=Significance of this form of illustration.= Very little or no
distinction is made between the two words, caricature and cartoon, as we
use them at the present day. Yet the word caricature instantly suggests
something made ridiculous or absurd in a spirit of attack or burlesque,
while a cartoon may be merely a suggestive representation of any person
or idea of present interest. A caricature always makes ridiculous, but a
cartoon may either ridicule or praise, and although usually humorous, it
is more serious in its aims and subjects.
To cartoon a public man once meant to insult him. If by any chance he
had some prominent physical defect it was hailed with delight, and made
the butt of the cartoonists’ characterizations. Now our best cartoonists
would not stoop to secure recognition by such means; they are more
considerate, and we are allowed to appreciate their clever
representations without feeling the sting of resentment, even though our
sympathies are on the other side. But our cartoonists of to-day do not
spend all their time representing the political issues; they also deal
with the affairs of everyday life.
We are told that the word cartoon originally meant a design or model for
a large picture in fresco, oil, tapestry, statuary, glass, or mosaic.
The most famous of these are the cartoons of Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci,
and Michelangelo. But in 1843 a great exhibit of cartoons was held at
Westminster Hall, London, from which the fresco decorations for the new
houses of Parliament were to be chosen. At that time _Punch_ declared
itself a competitor, and presented its claims in its most humorous
manner. The most absurd caricatures were dignified by the name cartoon,
and the reasons why they should be accepted were set forth in a most
laughable manner. For some time after this _Punch_ continued to use the
name cartoon for its representations, and when it would have gone back
to the term caricature the public would not permit it. Perhaps the fact
that the word cartoon is so much easier to pronounce had something to do
with it.
=To the Teacher=: Pupils should be encouraged to bring good cartoons to
school. These may be collected, and the best put up where all can see
and be ready to discuss as to size, composition, variety, number, and
color of lines used in expressing the idea.
=History of caricature and cartoon.= It is hard for us to realize that
caricature is as old as man’s ability to express himself with chisel,
pen, or ink. Away back in the time of the Assyrians and Egyptians we
find certain caricatures representing grotesque figures drawn on
papyrus. The Greeks caricatured their gods and heroes, although their
sense of the beautiful made it impossible for them to distort the human
figure. In Rome they were not so particular, and one caricature
representing a dwarf philosopher preaching to a fox has been handed down
to us in many different forms. During the Middle Ages caricatures were
made of such unpopular ideas and experiences as Satan, death, pride,
hatred, and so forth.
[Illustration:
By permission of Mr. John T. McCutcheon
_Baseball, Golf, Election Returns, and Swatting the Fly_
]
The invention of the printing press greatly increased the power and
influence of the caricature, in spite of the many regulations and
hindrances that had to be complied with. During the Revolution, Napoleon
I tried to repress caricature in France, and on this account the English
made him a special victim of their ridicule. The kings and aristocracy
that held sway after the Restoration next became the subject of satire.
Then in 1830 came the invention of lithography and, with the increasing
freedom of the press, caricature, of course, reached its height. Poor
Louis Philippe, of France, was the most caricatured of all the kings,
because of his pear-shaped head, which was so easy to draw. In London,
caricature became more and more popular with the founding of _Punch_ in
1841. The best-known contributor to _Punch_ was Du Maurier, whose
burlesques of aristocratic society in England were taken in good part.
In Germany, Wilhelm Scholz’s caricatures of Bismarck are famous. And so
on through all the countries, we find traces of the art of caricature.
In America we find Benjamin Franklin first on the list. We are told that
the talent came naturally to him, as his grandfather and father before
him had shown considerable ingenuity in that direction but had not
ventured to express it except in the signs and printed handbills
advertising their trade. It was the custom at that time to advertise by
means of pictures or representations—a gilt Bible in front of a store
meant a book store; an anchor, naval supplies; the figure of a mermaid,
an ale house; a gilt sheaf, a paper store, and so on. The figure of an
East Indian queen gayly dressed in a many-colored gown advertised the
store belonging to Franklin’s grandfather, where he offered “to dye into
colors” all cloth, silk, and calico. The handbills which he sent out
were more elaborate, representing the same queen but with two servants,
one holding up her train, the other holding a parasol over her. All
public buildings were easily recognized by the carved royal lion and
unicorn.
