to understand how

cartoons e!ectively convey meaning and orient social issues. He identi$es three signs integral to

the communication of messages: icons, indexes and symbols. He de$nes icons more narrowly, as a

“sign that resembles its object,” which is particularly useful for descriptive communication but not

as much for the expression of abstract concepts that are crucial to conveying meaning (130). An

index is sign that has a “direct existential, casual or physical connection the object or event to which

it refers.” For example, a sneeze is an index of a head cold (131). #e symbol has little connection

with its object other than what is conventionally agreed upon by the audience. #e American "ag

is a symbol of the United States not because it resembles or describes it, but because the viewer


universally recognizes it as embodying the concept of the country. #e abstract nature of symbols

allows them to contribute to the analytical communication that is crucial to e!ective cartoons.

Still, the semiotic approach, which has its basis in linguistics, has its limitations in the study

of cartoons. Karin Kukkonen notes that the approach of categorizing the sign system uncovers

only the most basic meanings, while ignoring the complexities that go beyond language (91). She

posits that the literary trope of metaphor, which “transfers meaning from one conceptual domain

to another” and metonymy, “which renames one thing with a name from the same conceptual

domain” are two tools used by cartoonists to convey meaning (90). #e example of using a crown

to represent a monarch is metonymic operation because the two forms operate within the same

conceptual frame, while placing the crown on a lion causes us to map the conventionalized qualities

of a lion onto the monarch, oscillating between the two conceptual frames until they merge in a

metaphoric operation. While metaphor and metonymy are common in our every day language,

they are e!ective tools for analyzing how cartoonists make meaning with images.

Medhurst and DeSousa discuss the use of root metaphors to explain the way in which cartoonists’

structure thought and evoke memory to frame their message at a fundamental level. An example of

a root metaphor on the political process is the completion of the phrase “Presidential politics is…”

#is can take on any number of forms, commonly including: “Politics is a battle, a race, a gamble, a

media event, a circus, a beauty contest” (222). Root metaphors are e!ective for conveying meaning

because they mimic how humans perceive and create reality. Lako! describes root metaphors

as frames that each have their own roles, settings and hierarchies (Lako! 1). Relating these

components of frames back to root metaphors, the metaphor “Politics as a battle,” for example, will

invoke a number of associated frames—warriors, weapons, methods of attack, an arena— that can

be employed as images. #ese frames channel cultural memories “along speci$c paths and become

links in the enthymematic chain of interpretation” and help “set the boundaries and limits within

which the reader is invited to unpack the multiple layers of culture and remember their meaning”

(Medhurst, DeSousa 222). #e use of root metaphors allows cartoonists to pack their creation with

already-conventionalized meanings, creating many layers of meaning in the limited space a!orded


by the image’s panel.

Visual Rhetorical Style

While decisions made in the arrangement of the argument and use of symbols applies broadly

to communication, an artist’s visual style can greatly a!ect how the cartoon is read, and provides

the true uniqueness of cartoons as a form of visual communication. An artist’s style can add

layers of meaning, based on the “idea that a picture can evoke an emotional or sensual response

in the viewer” (McCloud 121). #e stylistic choices that an artist makes a!ect how we interpret

the mood of an image, o%en at an unconscious, instantaneous level. For this reason, the objective

analysis of artist’s style is di&cult, and the subjective nature of the image and its components must

be appreciated. Medhurst and DeSousa break down the stylistic elements used by cartoonists as

the use of line and form, relative size of objects within a frame, exaggeration and ampli$cation,

placement within the frame, relationship between text and image, and visual montage.

1. Use of Line and Form

McCloud invites us to consider whether, at their fundamental level, all lines “carry with them

expressive potential” (McCloud 126). #e way line is used may create realistic, powerful images,

or simpli$ed and humorous iconic images. A cartoonist’s choice of medium and how it is rendered

will dictate a speci$c reading of the image. An image rendered in dark, expressive charcoal lines

will set an entirely di!erent mood than a colorful computer-rendered image. Artists’ ability to $nd

cohesive styles that consistently match and add to the mood of their message is the hallmark of a

developed cartoonist.

2. Relative Size of Objects Within a Frame

By manipulating the size of forms within the panel, a cartoonist is working with the “grammar

of cartooning” (Medhurst, DeSousa 213). Size di!erences can be used to create stark, obvious

contrasts between forms that create meaning on a metaphorical level—such as a politician in a

chair that is clearly too large for their body. It could also be used to compare forms within the


frame—two individuals of the same size will be immediately recognized, albeit o%en thoughtlessly,

as being on an equal plane. As Medhurst and DeSousa note, “within the frame, size embodies value

statements, and values invite judgments” (214).

3. Exaggeration & Ampli!cation

At the heart of caricature is the exaggeration of features in a way that ampli$es both their

physical and personality characteristics. According to Chris Lamb, caricature requires two artistic

impulses: to observe reality objectively and to transform it subjectively (49). Caricature, in essence,

should capture the style of an individual, and the rhetoric of the political cartoon should link the

two so that it is “di&cult to separate the person from the myth” (Medhurst, DeSousa 216). It has

been suggested from a cognitive psychology perspective that this unique form of distortion might

be more e!ective than a normal picture not only in capturing the character of individuals, but

also in depicting appearances as well, because the exaggerated features set the individuals apart

from everyone else (Rhodes 18). Another reason that caricature is so powerful is because, like

varying the size of forms within a frame, exaggeration invites value judgments. However, the

viewers reception of the cartoon relies on their subjective interpretation of the context and imagery

and their predisposition and knowledge (Medhurst, DeSousa 214). Caricature involves a $ne line

between exaggeration and ethnic stereotyping—highlighting lips in African Americans or noses in

Jews can be misinterpreted as racist and o!ensive. Just as political cartoonists need to be sensitive

of the $ne line that exists between their caricature and what a viewer might perceive as prejudice,

so readers and editors should be sympathetic to the role of the editorial cartoon and the equally $ne

line between political correctness and censure.

