Portal:Cartoon

The Cartoon Portal

John Leech, *Substance and Shadow* (1843), published as *Cartoon, No. 1* in *Punch*, the first use of the word cartoon to refer to a satirical drawing

A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images intended for satire, caricature, or humor; or a motion picture that relies on a sequence of illustrations for its animation. Someone who creates cartoons in the first sense is called a cartoonist, and in the second sense they are usually called an animator.

This article covers "static" cartoons; for moving ones see animation.

The concept originated in the Middle Ages, and first described a preparatory drawing for a piece of art, such as a painting, fresco, tapestry, or stained glass window. In the 19th century, beginning in Punch magazine in 1843, cartoon came to refer – ironically at first – to humorous artworks in magazines and newspapers. Then it also was used for political cartoons and comic strips. When the medium developed, in the early 20th century, it began to refer to animated films that resembled print cartoons. (Full article...)

In print media, a cartoon is a drawing or series of drawings, usually humorous in intent. This usage dates from 1843, when Punch magazine applied the term to satirical drawings in its pages,^[1] particularly sketches by John Leech.^[2] The first of these parodied the preparatory cartoons for grand historical frescoes in the then-new Palace of Westminster in London.^[3]

Sir John Tenniel—illustrator of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland—joined Punch in 1850, and over 50 years contributed over two thousand cartoons.^[4]

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected article - show another

"A Rugrats Passover" is the 23rd episode of the third season of the American animated television series Rugrats, and its 62nd episode overall. It was broadcast originally on April 13, 1995, on the cable network Nickelodeon. The plot follows series regulars Grandpa Boris and the babies as they become trapped in the attic on Passover; to pass the time, Boris tells the Jewish story of the Exodus. During the episode the babies themselves reenact the story, with young Tommy portraying Moses, while his cousin Angelica represents the Pharaoh of Egypt. "A Rugrats Passover" was directed by Jim Duffy, Steve Socki, and Jeff McGrath from the script by Peter Gaffney, Paul Germain, Rachel Lipman, and Jonathon Greenberg. The episode was conceived in 1992 when Germain responded to a Nickelodeon request for a Rugrats Hanukkah special by creating a Passover episode instead. The episode scored a 3.1 Nielsen rating, making it "the highest-rated show in Nickelodeon's history", and received overwhelmingly positive reviews, including from Jewish community publications. It was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, an Annie Award, and a CableACE Award. The episode also, however, attracted controversy, when the Anti-Defamation League compared the artistic design of the older characters to anti-Semitic drawings from a 1930s Nazi newspaper. The episode made Rugrats one of the first animated series to focus on a Jewish holiday; its success precipitated the creation of another special, "A Rugrats Chanukah", which also attracted critical acclaim. A novelization of the episode was in 2007 exhibited at the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

More selected articles

More...

Selected character - show another

SpongeBob SquarePants is a fictional character in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by Tom Kenny (pictured) and first appeared on television in the series' pilot episode "Help Wanted" on May 1, 1999. SpongeBob was created and designed by cartoonist Stephen Hillenburg shortly after the cancellation of Rocko's Modern Life in 1996. Hillenburg compared the concept to Laurel and Hardy and Pee-wee Herman. As he drew the character, he decided that a "squeaky-clean square" (like a kitchen sponge) fits the concept. His name is derived from "Bob the Sponge", the host of Hillenburg's comic strip The Intertidal Zone that he originally drew in the 1980s while studying at the California Institute of Arts. SpongeBob is a naïve and goofy sea sponge who works as a fry cook in the fictional underwater town of Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob has achieved popularity with both children and adults, though he has been involved in public controversy.

More selected characters

More...

Did you know... - show different entries

...that the film Green Lantern starring Ryan Reynolds has been in development since the 1990s and once included a comedic incarnation with Jack Black set to star?

...that the Young Justice episode "Independence Day" introduces a younger version of the DC Universe?

...that Friz Freleng's 1937 cartoon Clean Pastures narrowly evaded Hollywood Production Code censors, before being removed from distribution by United Artists in 1968?

...that pixel artists are featured in an annual juried art show, "Into the Pixel", at the E3 trade show for computer and video game industries?

More did you know facts

Selected list - show another

There were 61 episodes of Avatar: The Last Airbender, an Emmy Award-winning American animated television series written and created by Michael Dante DiMartino (pictured) and Bryan Konietzko. It first aired on February 21, 2005 with a one-hour series premiere and concluded its run with a two-hour TV movie on July 19, 2008. The Avatar franchise refers to each season as a "Book", in which each episode is referred to as a "chapter". Each "Book" takes its name from one of the elements that the protagonist must master: Water, Earth, and Fire. The show's first two seasons each consisted of 20 episodes, while the third season had 21. In addition to the three seasons, there were two recap episodes and three "shorts". The first recap summarized the first eighteen episodes while the second summarized season two. The first self-parody was released via an online flash game. The second and third were released with the Complete Second Season Box Set DVD. The entire series has been released on DVD in both Region One and Region Two.

