ABIGAIL S.

GALIT
SILANGAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SANTA CRUZ, LAGUNA
Editorial or Political Cartoon

An editorial cartoon, also

known as a political cartoon, is
an illustration or comic strip
containing a political or social
message, that usually relates to
current events or personalities
 An editorial cartoon is
actually an editorial in pictorial
form. It aims to illustrate
through an informal drawing the
stand of the newspaper on a
timely issue. Besides, it does
serve as entertainment and
lighten the mood in the midst of
the serious presentation of
opinions about different issues.
 It also contains an argument
often suggested on the basis of
an emotional appeal, which
maybe readily grasped and
understood by the readers than
the printed text of an editorial. It
is primarily designed to crystallize
ideas regarding current issues of
a changing society.
 Editorial cartoon serves as a
potent vehicle for ridicule, for
criticism and to exert influence
on the part of the reading public.
It supplements the editorial
comments and interpretation
through the use of effective and
universal symbols to reach and
to influence the public.
 History of political
cartoons
Beginning in the 1720s,
William Hogarth produced many
satirical works which were widely
circulated. Benjamin Franklin's
Join or Die (1754) supported the
French and Indian War and was
later recycled for the
Revolutionary War. In 1799,
Francisco Goya created a series of
etchings called los Caprichos
intended to make political
statements about the issues of
the day, related to his later series
depicting the disasters of war.
Both made humorous comment
on the trends and current events
of his time.
Benjamin Franklin's "Join or Die", which
depicts a snake whose severed parts
represent the Colonies, is acknowledged
as the first political cartoon in America.
Political cartoons were common
during World War I and World War
II, mainly as propaganda for
various countries' war efforts. In
the US and Great Britain, anti-
Japanese and -German works were
common, while in those countries,
the opposite was so. At this time
there were also some pacifists in
various countries who produced
political cartoons.
In the United States, during and
since the Vietnam war, many
political cartoonists were
published in underground
newspapers, comic books,
pamphlets, and zines.
Over the years, some common
metaphors and symbols have been
repeatedly used by many different
cartoonists.
Examples include the use of Uncle
Sam to represent the United
States, John Bull, Britannia or a
lion to represent the United
Kingdom, a beaver to represent
Canada, a bear to represent
Russia, a dragon to represent
China, and so forth. Some symbols
have become entrenched in
modern culture, such as a
"capitalist" being represented
in a top hat, which can still be seen
on modern Monopoly games.
Politicians are sometimes not able
to separate themselves from the
characters cartoonists create,
especially if many cartoonists use
similar elements. Richard Nixon
and Joe Clark are prime examples
of this phenomenon
Honoré Daumier
During the reign of Louis
Philippe, Charles Philipon
launched the comic journal, La
Caricature, Daumier joined its
staff, which included such
powerful artists as Devéria, Raffet
and Grandville, and started upon
his pictorial campaign of satire,
targeting the foibles of the
bourgeoisie, the corruption of the
law and the incompetence of a
blundering government. His
caricature of the king as
Gargantua led to Daumier's
imprisonment for six months at
Ste Pelagic in 1832. Soon after,
the publication of La Caricature
was discontinued, but Philipon
provided a new field for
Daumier's activity when he founded the Le Charivari.
Daumier produced his social caricatures for Le Charivari, in which
he held bourgeois society up to ridicule in the figure of Robert
Macaire, hero of a popular melodrama. In another series, L'histoire
ancienne, he took aim at the constraining pseudo-classicism of the
art of the period. In 1848 Daumier embarked again on his political
campaign, still in the service of Le Charivari, which he left in 1860
and rejoined in 1864.
Thomas Nast
He was a
famous German-
American
caricaturist and
editorial cartoonist
in the 19th century
and is considered to
be the father of
American political
cartooning.
The "Brains"
The Boss. "Well,
what are you
going to do
about it?"
by Thomas Nast
Wood engraving
published in
Harper's Weekly
newspaper
October 21,
1871
Famous 1876 editorial cartoon by Thomas
Nast showing bishops attacking public
schools, with connivance of Irish Catholic
politicians.
A Group of
Vultures Waiting
for the Storm to
"Blow Over"--"Let
Us Prey."
by Thomas Nast
Wood engraving
published in
Harper's Weekly
newspaper
September 23,
1871
Effective Editorial Cartoon