4. Placement Within the Frame

#e placement of forms within the standard cartoon frame may also indicate the attitude or

value judgment of the editorial cartoonist (Medhurst, DeSousa 216). For example, placing one

$gure above another is a method of indicating superiority or transcendence in the language of visual

rhetoric, just as forms in the foreground of an image will take precedence over forms relegated to

the background. #e placement of forms within the frame is also important for the e!ective reading


of the intended message, and cartoonists assume that the audience will read from the top le% to

the bottom right of a page or frame. Understanding how a reader’s eyes will move over the page is

particularly important with verbal text—such as exist in speech bubbles—because the sequence of

a conversation is crucial to understanding the message.

5. Relationship Between Text and Image

One of the most distinctive features of the form of cartooning and comics is the pairing of

words and images in a single frame, where the two mediums work together to create a new, unique

message. McCloud notes, “at its best, words and pictures are like partners in a dance, and each one

takes turns leading” (McCloud 156). McCloud breaks down the ways in which this “dance” takes

place, and the dynamics involved in communicating using two mediums for message transmission

(153).

Cartoons that are word speci"c and picture speci"c use either words or pictures as the main

method of communication, with the other simply illustrating or adding a soundtrack to the primary

method of transmission. Duo-speci"c involves words and images that essentially send the same

message with the purpose of complimenting the other. An additive combination occurs whenever

“words amplify or elaborate on an image, or vice versa,” which is similar to the previous dynamic

(154). Parallel combinations involve words and images that follow seemingly di!erent courses

without intersection, and engage the readers by causing them to ponder the connection between

the two. A montage combination is where the words are considered an integral form or part within

the composition. #e most signi$cant dynamic is interdependent, where words and images work

together to “convey an idea that neither could convey alone” (155).

Medhurst and DeSousa elaborate on the relationship between text and images as a form of

rhetorical style, noting that in the medium of editorial and political cartoons, text is either used as

verbal text attributed to actors within the cartoon by speech bubble or other devices, or as labels

to help explain the visual message (217). Regardless of whether text is used as a verbal text or

as a label, there are three ways in which the image-text dynamic can contribute to the message:

commentary, explanation and revelation. Commentary involves the artist’s narration or comment


on the content. Using text to provide explanation serves to unpack meaning layered into the content

of the cartoon. Revelation is used when the artist uses the text’s relationship with the image to

disclose some previously unknown “truth” about the subject.

6. Visual Montage

#e sixth graphical tool used by cartoonists is the inherent combining of the previous

components of visual rhetoric—“the way that meanings form from the whole of the rhetorical and

aesthetic artifact” (Medhust, DeSousa 218). #e full meaning of the cartoon is the result of clashes

and tensions contained in each of these visual elements. Most of these aspects of rhetorical style are

combined at a unconscious level, and if the viewers are not aware of the many layers in the visual

presentation of the cartoon’s argument, then they will likely miss out on parts of the message. For

this reason, artists that can most e!ectively use each of these tools of visual rhetorical style are more

likely to have their ultimate message interpreted correctly.

!e Framework In the study of the editorial cartoon, scholars haven taken di!erent and sometimes divergent

approaches to making sense of how images are used to create layers of meaning. For the purposes of

this paper I will use Abraham’s de$nition of icons as signs that resemble their object, and symbols

as signs that represent more abstract concepts. Within the de$nition of icons, I will pay attention

to McCloud’s assertion that icons exist on a continuum with di!erent levels of realistic or iconic

content, and that each will frame the message with a di!erent mood. Heavily iconic content can

engage viewers by causing them to $ll in the vacuum of detail with their identity and awareness.

Icons and symbols can then be used to create further meaning by activating di!erent conceptual

domains through metaphoric and metonymic operations, and they can be set within a larger stage

framed by the root metaphor of the cartoon.

#e editorial cartoonist draws inspiration from four tropes: political commonplaces, literary

and cultural allusions, popular perceptions of personal character, and idiosyncratic and transient

situations. To make this argument, editorial cartoonists $ll their composition with symbols and icons


to layer meaning and engage the reader. #ese forms can engage in metaphoric and metonymic

operations within the constraints of the root metaphor to convey the artist’s message. Cartoonists

arrange their rhetorical forms to provide a message of contrast, commentary, or contradiction

and use rhetorical style, including the use of line and form, relative size of objects within a frame,

exaggeration and ampli$cation, placement within the frame, relationship between text and image,

and visual montage to contribute to the presentation of their message. On top of this intricate

structure, one must acknowledge that the $eld of visual communication is broad and artists o%en

use techniques and tools outside the parameters of this framework. Taken together, it is clear that

the form of editorial cartooning is as complex as any method of communication. As Medhurst

and DeSousa note, “It is precisely this graphic complexity which helps to explain the disparity

between the cartoonists persuasive intention and the eventual interpretation of the cartoon by

readers” (219). However, the complexity of the form allows for remarkable amounts of meaning

to be layered into a single frame, creating a product that instantaneously engages and challenges

the reader to comprehend and “un-riddle” the full extent of the message.

Part II: Reading Cartoons in Context Understanding the meaning-making and visual tools that a cartoonist uses is crucial for

dissecting the most out of a political cartoon, but to truly understand the power of the form,

these cartoons must be looked at within their historical context. From Benjamin Franklin’s “Join,

or Die” cartoon to modern cartoonists making the transition to a digital environment, political

cartoonists have used these tools of meaning-making and visual style to convey complex messages

about their contemporary political environment.

American political cartooning appropriately began when Benjamin Franklin, one of its

founders, penned his famous “Join, or Die” image as a call for unity among the colonies in 1754

(Press 29). It was $rst used at the outbreak of the French-Indian War and then reappeared in 1765

at the time of the Stamp Act, and again in 1776 when the colonies revolted (Ho! 31). #e image

was poorly reproduced because American printers relied on discarded British equipment, one of


the reasons for the slow development

of the medium in America (Lamb

62).

#e inspiration for Franklin’s

cartoon came from the political

commonplaces on the topic of the

defense of the nation. #e visual style

of the image is simplistic, likely due

to printing technology constraints,

which has the e!ect of placing the entire message within the use of metaphor and text. #e image

uses the root metaphor of nation as animal, with each section of the snake as a metaphor for the

colonies, labeled with their initials. #e bottom quarter of the frame is devoted to the text “JOIN, or

DIE” creating a powerful contrast between the two options. #e relationship between the text and

image is interdependent, as the image of the separate states signi$es what must join, yet without

the text the image itself would not convey a call for uni$cation. #e cartoon’s power is derived from

this powerful text and from reframing the territories, which people may have considered individual

colonies, as interdependent parts of a whole body.

