WONDERFUL WORLD OF CARTOONS

Editorial Cartoon Collection: Value of Cartoons for Educational Purposes

We know today CARTOON has become a great art and is used in newspapers and magazines. In a paper like the most popular English daily THE HINDU from Chennai has allotted cartoon space in the middle of the Editorial page and normally I look forward for the same as I receive the newspaper in the morning for the cartoons of the renowned cartoon journalists Mr. Keshav and Mr. Surendra. And that I take it as an indication of importance of Cartoons in the print media.
One of the greatest cartoonists of our times was R. K. Lakshman

Rasipuram Krishnaswami Iyer Laxman lived a long life of 95 years. (24 October 1921 – 26 January 2015) He was a great Indian cartoonist, illustrator and humorist. He was best known for his creation The Common Man and for his daily cartoon strip, “You Said It” in The Times of India, which started in 1951.

Laxman started his career as a part-time cartoonist, working mostly for local newspapers and magazines. While a college student, he illustrated his elder brother R. K. Narayan’s stories in The Hindu. His first full-time job was as a political cartoonist for “ The Free Press Journal” in Mumbai. Later, he joined The Times of India, and became famous for The Common Man character.
For some time, my journalist son from Bangalore used to have his own cartoons drawn for his stories!

One of the best cartoons of R K Laxman

CARTOON MAGAZINES
Yes; there are magazines exclusively devoted to cartoons.
Shankar’s Weekly was one such that gave importance to cartoons. TINKLE is even today can be taken as a cartoon magazine.

CartoonWatch
In 1996, Cartoonist Triambak Sharma launched CARTOON WATCH to fill the gap left by the closure of the renowned and much-missed ‘Shankar’s Weekly’. His efforts at creating the only cartoon-centric magazine in India were acknowledged by many well known cartoonists, including Padmbhushan R.K.Laxman, Mario Miranda (Goa),Abid Surti (Mumbai) and Mr. Pran (Delhi).
Yes; there are magazines exclusively devoted to cartoons.

 

 

Saying it with humour       Keshav’s cartoon

Courtesy of Surendra/The Hindu A cartoon by Surendra that appeared in The Hindu on April 14, 2012, caricaturing Mamata Banerjee after her government arrested a professor.     Best of RK Laxman’s cartoons –

A great cartoonist Mario Miranda’s cartoons appeared in newspapers such as The Times of India. They also appeared in international papers and magazines.

WHAT IS A CARTOON?
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works. An artist who creates cartoons is called a cartoonist.

EVOLUTION OF CARTOONS
”

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, it came to refer to humorous illustrations in magazines and newspapers, and after the early 20th century, it referred to comic strips and animated films.

In modern print media, a cartoon is a piece of art, usually humorous in intent. This usage dates from 1843, when Punch magazine applied the term to satirical drawings in its pages particularly sketches by John Leech. The first of these parodied the preparatory cartoons for grand historical frescoes in the then-new Palace of Westminster.
Political cartoons are like illustrated editorial that serve visual commentaries on political events. They offer subtle criticism which is cleverly quoted with humor and satire to the extent that the criticized does not get embittered.

By the mid 19th century, major political newspapers in many other countries featured cartoons commenting on the politics of the day.

Scientific cartoons
Cartoons have also found their place in the world of science, mathematics and technology. In the U.S., one well-known cartoonist for these fields is Sidney Harris. Not all, but many of Gary Larson’s cartoons have a scientific flavor.

Animation
Because of the stylistic similarities between comic strips and early animated movies, cartoon came to refer to animation, and the word “cartoon” is currently used in reference to both animated cartoons and gag cartoons. While animation designates any style of illustrated images seen in rapid succession to give the impression of movement, the word “cartoon” is most often used as a descriptor for television programs and short films aimed at children, possibly featuring anthropomorphized animals, superheroes, the adventures of child protagonists and/or related themes.

I was on the other day attracted by two of the young students drawing cartoons which I have pleasure to share with my esteemed viewers of ENVIUS THOUGHTS.

A few of the cartoons of Ms. Nivetha of 11th standard in a famous school in Chennai.

Here are a few of her sister Ms. Swetha of 6th standard of another school in Chennai.

Equally awesome are the posters prepared by a 5th standard studying Ms. Athithi from yet another great school in Chennai.

 

 

 

 

Yes; the World of Cartoons is a Wonderful World! Viewers must have the mind to understand and appreciate! They do and hence the increasing importance of cartoons in the journalistic and general world.

 

Political cartoon on Journalism ethics by Malcolm Evans