0:00:15.948,0:00:18.356 What is a cartoon really? 0:00:18.356,0:00:19.855 Many of us love cartoons, 0:00:19.855,0:00:21.401 most of us grew up reading them 0:00:21.401,0:00:23.265 or having them read to us. 0:00:23.265,0:00:27.063 The fact is, cartoons have been around a long time. 0:00:27.063,0:00:29.082 There are all kinds of cartoons: 0:00:29.082,0:00:30.653 strip comics, 0:00:30.653,0:00:32.152 comic books, 0:00:32.152,0:00:33.781 political cartoons, 0:00:33.781,0:00:34.988 single-panel cartoons, 0:00:34.988,0:00:36.139 graphic novels, 0:00:36.139,0:00:37.550 web comics, 0:00:37.550,0:00:39.256 animation, 0:00:39.256,0:00:40.671 caricature, 0:00:40.671,0:00:42.949 there is something for everyone. 0:00:42.949,0:00:44.465 No matter the form them come in, 0:00:44.465,0:00:47.471 cartoons elicit all kinds of emotions from the viewer 0:00:47.471,0:00:51.203 - happiness, sadness, anger, hilarity, calm - 0:00:51.203,0:00:54.106 and can transmit ideas in an instant. 0:00:54.106,0:00:56.577 Cartoons are a universal medium enjoyed and understood 0:00:56.577,0:00:59.316 around the world and across borders. 0:00:59.316,0:01:02.482 This is why they have survived so long as an art form. 0:01:02.482,0:01:05.450 But how can a medium that is on the surface so simple 0:01:05.450,0:01:09.438 have so much influence and at times be so meaningful? 0:01:09.438,0:01:12.193 Let's look at what a cartoon is. 0:01:12.193,0:01:14.702 It starts with an idea. 0:01:14.702,0:01:16.068 The idea can be verbal, 0:01:16.068,0:01:17.002 written in words, 0:01:17.002,0:01:19.123 or it can be visual. 0:01:19.123,0:01:20.803 A visual idea is simply 0:01:20.803,0:01:22.131 a picture, 0:01:22.131,0:01:22.922 a drawing, 0:01:22.922,0:01:24.843 a doodle. 0:01:24.843,0:01:28.086 These ideas come from a variety of places. 0:01:28.086,0:01:30.524 Cartoonists might find the idea from observing life, 0:01:30.524,0:01:32.175 reading a newspaper, 0:01:32.175,0:01:34.195 trawling online. 0:01:34.195,0:01:36.585 It can come from a sentence someone said 0:01:36.585,0:01:39.663 or a single word heard on television. 0:01:39.663,0:01:41.752 Cartoonists are like sponges; 0:01:41.752,0:01:46.848 they soak up people, places, mannerisms, clothing, and behavior. 0:01:46.848,0:01:48.593 Sometimes they might jot them down 0:01:48.593,0:01:51.901 in a little black book that they carry around with them. 0:01:51.901,0:01:55.634 Other times, it is just soaked up into the cartoonist's brain 0:01:55.634,0:01:59.939 only to be squeezed out later when she is sitting at her drawing table. 0:01:59.939,0:02:02.070 Not only does a cartoonist have to be aware 0:02:02.070,0:02:03.825 of what she is seeing visually, 0:02:03.825,0:02:06.819 but she has to listen to herself think. 0:02:06.819,0:02:09.935 In other words, take the incoming information 0:02:09.935,0:02:13.533 and select it, shape it, and then use it for a cartoon. 0:02:13.533,0:02:14.685 Now that you have an idea, 0:02:14.685,0:02:17.301 or something you think could be good for a cartoon, 0:02:17.301,0:02:19.034 it's time to shape it. 0:02:19.034,0:02:21.597 A cartoon is like a staged play. 0:02:21.597,0:02:23.042 A cartoonist is playwright, 0:02:23.042,0:02:23.889 director, 0:02:23.889,0:02:25.098 stage designer, 0:02:25.098,0:02:26.116 choreographer, 0:02:26.116,0:02:27.925 and costume designer. 0:02:27.925,0:02:29.209 A cartoon has characters, 0:02:29.209,0:02:29.989 a set, 0:02:29.989,0:02:30.751 dialogue, 0:02:30.751,0:02:31.985 even if one line, 0:02:31.985,0:02:34.127 and a backstory. 0:02:34.127,0:02:36.418 The characters must be dressed to fit the idea, 0:02:36.418,0:02:39.100 speak in a way that is natural and forwards the idea 0:02:39.100,0:02:41.178 or gives the punchline. 0:02:41.178,0:02:42.803 Nothing should be in the cartoon 0:02:42.803,0:02:47.317 that is not absolutely necessary for the advancement of the idea. 0:02:47.317,0:02:50.323 The image and words have to dance together 0:02:50.323,0:02:52.668 in a way that makes sense. 0:02:52.668,0:02:55.919 It could be a graceful dance, or an awkward dance, 0:02:55.919,0:02:58.323 if that is part of the humor or idea. 0:02:58.323,0:03:00.650 And then the execution. 0:03:00.650,0:03:02.855 Some cartoonists sketch the idea with pencil 0:03:02.855,0:03:06.178 then ink it with pen using a light box. 0:03:06.178,0:03:07.894 Others visualize the image in their head 0:03:07.894,0:03:11.125 and draw directly on the paper in pen. 0:03:11.125,0:03:12.900 Different kinds of pens are used: 0:03:12.900,0:03:16.431 felt-tip, mechanical pen, or a crow quill. 0:03:16.431,0:03:18.529 Paper can be light-weight or heavy-bond. 0:03:18.529,0:03:21.465 Many cartoonists add gray tone, called a wash, 0:03:21.465,0:03:24.467 by using black watercolor and a brush. 0:03:24.467,0:03:27.010 Others use a soft pencil for the tone. 0:03:27.010,0:03:30.199 Color is usually created by using watercolor. 0:03:30.199,0:03:32.519 A finished cartoon can then be scanned and adjusted, 0:03:32.519,0:03:36.466 and the caption can be added on the computer with Photoshop. 0:03:36.466,0:03:41.250 New technologies are emerging for the cartoonist's use in creating her cartoon. 0:03:41.250,0:03:44.397 Photoshop can serve as a tool for color and image. 0:03:44.397,0:03:47.545 Some may draw directly on a tablet with a stylus. 0:03:47.545,0:03:50.968 The choices at this stage of creation work in tandem with the idea, 0:03:50.968,0:03:53.178 and often when the final caption is added, 0:03:53.178,0:03:55.563 it gets adjusted yet again. 0:03:55.563,0:03:57.353 But, little is left to chance, 0:03:57.353,0:03:59.969 except, perhaps, some of the watercolor. 0:03:59.969,0:04:03.147 All these elements function in concert with one another. 0:04:03.147,0:04:05.993 It's almost like a dance of words, ideas, and images 0:04:05.993,0:04:08.643 that work together in order to make the cartoon 0:04:08.643,0:04:11.235 a timeless, resilient work of art.