While the cartoon was used repeatedly and considered a symbol of the revolution, it has certain

"aws. While the snake was used as an early symbol of the nation, it fell into disuse because of its

connotations (Press 209). While the animal provided a convenient form to portray an easily divided

string of colonies—a chopped up eagle would hardly have the same e!ect—a snake as a venomous

reptile with biblical connotations was not suitable for the symbol of a nation. Additionally, by

showing the snake as already severed, one cannot help but recognize the futility of uniting separate

parts of a dead animal. #is being said, the cartoon can be received most e!ectively as a warning

for what might happen should each of the colonies choose not to join.

While Franklin may have been the $rst American to use cartoons as an e!ective method of

communication, it was #omas Nast who was the true founder of American political cartooning.


He established many of the graphic symbols cartoonists rely on today, including Uncle Sam, the

Democratic donkey, Republican elephant, and even our conception of Santa Claus (Ho! 74). Using

$nely rendered drawings, Nast used his prominent position at Harpers Magazine in the post-Civil

War era to espouse the ideals of the Northern Republicans and viciously attack those whom he

deemed in violation of his moral code. Nast used his editorial cartoons as a weapon, saying, “I try to

hit the enemy between the eyes and knock him down” (Keller 77). #e signi$cance of Nast comes

not in his message, but in the raw emotional power he harnessed and directed with his images.

Following the Civil War, Ulysses Grant, whom Nast helped elect, commented that Nast “did as

much as any man to preserve the union and bring the war to its end” (13).

#omas Nast is probably most famous for his impassioned and sustained assault on the political

machine of Boss Tweed that ran Tammany Hall and New York City. Over the year of 1870, Nast’s

series of cartoons played a large role in the destruction of the Boss’s machine, while raising the

circulation of Harpers from 100,000 to 300,000 copies. #e embattled Tweed famously commented,

“I don’t care what they print about me, most of my constituents can’t read anyway—but they can’t

help seeing them damn pictures!” (Keller 4).

In his cartoon, “who stole the people’s money,” Nast portrayed the Tweed ring using the full

force of the medium. #e image combines multiple topoi used for inspiration, including government

corruption from the political commonplaces, greed and dishonesty as popular perceptions of his

personal character, and the allegations made by the New York Times of the% inside the Tweed ring

as inspiration from a transient event.

#e root metaphor used here is of the Tammany Ring as an actual ring of individuals, around

which blame is passed in an in$nite, circular manner. Each of the individuals with his backs turned

is an icon representing one of the di!erent industries connected with the Boss, while the leaders of

the ring are caricatured front and center.

Nast uses visual rhetorical style to contribute to his message in more subtle ways. #e four

individuals he deemed most worthy of attack are drawn with more detail, and with bolder, darker

lines than the rest. #eir forms are larger than the other individuals, and are placed in the very


center of the frame to draw focus. Nast makes heavy use of exaggeration and ampli$cation to

demonize his opponents, made easier by the fact that Tweed was particularly easy to caricature.

Tweed’s three accomplices appear disgruntled and disheveled, while Tweed himself is portrayed as

overly corpulent, and arrogantly staring directly at the reader with small beady eyes while he shrugs

o! blame to the individual to le%.

Nast uses text as a tool for labeling and for verbal queues. #e label “Tammany Ring” runs

around the front of the ring to both label the group and cement the connection to the arrangement

of the individuals. Labels are also used to indict the faceless members of the ring with their backs

turned. At the bottom, the question is posed by the New York Times, “Who stole the people’s

money?” to which supposedly each of the members reply, “Twas him.” #e interdependent

combination of this text and image creates a contradiction, which causes us to adopt the artist’s

belief that the members of the Tweed Ring are connected in their corruption.


Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Mike Peters said

that “great editorial cartoons contain basic truths—and

are relatively timeless…the individuals portrayed in the

cartoon may change, but the themes do not.” He added that

“people may not remember Boss Tweed…but they know

we’re always going to have the all-around scoundrels that

turn up in politics. So when the cartoonist #omas Nast

portrayed Tweed as a sack of money, he captured that type

in a way that will always be remembered” (Lamb 45).

#e ability to produce images which encapsulate

a message that transcends time is the hallmark of the best cartoonists. In 1916, Robert Minor

commented on the politics of the military by drawing a monstrously large, headless soldier solider, to

which an Army medical examiner proclaims, “At last a perfect soldier!” (Ho! 119). In 1950, Herbert

Block, or “Herblock,” coined the term McCarthyism, reducing the “vast right-wing conspiracy to a

single word,” and turning “McCarthy into a metaphor for the abuses of the Red scare” (Lamb 107).

Another cartoonist with the unique ability to construct long-lasting and striking messages through

his images was Paul Conrad, whose $ve-decade long career as a political cartoonist allowed him to

attack eleven presidents and win three Pulitzer prizes.

Paul Conrad became famous for his attacks on Nixon following the Watergate scandal, but his

excellence is perhaps even better demonstrated in his portrayal of complex issues such as President

Carter’s attempts to broker peace between the state of Israel and the Arabs.

In a 1978 cartoon, Conrad used the political commonplace (relations between Egypt and

Israel), a cultural and literary allusion (the Myth of Sisyphus) and a transient situation (the Camp

David Accords) to comment on President Carter’s struggle to negotiate peace between the State of

Israel and Egypt. Conrad uses the root metaphor as “American diplomacy between Israel and Arabs

as endless struggle,” using the actions of an iconic Carter as a metaphor for Sisyphus, and the faces

of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin as a metaphor


for a the rock the Sisyphus is eternally

obligated to push up the hill. #e way

that Sadat and Menachem are arranged

as facing away from one another in

the metaphor is particularly e!ective

because it emphasizes both the leaders’

inability to communicate and their

inextricable relationship to one another.

