OConnor 2

Vitaly OConnor
Mrs. Olivia Rines
UWRT-1101
25th January 2015
Political Cartoons
Political cartons are a form of conversation. I remember being a child and viewing
political cartoons in different newspapers, I would always recall accumulated information
Ive heard or seen in the news or overheard from elders. But even then I never truly
comprehended the dry, crude, sarcastic etc. humor in such art until I was older. I
remember the ill abstract drawings that sometimes scared me of from further
investigating a piece, the wording was sarcastically crude and I rarely understood the
ambiguous humor that so many others may have found funny. Giving reality a unique
twist to the truth we see and hear about political or social events, political cartoons are
brought to life though an ambiguous illusion of persuasion.
Political cartoons are also known as editorial cartoon, pictures
with a point that usually appear funny, but have one purpose alone.
This form of art has validated its need in our society by expressing
political thought and through visual art affecting social change.
Political cartoons make the viewer think, analyze, understand current
events and tries to sway the viewer in comprehending the cartoonists
point of view. One may see a political cartoon on the editorial page or
comic strip page in a newspaper, political news websites etc. Political

OConnor 2
cartoons trace back to the sixteenth century, but before they were
known as amusing, witty illustrations. They were used to get messages
across to those who could not read. The first political cartoon
acknowledged in America was the Join or Die by Benjamin Franklin, it
was a message to persuade the colonies to join and survive the British
or die divided. The sliced up snake represents the broken colonies, but the concept
was based on a popular superstition that a snake cut in two, if put back together by
sunset, would indeed come back to life. The bigger picture was the lost unity within the
colonies; Benjamin Franklin was trying to get the people to understand that if they were
to fight the British one colony at a time, then they would fall one by one. It was the
division that was to break them apart and a humble understanding was to save them from
the unfortunate event.
Political cartoons are a fascinating way of showing the behind the science in
political issues or events. Humor may be found if an individual understands the issue
behind the drawing. . Sadly humor is not the soul purpose of such project, but instead it
is to persuade or manipulate the viewer to understand and perhaps take part of what the
creator intends. The persuasion breaks down in a category of its own, depending on
exactly what the artist intends to bring to life. It may be sad, happy, funny and always the
truth regardless of the way the viewer may comprehend the material. It all depends on
what the purpose of the persuasion is by the creator. One mustnt only understand this
genre, there are many small significant and some insignificant but non the less just as
important when it comes to creating this genre. In this case its to persuade a viewer to
perhaps take part in understanding an event through a illustration, simple and awkwardly

OConnor 2
directly specified (if one can understand from previous sources) or series of events within
the topic, it may be news, random conversations about a certain accumulation of the
topic, radio, etc. Its not as much of how one receives the information, its more of the
perception and understanding they achieve from the event or issue. That allows them to
comprehend a political cartoon based on the information already known. Trace Hodgson
I found to give a very understandable accurate description. He states the following:
Political cartoons (also known as editorial cartoons) are defined as illustrations or comic
strips containing a political or social message that usually relates to current events or
personalities. (Trace Hodgson1) He goes on to state several techniques that an individual
editorial cartoon artist may use to persuade the audience. Such as Symbols, caricatures,
stereotypes, analogies etc. Alone they may be simple qualities that do not fall to
important or significant, but together they stand to bring forth a beautiful form of life.
Charles Press, author of Political Cartooning states four qualities necessary to
accomplishing effective political cartons. The first according to Charles Press is artistic
quality. Artistic quality may be the last thing a viewer thinks of when picking up the
paper and smirking at the witty political cartoon, but it may be if not the most important
quality for an artist to have when bringing such material to life.
When it comes to creating a political cartoon an artist may use
several methods (tools) to get the message across. The first (order
depends on artist) is symbols; know as simple pictures that stand in for
ideas or groups. Some examples are peace- dove, olive branch, etc.;
Democrats- donkey; Republican-elephant; USA- Uncle Sam etc.; Herowhite; Villains- black and so on. Caricatures; exaggerating

OConnor 2
characteristics for visual effect, such as big years, . Stereotypes; refers
to generalizing, and mostly always offensive. Analogies; or
comparisons, such as this is like that referring to a current wellknown event or myth. Watchoutforthedifferentlabelsthatappearinacartoon,
andaskyourselfwhythecartoonistchosetolabelthatparticularpersonorobject.
Juxtaposition, positioning people or things side by side. Irony is a form
in that an outcome of events contrary to the original expectation. It
would be like saying clear as mud, cartoonists often use irony to
express opinions of an issue. Captioning and labels is used to clarify or
emphasize, usually the message at the top or bottom of the piece.
Author of Political Cartooning, Charles Press, suggests four qualities for
a political cartoon to be effective. And they are: artistic quality,
genuine sentiment, uncomplicated imagery and lasting importance.
Understanding a political cartoon is the first step in eventually
creating one. In the best instances, the cartoon cannot be read or understood
by only looking at the words or only looking at the picture. Both the words and
the pictures must be read together in order to understand the cartoonists
message. In order to understand one must learn to blend. When
combining the source space with the target space of that piece of art,
it creates a new blended space, space with a combination of source
space and target space. And after that cluster of the idea is cleared,
Finalized by a generic space that overviews and describes the previous
three (source/target/blend). During the blend, one must use rules of

OConnor 2
thumb to understand the basic meaning of the source and target.
When breaking down a political cartoon, questions should always be
asked. Such as what issue is this political cartoon about?, what is
the cartoonists opinion on the issue?, what opinion can you imagine
someone else on the issue?, do you find this cartoon persuasive? If
yes, why so? And if no, why not? Not all cartoons are meant for
humor, some have more depth and are done in a more serious manner.
A simple cartoon with a message of importance and direct truth may
be taken more seriously by the audience, then a jocular one with little
or no true importance. Truth in simplicity is key to this form of art. The
message of a political cartoon is immediate and constant. If one was to
read a form of truth in a form of illusion, then pick up a political cartoon
and take a look at the disturbing, odd, manipulating, captivating
dramatic image. That viewer is more than likely remember the drawing
over the words he/she read. Form of art as such simply strikes in a
more peculiar way. Leaving the viewer thinking twice, perhaps even
persuade toward the truth.
Political cartoons have the power to captivate and draw in a
larger group of audience, reaching people of all classes, regardless of
educational background or intellectual ability. Being that political
cartoons bring simplicity to complicity, a viewer may understand a
situation without even having to read of or investigate any further on
the topic. Political cartoons are a way of connecting the political world

OConnor 2
with the rest of the real world in a way that all may know and keep
track of the evolution we are experiencing in politics.

1.

Hodgson,Trace.PoliticalCartoons.Wellington,N.Z.:
WellingtonCityArtGallery,1986.Web.
<http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for
students/ww2history/ataglance/politicalcartoon
snapshot.pdf>.

2.

"PartI:ABriefHistoryofPoliticalCartoons."PartI:
ABriefHistoryofPoliticalCartoons.N.p.,n.d.Web.25Jan.
2015.<http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma96/puck/part1.html>.

3.

"PoliticalCartoonsinU.S.History."Primary
SourceSet.N.p.,n.d.Web.23Feb.2015.

OConnor 2