Benjamin’s brother James started the first sensational newspaper in
Boston, Massachusetts, in 1721. This paper was called the _Courant_, and
to it Benjamin Franklin first contributed his articles and caricatures.
Their wit was not appreciated by the sober people of Boston, and it was
not long before the brother was put in prison on account of his
editorials. Benjamin continued the paper, fearlessly ridiculing in
writing and pictures not only Harvard College but the ministers and
well-known church members. The people were now thoroughly aroused, and
soon both brothers were forbidden to print their paper.
So far, however, work in caricature had been crude and was to be
completely overshadowed by the brilliant Thomas Nast, the great
political cartoonist. Mr. William M. Tweed was the first political
“boss,” and the subject of Mr. Nast’s cartoons. He represented that
leader’s face as a money bag with dollar signs as features, and in this
strange way he somehow managed to secure a very good likeness of the
man. It is even said that when at last Tweed was forced to run away to
escape imprisonment, he was recognized and caught through the
familiarity of all with his cartooned face. Mr. Nast’s cartoons were
published in _Harper’s Weekly_, and became so popular that they opened a
way for the publication of a new humorous magazine, _Puck_. Then came
_Judge_ and _Life_. These three are devoted mainly to cartoons.
[Illustration:
By permission of Mr. John T. McCutcheon
_The Mounted Policeman’s Lot Is Not a Happy One_
]
Now many weekly journals, as _Harper’s_, _Leslie’s_, and a monthly
magazine called _Cartoons_, make this a special feature. Nearly every
newspaper in the country contains at least one cartoon in each issue,
and many have their own cartoonists, whose time is busily occupied
preparing drawings for the daily issues.
Then, too, the Sunday supplements are full of them, and we have become
well acquainted with Frederick Burr Opper, creator of “Happy Hooligan,”
“The Folks in Funnyville,” “Alphonse and Gaston,” “Maud, the Matchless,”
“John Bull,” and others; Richard Felton Outcault, creator of “Hogan’s
Alley,” “Yellow Kid,” “Buster Brown,” “Buster, Mary Jane, and Tige”; A.
B. Frost, creator of “Tragedy of the Kind Hearted Man and the Ungrateful
Bull Calf” and “The Spinster’s Cat That Ate Rat Poison,”; Carl Emil
Schultze, known as “Bunny,” creator of “Foxy Grandpa” and “Bunny’s Blue
Book,” and many others.
=Requirements.= A good cartoon must show the real characteristics of the
original, exaggerated, yet easy to recognize. A picture that will tell
its story at a glance can be understood by all, and will be remembered
long after paragraphs are forgotten. So it is readily seen what a power
for good may be found in the daily cartoon.
It is necessary that a good cartoonist have a clear sense of form,
although great freedom is allowed in his drawing and no attempt is made
for a studied or accurate representation. He should be a keen observer
and well informed, especially on all topics of daily interest, and
possessed of much originality and a ready pencil.
=Process of making a cartoon.= A general idea may be given of how a
cartoon is made. First, the cartoonist must have a subject or an idea to
be represented. This is sometimes suggested by the city editor, by
members of the staff, or more often left entirely to the judgment of the
artist. Then the idea is usually sketched in with pencil on a piece of
medium weight cardboard, corrected, and then finished in pen and ink.
Black ink is used with pens of various sizes depending upon the width of
line desired. The best cartoonists use lines of different widths. Often
we find a strong bold line for the foreground, a medium line for the
middle distance, and a thin line for extreme distance. The drawing is
usually made twice the size it is to appear in the paper. When sent to
the printer a photograph is made of the drawing of the size required.
The film is then stripped off the plate and put on a heavier, thicker
plate and printed through on a piece of zinc, covered with some
substance which is not affected by acid. The zinc is then placed in an
acid bath which eats away the parts exposed to light in the printing,
leaving the lines of the drawing untouched.