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