#e rhetorical style used in

Conrad’s cartoon contributes to its

e!ect. Conrad uses line in a realistic

way to convey a serious mood and

vividly portray the caricatures of Begin,

Sadat and Carter. #e use of long

erratic lines on the hill also suggests

the movement of the trio up the steep terrain. #e overwhelming size of the two Middle Eastern

leaders as opposed to Carter illustrates not only the daunting size of the task but the lightweight

nature of the American president, putting the two forms in tension. #is perception of Carter is

ampli$ed by Conrad’s exaggeration of his scrawniness. Conrad also uses caricature to render the

images of Begin and Sadat, exaggerating physical stereotypes of Arabs and Jews.

Taken generally, this image is still e!ective in our contemporary discourse. While a peace

treaty between Egypt and Israel still stands three decades later, the comic comments on more than

that. Conrad speci$cally uses the myth of Sisyphus to comment on each president’s successive

attempts to solve problems between the state of Israel and the Arab nations, one that o%en starts

with momentum but ends in frustrating failure or resignation. If we were to replace the President

Carter with President Barack Obama, and the faces on the rock with that of current Prime Minister

Benjamin Netenyahu and President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas, it


would apply to contemporary issues without losing any amount of its brilliance. #e universality

of this cartoon is derived from its root metaphor and the durability of the issue in the political

commonplaces, which allows the speci$cs of the cartoon to be adjusted while the message remains

intact.

In addition to single frame images, which have the power of being read instantly, some editorial

cartoonists use comics for a di!erent set of distinct advantages. For over forty years, Gary Trudeau

has developed a world of symbolic characters that he creates interactions between to comment on

contemporary issues. #ose who follow the characters know the context associated with the cast of

characters, which creates messages deeply layered with meaning. Due to their consistent presence,

and Trudeau’s knack for combining character development with commentary on issues, readers

can also relate emotionally to the cast of Doonesbury, much as one becomes attached to characters

in novels. However, the downside of this method is those that only read the comic occasionally will

o%en not have the contextual knowledge to understand the story past the surface message.

On March 30th, 2010, Trudeau uses his longstanding character Zonker Harris to comment on

the Tea Party. Zonker’s appearance of long unkempt hair and a Hawaiian shirt suggest that Zonker

is a holdover from the hippy movement, an ideology that consistent readers will instantly identify

with the iconic character. #ere is no root metaphor in this cartoon, instead, Trudeau creates

meaning through the interaction of his icons, Zonker Harris and the Tea Party activist, and their

dialogue. By having Zonker express interest in the Tea Party—presented comically as an American

dressed in the icons of colonial hat and a clown nose—Trudeau is commenting provocatively on


how the populist ideals espoused by the conservative Tea Party are at times compatible with their

ideological opponents on the le%. Without understanding the context of Zonker Harris and the

meaning that his icon carries, the message will not resonate as deeply.

Of the forms of rhetorical style, the most important in meaning making here is the

relationship between text and image. #e relationship in this cartoon can be classi$ed as an additive

combination, with the text identifying the scene and driving the message while the images add

to the meaning and provide further context. Also important is Trudeau’s signature use of iconic,

lighthearted forms, which set a humorous tone and take the sharpness out of the presentation.

Cartoonists who want to convey radical messages sometimes use comic forms to mask

the severity of their claims. In addition to using a traditional single panel format, cartoonist Ted

Rall o%en uses a comic format to tell stories that require multiple settings or sequential events.

In his cartoon on February 10th, 2012, Ted Rall comments indirectly on the Occupy Wall Street

movement. #e $rst four panels set up a chain of events involving protesters “working within the

system” by politely asking their oppressors, portrayed as CEOs, to stop oppressing them. At $rst

their democratic pleas are ignored, and then suppressed. #e $%h panel portrays the subsequent

battle and destruction, including the use of drones on protesters without text. #e sixth panel shows

the same CEO hung from a tree and the protesters noting that their oppressors should have worked

“within the system.”

Like Doonesbury, Ted Rall’s comics describe a series of events using icons and text

as dialogue as opposed to working heavily through symbols and a root metaphor. Unlike

Doonesbury, understanding the comic does not have require any contextual knowledge, though a

basic understanding of the occupy movement will aid in putting it in contemporary context. Rall

comments that the Occupy movement is being perhaps overly peaceful through an exaggeration

of their dialogue: “It would be awesome if you were to stop oppressing us.” He contrasts this with

an exaggeration of the “oppressors” response: “Let them eat pepper spray.” He opines optimistically

that the protesters will ultimately be successful, using the brutal but comic imagery of the

“oppressor” hanging from the tree. Rall suggests between the panels that it is the illegal response of


the “oppressor” that will lead to escalation and their eventual downfall. He does not provide time

frames for any of the events that occur, forcing the reader to engage with the panels to imagine the

content that occurs in the jumps across time and space.

#e use of heavily iconic—as opposed to realistic—forms is important because of its lack

of speci$city. If Rall had depicted the “oppressor” realistically and as a recognizable individual,

the comic would be far more o!ensive and probably outside the realm of publishable opinion.

Iconic forms, which the audience will inherently recognize as humorous, blunt the direct emotional

impact of the comic, allowing the underlying meaning to convey much more radical message.

Other cartoonists have recognized the potential for iconic forms in the more traditional

format of single panel editorial cartoons. Clay Bennett, of Chattanooga Time Free Press, draws

his images traditionally before rendering the $nal image using a computer to create a “so%” and

humorous feel to his forms.


In an April 4th cartoon on Mitt Romney and the Republican Party, Clay Bennett uses

this style to his advantage. For this cartoon, Bennett draws on the 2012 election in the political

commonplace, perceptions of personal character of Mitt Romney, and the transient situation of

Romney being uno&cially accepted as the nominee. Using the root metaphor of “party-candidate

relationship as master-pet dynamics,” Bennett creates a huge contrast between two symbols. As

a symbol of the Republican Party, Bennett constructed a $gure using a “tough guy” stereotype,

informed by boots, a chain, a spiked leather jacket and wristband, earrings, and an American "ag

bandana. #e metaphor is also informed by the $gure’s tattoos, a useful device for layering meaning

into a metaphor that originated with Joseph Keppler’s depiction of Ulysses S. Grant as a “tattooed

man” in 1875 (Makemson 3). Bennett uses the tattooed icons of barbed wire, a skull, the Republican

elephant, donuts, a “mom” tattoo, and two crossed revolvers in addition to the $gure’s attire to

coalesce into a cohesive metaphor for the Republican Party through the process of visual montage.

