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What is a cartoon really?
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Many of us love cartoons,
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most of us grew up reading them
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or having them read to us.
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The fact is, cartoons have been around a long time.
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There are all kinds of cartoons:
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strip comics,
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comic books,
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political cartoons,
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single-panel cartoons,
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graphic novels,
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web comics,
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animation,
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caricature,
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there is something for everyone.
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No matter the form them come in,
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cartoons elicit all kinds of emotions from the viewer
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- happiness, sadness, anger, hilarity, calm -
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and can transmit ideas in an instant.
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Cartoons are a universal medium enjoyed and understood
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around the world and across borders.
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This is why they have survived so long as an art form.
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But how can a medium that is on the surface so simple
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have so much influence and at times be so meaningful?
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Let's look at what a cartoon is.
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It starts with an idea.
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The idea can be verbal,
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written in words,
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or it can be visual.
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A visual idea is simply
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a picture,
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a drawing,
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a doodle.
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These ideas come from a variety of places.
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Cartoonists might find the idea from observing life,
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reading a newspaper,
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trawling online.
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It can come from a sentence someone said
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or a single word heard on television.
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Cartoonists are like sponges;
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they soak up people, places, mannerisms, clothing, and behavior.
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Sometimes they might jot them down
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in a little black book that they carry around with them.
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Other times, it is just soaked up into the cartoonist's brain
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only to be squeezed out later when she is sitting at her drawing table.
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Not only does a cartoonist have to be aware
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of what she is seeing visually,
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but she has to listen to herself think.
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In other words, take the incoming information
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and select it, shape it, and then use it for a cartoon.
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Now that you have an idea,
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or something you think could be good for a cartoon,
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it's time to shape it.
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A cartoon is like a staged play.
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A cartoonist is playwright,
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director,
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stage designer,
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choreographer,
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and costume designer.
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A cartoon has characters,
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a set,
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dialogue,
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even if one line,
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and a backstory.
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The characters must be dressed to fit the idea,
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speak in a way that is natural and forwards the idea
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or gives the punchline.
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Nothing should be in the cartoon
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that is not absolutely necessary for the advancement of the idea.
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The image and words have to <i>dance</i> together
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in a way that makes sense.
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It could be a graceful dance, or an awkward dance,
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if that is part of the humor or idea.
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And then the execution.
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Some cartoonists sketch the idea with pencil
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then ink it with pen using a light box.
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Others visualize the image in their head
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and draw directly on the paper in pen.
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Different kinds of pens are used:
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felt-tip, mechanical pen, or a crow quill.
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Paper can be light-weight or heavy-bond.
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Many cartoonists add gray tone, called a wash,
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by using black watercolor and a brush.
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Others use a soft pencil for the tone.
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Color is usually created by using watercolor.
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A finished cartoon can then be scanned and adjusted,
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and the caption can be added on the computer with Photoshop.
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New technologies are emerging for the cartoonist's use in creating her cartoon.
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Photoshop can serve as a tool for color and image.
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Some may draw directly on a tablet with a stylus.
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The choices at this stage of creation work in tandem with the idea,
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and often when the final caption is added,
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it gets adjusted yet again.
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But, little is left to chance,
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except, perhaps, some of the watercolor.
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All these elements function in concert with one another.
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It's almost like a dance of words, ideas, and images
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that work together in order to make the cartoon
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a timeless, resilient work of art.