Features of cartoons
Cartoons are created to convey messages about ideas and judgements that the cartoonist is making about people, events or institutions. The message may be light-hearted, humorous, mocking, savage or sympathetic.
Each cartoon has a number of visual and language features that create the overall impression and help to communicate the message. These include the use of symbols, colour, caricature and stereotypes.
Symbols can be objects, signs, logos or animals that indicate ideas and feelings. Objects are often used as symbols to communicate ideas about people, places and mood or atmosphere.
Look at the Tools4U: Microsoft OneNote tutorial to familiarise yourself with using OneNote. Open a new OneNote notebook. Then open the symbols (.doc 185kB) document and copy its contents into your OneNote notebook. Think about the ideas that each symbol represents and write them in the column under the heading Associated ideas. Then compare your answers to those of your classmates.
Open Symbols in cartoons (.doc 282kB) and copy its contents into your OneNote notebook. Look at the cartoon about the early settlement of Australia by the British, and then answer the questions about how the cartoonist has used symbols in the cartoon to communicate meaning to the viewer.
Colours are often associated with ideas and feelings. Open this page and roll your mouse over the colours to see some of the ideas and feelings associated with colours. Open Colours in cartoons (.doc 282kB) and copy its contents to your OneNote notebook, and then answer the questions about the use of colour in the cartoon to help reinforce the meaning to the viewer.
A caricature is a visual representation of a person (or group) in which some distinctive physical feature is deliberately exaggerated or over-emphasised. Caricatures are generally meant to be humorous and are often used to make fun of a person. Look at caricatures (.doc 510kB) and copy its contents to your OneNote notebook, then answer the questions.
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Can you identify the type of person each of these caricatures represents?
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What features have been highlighted by the cartoonist? (Think about physical characteristics, clothing and equipment, body language, setting.)
Then compare your answers to those of your classmates.
Stereotyping refers to forming a quick, superficial image of a group of people which is usually based on false or incomplete information. There are stereotypes of men, women, boys, girls, older people, teenagers, occupations, national and ethnic groups. Stereotyping implies a value judgement about a person or group and, because it can give a limited or oversimplistic view of people, it is generally seen as undesirable.
However, in cartoons stereotyping is often used so that we can identify types of characters quickly because it makes them easy to recognise. Look at stereotypes (.doc 2MB) and copy its contents to your OneNote notebook. When you have done that, copy these questions and save them in your OneNote notebook and then answer them.
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Which stereotypes are represented in these images?
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What are the dangers of using stereotypes?
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Can you give examples of ways that stereotypes, such as the ones you have copied into your notebook, could be used effectively in cartoons?
When you have completed your responses, compare your answers to those of your classmates.
These interactives in the Character maker series: visual attributes, movement, creating a scene and sound (NSW DET only) will help you develop your understanding of stereotypes, characters, settings and situations in cartoons. Others can find The Learning Federation resources L 2851, L 2852, L 2853, and L 2854 through their jurisdiction’s access point.