With the $rst $gure, Bennett took the somewhat abstract concept of the Republican Party

and personi$ed it. A similar metaphorical device is used with the image of the poodle labeled as


“Mitt,” which causes us to oscillate between our understanding of a poodle (feminine, pampered,

posh) and what the reader knows about the candidate until their similarities converge. #e fact that

the smiling poodle is “on a short leash” held by the unenthusiastic $gure of the Republican Party

begs the audience to receive the cartoon as an indictment of Mitt Romney as the Republican Party’s

“bitch.” However, the ambiguity of the form means that Bennett, if pressed by a concerned editor

or reader, could argue that his intended message was simply that the two are not a good match for

each other.

Bennett’s use of rhetorical style contributes to the audience’s understanding of his message.

As discussed previously, Bennett’s characteristic use of so%, iconic forms so%ens the force of his

provocative message and creates a humorous tone, as opposed to the scathing force that Nast

achieved through his hard, realistic forms. #e size asymmetry between the two $gures creates value

judgments and contributes to the contrasting meanings provoked by the “tough guy” and “poodle”

metaphors. Text is used only as labels to make the metaphors clearer, allowing the cartoon’s visual

metaphors and their expressions to mostly speak for themselves.

Despite variations in the format and medium, cartoonists from #omas Nast to Ted Rall

have used similar rhetorical tools to convey visual messages. While most editorial cartoonists use

the standard single-frame format to convey messages in a single image, some cartoonists use a

comic format, which is more conducive to text-based messages. By reading cartoons in context it

is apparent that the style of a cartoonist, particularly their level of realistic versus iconic content

plays a large part in how the viewer will interpret the mood of the image. #roughout the history of

American political cartoons, artists have found many di!erent devices and styles that can be used

to convey di!erent meaning, and this diversity is one of the aspects that makes the form of editorial

cartooning so interesting.

Part III: Re!ection Over the past four months, I have approached the $eld of editorial and political cartooning

from multiple angles. #e $rst two parts of this paper are the culmination of the research component


of my Capstone, which was geared toward having an understanding both of medium’s history and

how it functions on a fundamental level. However, this curriculum serves means to an end, that is,

improving my ability as an editorial cartoonist, and it was completed in conjunction with actually

practicing and creating works of my own. In addition to researching the history and frameworks

of editorial cartoons, which I illustrated and recorded in a notebook, I immersed myself in the

contemporary conversation of cartoonists, maintained a sketchbook of ideas, and produced eight

editorial cartoons based on the material I was learning.

#e decline of print journalism has led some to consider what the future holds for the editorial

cartoonist. Newspapers have traditionally carried the editorial cartoonist, o!ering them job security

and income, usually with the stipulations of editorial controls and deadlines (Danjoux 245). #e

struggles of the newspaper industry have called this compromise into question. Chris Lamb writes

that there are between 80 and 90 editorial cartoonists that work in full time sta! positions at daily

newspapers, while “twenty-$ve years ago, that number was perhaps twice that size” (#e $xable

decline 21). Lamb argues that newspapers should re-hire editorial cartoonists in order to save the

dying breed.

While sta! editorial cartoonists are dwindling with their respective newspapers, the problems

with the method of distribution should not be confused for problems with the form itself. In fact,

the very medium that is killing the newspaper may provide the cartoon with its greatest potential

yet. In my studies of contemporary cartoons, I found enormous advantages in Internet distribution

not only for the individual editorial cartoonist, but also for the community of cartoonists at large.

As a part of my capstone, I aimed to look at cartoons daily, with the intention of understanding

who the di!erent voices in the community are, as well as how they interpret and relay issues on

a daily basis. Instead of being limited to local cartoonists accessible through print newspapers, I

was able to access anywhere between 30 to 50 cartoons a day from both national and international

artists through two aggregated websites. #e Association of Editorial Cartoonists displays around

30 cartoons a day in slideshow format from artists that are members. Daryl Cagle’s !e Cagle Post,

sponsored by MSN and MSNBC evolved the idea considerably by providing a website organized


by traditional newspaper topic headings (Election, Economy, Science, Politics, Technology, Media,

Life, Sports) but $lled with syndicated cartoonists. Most signi$cantly, the Cagle Post also organizes

cartoons by “trending topics,” allowing viewers to see a variety of perspectives on the same topic.

Viewers can also vote thumbs or thumbs down, providing feedback to the cartoonist in the form

of a positive or negative score. #rough aggregating cartoons by topic and providing a mechanism

for feedback, the Cagle Post has added a conversational dimension to the medium, allowing more

voices to be heard on any topic and creating an additional incentive for cartoonists to be original

and innovative. #e disadvantage inherent in this method of distribution is that viewers have to

actively seek out the cartoons, instead of being forced to react when they open up the editorial

pages of a newspaper. Hopefully, newspapers will increasingly feature cartoons within their digital

layout to continue to bring the content to ordinary readers. I believe this is particularly hopeful

since the notion of condensing messages into quickly digestible forms is conducive to the way we

receive much of our Internet content. For example, the Economist uses social networking website

tumblr deliver the work of their sta! cartoonist, Kevin Kallaugher, or “KAL,” to each subscriber’s


“dashboard.” While there are certainly challenges for the distribution of editorial cartooning in

digital media, there are exciting new possibilities for future of the form as well.

As I went through cartoons each morning, I got to know and understand the community of

cartoonists—their distinctive signatures, their political ideologies, and the di!erent tools and styles

they use to convey a message. I would save the cartoons I found particularly e!ective, either in

conveying a message or because of a successful caricature. Over time, I recognized that there were

certain cartoonists whose attitudes toward the medium I could relate to most.

One of the cartoonists I particularly admired was Adam Zyglis, whom I felt consistently

approached topics with excellent dra%smanship and thoughtfulness. In a phone interview, he

described his relationship with his paper, the Bu#alo News, which he draws $ve cartoons and a

Sunday Book Page illustration for every week. Zyglis graduated from Canisius College in 2004

a%er completing a thesis on editorial cartoons, and is fortunate to not only have a sta! position

at the newspaper, but one that provides him with few editorial constraints. His process involves

waking up around 7 a.m., reading the day’s news and replying to readers via e-mail for a few hours

before going into the o&ce. He completes around eight ideas, or “roughs” on a handful of topics,

and shows them to people around the o&ce for feedback by around noon. Once Zyglis has his idea

completed, he shows it to his editor and begins the $nal version by his self-imposed deadline at 2

p.m. He produces cartoons on local and national issues that are all printed in the newspaper and

published to his blog. #e cartoons on national issues will also appear alongside other cartoonists

on websites such as AAEC and the Cagle Post.

