A Brief History of Cartoons
This webpage is about some different themes that are in cartoons. In order to fully understand the impact that cartoons have on our society, it is
necessary to look at their history. Cartoons have been used in many distinct forms over the ages for different purposes. They have traditionally been
used as a method of portraying ideas, some so deep that they are only effectively viewed through the simplicity of this format. Even before writing, there
have been man-made images which could be considered early cartoons. Primitive precursors to modern cartoons have included petroglyphs and cave art from
prehistoric times. In Pompeii, there is graffiti all over the city, some of which could be considered cartoon-like. Leonardo da Vinci was one of the
first artists to develop the caricature. An example is his study, "The Grotesque". This style was very detailed, and more of a sketched portrait than
of what is a modern caricature. Da Vinci was followed by a group of new artists who developed a new style of caricature, closer to today's. They were
"quick, impressionistic drawings that exaggerate prominent physical characteristics to humorous effect"(Backer, 1). Similar to other iconoclastic artists
of the time, their work was shunned, and although it was purchased by some collectors, it never went on public display.
Some of the first mass-produced and distributed documents that used graphics to make a point were propaganda used by Luther during the Protestant Reformation in
Germany. Woodcuttings and metal carvings were popular during that time, and Luther decided to use a combination of text and graphics. This was probably
due to the very high illiteracy rate, as a document with pictures has a greater potential for comprehension. These two woodcuttings are titled "Passional Christi und
Antichristi" by Lucas Cranach the Elder.
In America, the first political cartoon is considered to have been made by Benjamin Franklin for the Albany Congress of 1754(Backer, 2).
It depicts a snake that is cut in many pieces, representing the different colonies. It's purpose was to show that when they were separated, the different colonies were vulnerable to Native Americans, the Iroquois tribe in
particular. This cartoon was carried by virtually every newspaper in the New World, paving the way for political cartoons.
The first American cartoon strip was The Yellow Kid which was born in 1895. The kid's apron was yellow, because the first printer needed to test the color
by printing out a solid block of it. This is why the media of the time was entitled the "Yellow Press"(Berger, 23). Until World War I, cartoons continued to be
"innocent" strips filled with a lighthearted playfulness. Some of the more famous cartoons of the era included The Katzenjammer Kids, Buster Brown, Little Nemo, Mutt and Jeff,
and Krazy Kat.
The second generation of comics lasted until the sixties. After World War I, in many new comics, the innocence quickly changed into cartoons like Dick Tracy and Terry and the
Pirates, which were no longer comical, but instead highlighted the darker sides of society, and some were even used as propaganda during WWII. Many of these comics are recognized
today as old favorites. They include: Little Orphan Annie, Mickey Mouse, Popeye, Buck Rogers, Tarzan, Blondie, Flash Gordon, Li'l Abner,
Superman, Batman, and Peanuts.
Comics today contain everything from the beginning on. Some cartoons like Family Circus carry on the traditions of the innocent breed from the first generation. Some other cartoons like
The Amazing Spiderman continue the action cartoons, and many other cartoons today like Non Sequitor and Doonesbury comment on current political events. Practically all cartoons
today have some kind of message, and this is what this project is about-cartoons that project a message about our society at large.
Five major categories that many cartoons can thematically fall
loosely into are Business,
Children ,
The Media,
Politics, and
Relationships.