1. It deals with a single idea.

2. It is humorous.
3. It exerts influence on the
reader.
4. It is realistic.
5. It entertains the readers.
 Steps in Editorial
Cartooning
1. Know the main issue that you
wish to draw a cartoon.
2. Know the stand of the editorial
staff on the issue.
3. Illustrate through the aid of the
effective symbols that fit the
general opinion of the editorial
staff on the issue.
TIPS for Editorial Cartooning
1. Use black ink pen on white
paper.
2. Employ single stroke or line.
3. Shading can be employed for
emphasis.
4. Focus on one topic only.
5. Limit the use of words and
labels.
6. Use universal or common
symbols.
7. Details in the drawing are not
necessary.
8. Simplicity of the drawing is
encouraged, simple but the
message is clear and intact.
9. Manifestation of facial
expression and prominent identity,
especially when drawing persons.
10. Present accurately the issue.
11. Limit the things to be drawn
from three to five only to illustrate
the idea.
12. Present accurately the issue,
example, survey, data statistics
and others.
13. Emphasize face, dynamism or
motion in your subject.
14. Inject humor.
15. Develop your own style.
Some General Symbols for
Editorial Cartooning
1. pencil, pen and newspaper –
journalism, freedom of the
press.
2. Dove – freedom, peace,
democracy
3. Salakot – Juan dela Cruz
representing the ordinary
Filipino citizen
4. Chain – suppression of freedom,
maltreatment and slavery
5. Kamatayan – danger, bad omen
6. Syringe – cure, death sentence,
drug addiction
7. Crocodile – abusive person of
authority
8. Beggar – poverty
9. Mallet – justice
10. Blindfolded lady carrying a
weighing scale - justice
11. Big waves – hindrances,
adversities
12. Mask – deceiver
13. Eagle – bravery, strength,
United States of America
14. Bar of gold – wealth
15. High rising building –
development, progress
16. Key – towards success and
development
17. Rising sun - hope
18. Huge rock – tough situation,
hindrance, obstacle
19. multi-tattooed man – criminal,
ex-convict, bad man
20. A skull with crossed bones –
death danger.
SAMPLES OF EDITORIAL
CARTOON
The issue
over the
Freedom of
Information
Bill which was
not ratified
under the
leadership of
then House
Speaker
Prospero
Nograles.
the call
to arm
the
media
in the
light of
countle
ss
killings
with
media
person
ali-
the issue on
the
upcoming
Aquino
administrati
on's
response to
clamor in
relation to
alleged
anomalies
under
GMA's
administrati
Aquino Administration is contemplating
on adding additional years for the basic
 ANG MGA HAKBANG SA PAGGUHIT NG
KARTON
•Alamin ang paksang nais iguhit (kahit sa
tingin mo ay alam mo na itong iguhit)
-Rob Davis(1992)
•Maging bukas sa opinyon ng iba
•Limimitahan ang paggamit ng mga salita at
label
•Ang karton ay siya mismong balita
•Gumamit ng mga “universal symbols”
•Gamitin ang sariling istilo sa pagguhit
-Basic Journalism
Ilang “universal symbols”
Lapis, pluma/diaryo- jouranlism, press
Kalapati- kapayapaan
Salakot- Juan dela Cruz
Kadena- pang-alila, pahirap
Kamatayan- masamang kahihinatnan
Buwaya- pang-aabuso, kurapsyon
Malaking bato- balakid
Mga gusali- kaunlaran
Araw sa silangan- pag-asa
MGA SALIK SA PAGGUHIT NG KARTON
-Ang mga karakter ng karton ay dapat
palaging nakaharap sa gitna ng kahon
-Bigyan ng espasyo ang harapan ng
karakter upang magbigay ulusyon ng
galaw o kilos
21. Let your eyes "float" over the cartoon. Artists know what
will capture the mind's attention first. Allow your mind and
your eyes to naturally find the portion of the cartoon that
most stands out. Most often, this will be a caricature, which is
an exaggeration or distortion of a person or object with the
goal of providing a comic effect.

2. Follow the cartoon's natural flow by discovering the

interaction with the primary focus (found in step 1). If it's a
person, whom are they talking to? Where are they standing?
If it's an object, what is being done to the object? What is it
doing there? Most often, you can look around the immediate
vicinity of the primary focus to find what is being described.
This is usually an allusion, or an indirect reference to a past or
current event that isn't explicitly made clear within the
cartoon
3. Look for widely recognized symbols. Some
metaphors are commonly used by political cartoonists.

4. Determine the audience. What section of the

population is the publication geared towards, and in
what country and locality? A political cartoon will be
created with consideration to the experiences and
assumptions of the intended audience. For example,
a political cartoon in a publication distributed in a
strictly conservative town will convey its message in
a different way than it would if the audience was a
particularly liberal group.
Look at minor details in the cartoon that
will contribute to the humor or the point of
the cartoon.

Often, words or pictorial symbols will be

used to convey minor themes or ideas, but
they are found in the background or on the
sides of the cartoon.