Talking to Zyglis about his process was useful, as the process of $nding a topic, choosing the

message you want to covey, and the way to construct a cartoon to successfully convey this message

can be a grueling process. For my project, I kept a sketchbook of ideas as a key component of this

process, jotting down compositions and concepts when they occurred to me. Within these pages,

I would practice caricatures of the individuals I wanted to depict, and redraw dra%s until I was

happy with the arrangement. A%er choosing the medium I thought would be best for the particular

message, I started the $nal cartoon on Bristol paper. #e $nal drawing was then scanned, which


allowed me to clean up the image, choose whether to add digital text and shading, and submit it

to the Massachusetts Daily Collegian for publishing. I also published my cartoons on Facebook, a

social networking website, which allowed me to receive feedback and distribute my cartoons to

those who couldn’t pick up the paper.

When dra%ing my cartoons, I attempted to utilize the tools and styles that I had been reading

about, while commenting on issues that I felt were important. For the above cartoon, I used the

topics of free speech and elections from the political commonplaces and the literary allusion of

George Orwell’s parable Animal Farm to comment on the Citizen’s United decision by the Supreme

Court. To me, the idea that money is equivalent to speech suggested that those with more money

had more rights to speech. I wanted to draw a parallel between this decision, and the scene in

Animal Farm when Squealer changes the meaning of “All animals are created equal” by adding

“some animals are more equal than others.” #e scene is not set within a speci$c root metaphor,


instead, the black paint scrawled underneath the principle of “All speech is equal” is used as a

symbol for the decision. #e tension between the phrases is an example of contradiction, creating

an indictment of the Supreme Court’s decision. #e use of black, dripping paint on the historical

building under the cover of nightfall is meant to suggest an illicit act, and also to convey a sense that

the new addition is a stain on the institution of the Supreme Court.

In terms of rhetorical style, the forms are rendered in a realistic way, intended to grab attention

and convey a serious mood in the frame. As mentioned, the contrast between the realistically

rendered Supreme Court building and the more iconic black paint is meant to create tension and

suggest that the ruling is out of place. In the style of #omas Nast, I included the literary illusions as

text at the bottom of the frame. #e quote from Animal Farm combined with the image serves as a

parallel combination, inviting readers to deductively examine the connection between the allusion

and the image. #e description of the ruling is placed in contrast with the allusion to Animal Farm,

as well as providing additive context to the image.

#e cartoon leaves the audience room to interpret the message, which has advantages

and disadvantages. While interpretation requires engagement and re"ection, it can also lead

to misinterpretation. When I originally showed the cartoon to my editor, she remarked that it

looked as if I had “tagged” the Supreme Court, and I realized that my decision to not include the

perpetrator le% it up to the audience to interpret. While the overall message of the cartoon remains

intact regardless, it reminded me of the importance of considering multiple interpretations.

In another cartoon, I chose to emulate the style of Adam Zyglis, who traditionally uses word

play, crosshatching and simple compositions to deliver pointed, clever messages. #is cartoon draws

on the topics of elections and super political action committees (Super PACS) from the political

commonplaces, and the news item of Santorum dropping out of the race as a transient situation.

#e root metaphor here is “Presidential campaigning as a water gun $ght,” using “Super Soakers”

as a metaphor for the candidate’s respective Super PACs. #e use of water guns also suggests the

metonymic image of a candidate being “saturated” by his opponent’s resources. #e scene, which

is a snapshot frozen in time a%er Romney successfully outguns his opponent, shows Romney


untouched and with plenty of ammunition le% for future political battles.

#e use of line and form is intricately detailed in order to grab attention, but it is also iconic

enough to convey a light-hearted mood. #e size of the candidates may be comparable, but the size

of their weapons creates tension. #e stark contrast between the sizes of the “weapons” is used to

illustrate the discrepancy in funds between the two campaigns, and of equal importance, to invite

the audience to consider whether the way we select our candidates is fair or based on irrelevant

circumstances. Exaggeration and caricature is used to identify the candidates, and ampli$cation is

used particularly in Mitt Romney’s crooked smile to invite value judgments about the candidate.

While I tried to include in the image multiple layers of meaning, I noticed when showing the

image to people that they o%en would not read into the meaning further then the play on words in

“Super PAC Soaker.” I think this can be attributed to the misconception that cartoons carry a single

message, and the di&culty of reading the graphic complexity of the form. #is might explain why

some cartoonists use simple arrangements and metaphors conducive to an easy understanding.

While it is important to present the majority of the message in an easy to understand way, I think


much of the power of cartoons derives from the complexity contained in multi-layered images.

#e third cartoon I created is on the topic of Bashar al-Assad’s brutal repression of the Syrian

opposition from the political commonplaces, the transient situation of Russia continuing to supply

the regime with weapons to $ght the opposition, and popular perceptions of al-Assad as a butcher

of his own people. Instead of working through a root metaphor, I constructed this cartoon to

be straightforward. Besides the metaphor of “Assad as Butcher” I relied mostly on icons and text

to carry the message. Tension is created by contrasting Putin’s message of support for Assad’s

“continued dialogue” with the Syrian people, while he is handing him a box of weapons labeled

“Arms for democracy suppression.” #is creates contradiction, which instead of causing readers to

re"ect on what is happening, invites them to share my outrage at the hypocrisy. #e context of the


interaction is set by the embattled city that both of the $gures stand in, creating further tension

between Putin’s message of “continued dialogue” and the reality on the ground.