More selected lists

More...

General images - load new batch

Image 1John Leech, Substance and Shadow (1843), published as Cartoon, No. 1 in Punch, the first use of the word cartoon to refer to a satirical drawing (from Cartoon)
Image 2Benjamin Franklin's Join, or Die (May 9, 1754), credited as the first cartoon published in an American newspaper (from Cartoonist)
Image 3An editorial cartoon of Andrew Johnson and Abraham Lincoln, 1865, entitled The Rail Splitter at Work Repairing the Union. The caption reads: (Johnson): "Take it quietly Uncle Abe and I will draw it closer than ever!!" (Lincoln): "A few more stitches Andy and the good old Union will be mended!" (from Political cartoon)
Image 4Stop-motion animated character from 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) (from Animator)
Image 5Nast depicts the Tweed Ring: "Who stole the people's money?" / "'Twas him."
Image 61903 political cartoon. The U.S.'s intentions to influence the area (especially the Panama Canal construction and control) led to the separation of Panama from Colombia. (from Political cartoon)
Image 7U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt introduces Taft as his crown prince: Puck magazine cover, 1906. (from Political cartoon)
Image 81942 political cartoon by Dr. Seuss. This cartoon depicts Japanese Americans as a "fifth column," lending support to Japan during its war against the United States. Bigotry against Japanese people was common among Americans at this time. (from Political cartoon)
Image 9Thomas Nast depicts the Tweed Ring: "Who stole the people's money?" / "'Twas him." (from Political cartoon)
Image 10Sir John Tenniel, chief cartoonist for Punch (from 1864) and the illustrator of Alice in Wonderland, was the first cartoonist to be knighted (from Cartoonist)
Image 11An animated cartoon horse, drawn by rotoscoping from Eadweard Muybridge's 19th-century photos
Image 12A Rake's Progress, Plate 8, 1735, and retouched by William Hogarth in 1763 by adding the Britannia emblem (from Political cartoon)
Image 13James Gillray's The Plumb-pudding in Danger (1805). The world being carved up into spheres of influence between Pitt and Napoleon. According to Martin Rowson, it is "probably the most famous political cartoon of all time—it has been stolen over and over and over again by cartoonists ever since." (from Political cartoon)
Image 141899 cartoon showing Uncle Sam lecturing four children labeled Philippines, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. The caption reads: "School Begins. Uncle Sam (to his new class in Civilization)!" (from Political cartoon)
Image 15Davy Jones' Locker, 1892 Punch cartoon by Sir John Tenniel (from Cartoon)

Selected biography - show another

Alfonso "Al" Williamson (March 21, 1931 – June 12, 2010) was an American cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator specializing in adventure, Western and science-fiction/fantasy. Born in New York City, he spent much of his early childhood in Bogotá, Colombia before moving back to the United States at the age of 12. In his youth, Williamson developed an interest in comic strips, particularly Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon. He took art classes at Burne Hogarth's Cartoonists and Illustrators School, there befriending future cartoonists Wally Wood and Roy Krenkel, who introduced him to the work of illustrators who had influenced adventure strips. Before long, he was working professionally in the comics industry. His most notable works include his science-fiction/heroic fantasy art for EC Comics in the 1950s, on titles including Weird Science and Weird Fantasy. In the 1960s, he gained recognition for continuing Raymond's illustrative tradition with his work on the Flash Gordon comic-book series, and was a seminal contributor to the Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazines Creepy and Eerie. Williamson spent most of the 1970s working on his own credited strip, another Raymond creation, Secret Agent X-9. The following decade, he became known for his work adapting Star Wars films to comic books and newspaper strips. From the mid-1980s to 2003, he was primarily active as an inker, mainly on Marvel Comics superhero titles starring such characters as Daredevil, Spider-Man, and Spider-Girl.

More selected biographies

More...

Subcategories

Animation categories

WikiProjects

Main projects: Arts • Animation • Comics • Entertainment • Visual arts

WikiProjects

Related Projects: Anime and manga • Biography • Film • Fictional characters • Media franchises • Music • Television • Video games

What are WikiProjects?

Selected quote - show another

A lot of the people who read comics think of comics as a culture—or as a subculture; something with its own private codes that mark its members as belonging, and everybody else as not belonging.

— Douglas Wolk

More selected quotes

More...