A closer look at cartoons Flashcards
what are cartoons
Cartoons are pictures or illustrations that are created to be funny, or to express an opinion on a relevant topic.
what should i focus on when analysing a cartoon
- Intention
- Relevant background
- Structural elements
- Facial expressions and body language
- Humour
- Caricature and stereotype
what is context in visual literacy
Contextrefers to where a text comes from and the features of its development that impact its construction. Context includes the setting and time period the creator of the text was working in, but, quite importantly, it also includes the intention of the author in creating the text.
what is the intention
What the creator of the cartoon trying to achieve with their piece
what are different intentions in cartoons
- Entertainment or humour
- Making fun of/ satirising current events and politics.
- Critiquing those in power
- Education or raising awareness
what is a Frame
the blocks used to structure cartoons. Cartoons can exist in asingle frameor consist ofmultiple frames. Cartoons that make use of multiple frames are known ascomic strips.The space between the frames of a comic strip is referred to as thegutter.
what are Speech Bubbles
used to denote dialogue within a cartoon.
how is humour used in cartoons
humour may not always be the main intention of a cartoon, cartoons often contain elements of humour as a way of emphasising their intentions. It is, therefore, very important that you are able to identify and analyse the types of humour contained in a cartoon.
what is a Pun
This is because puns play on the multiple meanings of a word, which is something that can be fun to illustrate visually.
what is Satire
used to critique serious issues, such as political leaders and current events, by making fun of them. The point of satire is to take something serious and ridicule it to emphasise its weaknesses and failings.
what is Irony
Irony is when humour is derived from something that is the opposite from what you would expect. This is the hardest kind of humour to pin down, but can be very effective in visual media, such as cartoons.
what are Caricatures
Caricatures are when the physical features of a character in a cartoon are exaggerated to make them more recognisable, or to draw attention to elements of their appearance or personality. This is most often made to depict real-life people in cartoon form.