I also used a speci$c artistic style to contribute to the message with the intention of giving the

cartoon a stronger emotional force. I used black India ink and a metal dip-pen to create lines that

are detailed and at times graphic, with dark blotchy ink used to connect the violence in the city and

the blood stains on Assad’s apron. #e $gures of Assad and Putin are both much larger than life, to

suggest the power they have over the violence taking place below. A good deal of caricature is used

both to identify the individuals and to elaborate on their character. Putin is portrayed as stoic and

professional, though a subtle grimace suggests a mean spirit. Assad is depicted as a head of state

turned butcher, which is received through the metonymic inclusion of a bloodstained apron over

his stately suit and tie, and a butcher’s knife. His eyes and expression were drawn in a manner that

conveys hopeless and ignorant insanity more than mean-spiritedness or “true evil,” mirroring the

way in which he looks at public appearances. #e text at the bottom provides an interdependent

combination with the image. While the message of Putin’s delivery of weapons to Syria would still

be retained without it, the text adds tension by illustrating hypocrisy and contradiction.

Conclusion #is capstone has provided me with the opportunity to examine the form of editorial and

political cartooning from multiple angles. #e time that I spent researching the history and

components of the form taught me invaluable lessons on the wide array of visual devices and styles

that can be used to convey di!erent kinds of messages. #is framework has proven successful at

dissecting as much of the cartoonist’s intended message as possible, while understanding that we

as viewers can never truly understand the exact meaning that an individual intended. I also found

this framework useful in constructing my own series of cartoons, as it helped me understand how

to use a variety of tools to layer meaning in a single image. My experience reading cartoons and

understanding where the form stands today was also incredibly useful in cra%ing my own process

that I will be using well a%er the completion of this project. Were I to start from scratch, this

process would be a larger focus of mine, and I would set stricter guidelines for myself in terms


of the deadlines for cartoons to mirror the conditions cartoonists face in the industry. Moving

forward, I hope to take what I’ve learned in this project and continue to apply it in more cartoons

and illustrations, whether as a traditional sta! cartoonist or independently. I believe that the crisis

in how the form will be distributed and presented in the future will present unique opportunities

to carve out my own niche, and I will use what I’ve learned in this project to realize this goal. While

some have predicted the descent of editorial cartooning into obscurity and irrelevance, I believe

that a new chapter of the form is just beginning.


Works Cited:Abraham, Linus. “E!ectiveness of Cartoons as a Uniquely Visual Medium for Orienting Social

Issues. !e Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. 2009. Web.

Conners, Joan L. “Popular culture in political cartoons: Analyzing Cartoonist Approaches. Political

Science and Politics. American Political Science Association. April 2007. Web.

Danjoux, Ilan. “Reconsidering the decline of the editorial cartoon.” Political Science and Politics.

American Political Science Association. April 2007. Web.

DeSousa, M. A. and Medhurst, M.J. Political Cartoons as a Rhetorical Form: A taxonomy of Graphic

Discourse. Communication Monographs 48. September 1981.

Ho!, Syd. Editorial and Political Cartooning. New York: Stravon Educational Press, 1976.

Keller, Morton. !e art and politics of !omas Nast. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968.

Kukkonen, Karin. “Beyond language: Metaphor and metonymy in comics storytelling. English

Language Notes. 46.2. Fall/Winter 2008.

Lako!, George. “Frames and Brains.” !inking Points: Communicating Our American Values and

Vision: A Progressive’s Handbook. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. Web.

Lamb, Chris. Drawn to Extremes: the Use and Abuse of Editorial Cartoons. New York: Columbia

University Press, 2004.

---. “#e $xable Decline of Editorial Cartooning: Editorial Page Editors and Business Decisions

Combine to Weaken what is the Strength of Editorial Cartoons. Nieman Reports 58.4. Fall

2004. Web.

Makemson, Harlen. “One Misdeed Evokes Another: How Political Cartoonists Used ‘Scandal

Intertextuality’ against Presidential Candidate James G. Blaine.” Media History Monographs

7:2. 2005. Web.

Paul Conrad: Drawing Fire. Dir. Barbara Multer-Wellin. By Je!rey Abelson and Barbara Multer-

Wellin. Independent Lens. PBS, 2006. Web.

McCloud, Scott. Understanding comics: !e invisible art. New York: Harper Perennial, 1993.

Rhodes, Gillian. Super Portraits: Caricatures and Recognition. Erlbaum: Psychology Press, 1996.


Images in order of appearance:Franklin, Benjamin. “Join or Die.” Originally appeared in Pennsylvania Gazette. 9 May 1754.

Retrieved from Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Web.

Nast, #omas. “Who Stole the People’s Money?” Originally appeared in Harper’s Weekly 15: 764. 19

August 1871. Retrieved from Library of Congress Prints and Photographs. Web.

---. “#e Brains.” Originally appeared in Harper’s Weekly. 21 October 1871. Retrieved from Library

of Congress Prints and Photographs. Web.

Conrad, Paul. Cartoon depicting Carter as Sisyphus. Originally appeared in Los Angeles Times,

1978. Tribune Media Services. Retrieved from Independent Lens, “Paul Conrad: Drawing

Fire” image gallery. Public Broadcasting Service. Web.

Trudeau, Gary. Comic featuring Zonker Harris and the Tea Party. Universal Uclick. 30 March 2010.

Retrieved from Doonesbury.com. Web.

Rall, Ted. “Shoulda worked within the System.” Universal Unclick. 6 February 2012. Retrieved from

Ted Rall.com. Web.

Bennett, Clay. “Really?”. Chattanooga Times Free Press. 4 April 2012. Retrieved from timesfreepress.

com. Web.

Kallaugher, Kevin. “Arm Twisting.” !e Economist. 4 April 2012. Screenshot from tumblr.com.


Annotated BibliographyBooks:

Colldeweih, Jack and Kalman Goldstein (ed). “Graphic Opinions: Editorial cartoonists and their art. Bowling Green: Bowling Green University Popular Press. 1998. Print. #is collection o!ers brief essays on new challenges facing editorial cartoonists as well as pro$les and comparisons of contemporary political cartoonists across the country.

Varnum, Robin and Christina Gibbons (ed). !e Language of Comics: Word and Image. University Press of Mississippi. 2001.#is collection asks whether the balance of power in communication is shi%ing back toward the image through a series of essays that examine the relationship between words and images in cartooning.

Ho!, Syd. Editorial and Political Cartooning. New York: Stravon Educational Press, 1976. Organized into three sections, this book provides a comprehensive examination of editorial

cartoonists from the “old masters” to contemporary and international artists.

Fitzgerald, Richard. Art and Politics: Cartoonists of the Masses and Liberator. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1973.

#is book hones in on two radical publications – “#e masses” (1911-17) and “#e Liberator” (1918-24) and the problems raised by art in service of politics. Special attention is paid to $ve artists: Art Young, Robert Minor, Joan Sloan, K.R. Chamberlain and Maurice Becker.

Keller, Morton. !e art and politics of !omas Nast. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968. Provides a study of the art and political context in #omas Nast’s career as a cartoonist at

Harpers in the late 1800’s. Includes a large selection of his artwork.

Vinson, J. Chal. !omas Nast: Political Cartoonist. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1967. A more personal study of Nast’s life as a political cartoonist, with historical context to much

of his work. Includes a moderate selection of his artwork.

Rhodes, Gillian. Super Portraits: Caricatures and Recognition. Erlbaum: Psychology Press, 1996. #is book provides an analysis of the psychology of successful caricatures, and in particular

what can make them seem more “real” than reality. #is is particularly useful for the


practical, artistic component of this project.

Press, Charles. !e Political Cartoon. East Brunswick: Associated University Press, inc., NJ. 1981. Provides an examination of the editorial cartoon from a political perspective.

Philippe, Robert. Political Graphics: Art as a weapon. New York: Abbeville Press, 1980. #is book is a broad analysis of political art as a means of dissent. In addition to cartoons,

this book looks into posters and other mediums of popular art.

Lamb, Chris. Drawn to Extremes: the Use and Abuse of Editorial Cartoons. New York: Columbia University Press, 2004.

#e author starts with the response of editorial cartoonists to 9/11 and the political a%ermath in order to analyze the behavior of this subgroup of artists. He also examines other crisis’s in American history, such as McCarthyism to identify the responsibilities of the medium.

McCloud, Scott. Understanding comics: !e invisible art. New York: Harper Perennial, 1993. McCloud’s seminal breakdown of comics and cartoon art, presented in the medium itself,

illustrates a framework for understanding comics, and the way our brains put together words and images to receive an artist’s message. #is framework is comprehensive enough to apply to political cartoons.

*Hess, Stephen and Sandy Northrop. Drawn and Quartered: History of American Political Cartoons.*Fischer, Roger A. !em Damned Pictures: Explorations in American Cartoon Art.*West, Richard. Satire on Stone: !e Political Cartoons of Joseph Keppler *Minear, Richard H. Dr. Suess Goes to War: !e WWII editorial cartoons of !eodor Seuss Geisel.

Articles

Diamond, Matthew. “No Laughing Matter: Post-September 11 Political Cartoons in Arab/Muslim Newspapers.” Political Communication 19 (2002): 251-272

#e authors selected a range of 9-11 cartoons from international Arab and Muslim newspapers and discuss the messages from the artists as well as the process of reading the cartoons.

Laraudogoitia, Jon Perez. “#e comic as a binary language: A hypothesis on comic structure.” Journal of Quantitative Linguistics. 15.2 (2008):111-135.


#is article is interesting because it takes a positivist approach to analyzing language in comics. While the content of the article may be less important, it is useful to measure the di!erent approaches to analyzing the medium.

DeSousa, M. A. and Medhurst, M.J. Political Cartoons as a Rhetorical Form: A taxonomy of Graphic Discourse. Communication Monographs 48, (September 1981)

Carney, Sean. “#e ear of the eye, or, do drawings make sounds?” English Language Notes 46.2. (2008)

Much in the vain of McCloud, the author examines the relationship between the comic and the reader, suggesting a type of “private correspondence” that is unique from other mediums.

Abraham, Linus. “E!ectiveness of Cartoons as a Uniquely Visual Medium for Orienting Social Issues. !e Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. 2009.

#is paper attempts to “ground cartoons within a theory of visual semiotics and visual persuasion” to address some concerns over the e!ectiveness of editorial cartoons, showing how they can present deep re"ection as opposed to just a “passing chuckle.”

Heer, Jeet. “Little Nemo in ComicsLand.” !e Virginia Quarterly Review. (Spring 2006): 104-121. #e author discusses “Little Nemo in Slumberland” and it’s e!ect as an early American comic

strip. McCay’s use of imaginative imagery would breathe a distinct life into cartooning from then on.

Kukkonen, Karin. “Beyond language: Metaphor and metonymy in comics storytelling. English Language Notes. 46.2 (Fall/Winter 2008)

While comics are o%en thought about and broken down into a language, this may have a negative e!ect on its standing as a signi$cant literary medium. #is article analyzes the complexities and issues that come with treating comics as a language.

Conners, Joan L. “Popular culture in political cartoons: Analyzing Cartoonist Approaches. Political Science and Politics. American Political Science Association. (April 2007)

#is article examines how cartoonists use popular culture themes and icons to make sense of political issues, and reasons why this may or may not be successful for the medium.

Danjoux, Ilan. “Reconsidering the decline of the editorial cartoon.” Political Science and Politics.


American Political Science Association. (April 2007) #is article discusses the relationship between publishers and cartoonists. It asserts that despite

the apparent decline in editorial cartoons in newspapers, the capabilities of cartoons to be an e!ective voice in national discourse has not been diminished.

Ho!man, Donna R. and Alison D. Howard. “Representations of 9-11 in editorial cartoons.” Political Science and Politics. American Political Science Association. (April 2007)

#is paper analyzes the use of 9-11 imagery in American editorial cartoonists, and the audience reception of this imagery. It analyzes the do’s and don’ts that emerged in the medium.

DeSousa, M. A. and Medhurst, M.J. Political cartoons and American culture: signi$cant symbols of campaign 1980. Studies in Visual Communication 8, (1982): 84-97

#is paper creates a framework for analyzing the di!erent ways that editorial cartoonists create messages and meaning in images. Explains the topics used for inspiration, ways cartoonists can arrange an argument, use of metaphor, and stylistic choices that contribute to meaning.


editorial cartoons by daniel nott

Documents

visual language of cartoons

political cartoons

e ectiveness of cartoons

intention of cartoons

nition of cartoons

selection of cartoons

visual language introduction

editorial pages