Editorial Cartoons

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. They typically combine artistic skill, hyperbole and biting humour in order to question authority and draw attention to corruption and other social ills. usually be found on the editorial page of most newspapers . should be simple but also cause a reaction from the reader. is an illustration, typically appearing in a newspaper, which attempts to satirize political or cultural events in a way that's funny or at least thought-provoking.

Complexity into Simplicity

An editorial cartoon typically only has one frame in which to get its message across, so you'll need to turn something that could be quite complicated into a simple drawing that is understandable to most readers. It helps if you've got a clear idea of the point you're trying to make -- and make sure it is just one point -- otherwise your cartoon could become cluttered and too complex by trying to say many things at once.

Aesthetic Elements
You don't have to create a masterpiece every time you

draw an editorial cartoon, but your illustration does need to be accessible and aesthetically pleasing to some extent. As suggested by the Union of Concerned Scientists, consider the lines and shapes you use, which should reflect a reasonable standard of drawing and be easy to follow to avoid readers being put off by the cartoon.

Go for Emotion
However you choose to draw the image and whatever

your message, you've got to aim to trigger an emotional response of some kind in the reader. An editorial cartoon that causes no reaction doesn't say much about your abilities in the field. Typically, a cartoonist will aim to make readers laugh through her creation, so it's worth injecting humor into your work; but editorial cartoons also can be designed to cause controversy, if the issue involved is polarizing.

Target Local News

Many editorial cartoonists draw inspiration for their work from national news, but since these are events that affect the whole country, it means you'll be up against plenty of stiff competition if you're also trying to base cartoons on these subjects If you're looking to get your work noticed, try instead to draw cartoons based around the news in your area. You might draw about local politicians or scandals, for example. As the MacKay Editorial Cartoons website suggests, local newspapers need content, and this gives you an opportunity to provide it and get published.

Originality
Any cartoon must be original, and this is especially the

case if you're commenting on a statewide or national issue that's likely to be addressed by multiple other cartoonists. Even if your view is similar to many other people's, you need to find your own take on any news.

How to Make a Funny Editorial Cartoon

By Robyn Tindle
Instructions 1 Observe cartoons made by editorial cartoonists in a range of newspapers from early

newspaper editions to modern day. Notice the similarities and differences between the drawing styles of the various cartoonists. Note what makes the cartoon funny to the reader. Look closely at how the drawing in itself is just as amusing as the words contained within the comic strip and notice how the drawings are simple but exaggerated while the dialogue is brief and witty.
2

Read newspapers to research what news is current and what stories are more talked

about, or look for a story which offers the most scope for humorous ridicule. Note any news stories, events or characters within the news which inspire you.

Pick out a current news topic from your possible news stories. Find a funny

perspective to create your editorial cartoon. Keep your idea for your funny scenario simple and short, as you do not have the scope to make a full comic strip for a newspaper publication. Your cartoon needs to be told in 1 to 5 frames on average. Focus on something absurd happening in your scenario, or an unusual or an obvious observation, or some kind of conflict to spark off a short chain of events.
4

Sketch your funny cartoon scenario within a sequence of 1 to 5 boxed frames

into your sketchbook with a pencil. Use a pencil and ruler to draw a row of boxed frames. Look at a photo of a well known figure to help you to make the subject's distinctive features more exaggerated in the drawing of your caricature. Comedy is about heightening reality.

Draw the basic shape of the person's head but make the head bigger in

relation to the length of the body. Draw in the exaggerated facial features. Exaggerate the body shape by making a thin person look thinner, a fat person fatter, a tall person taller and a short person smaller. Don't forget to make the clothes suit the character. For instance, if you regard a female figure as having loose morals, give her a very mini shirt; or if your male character is getting too big for his breeches then make his trousers look too short for him. 6 Draw in other characters, objects and background. Don't make the sketch too complicated. Emphasize on what is visually necessary and funny in the illustration.

Draw a speech balloon or a caption which should clarify and expand on the visual humor by saying something witty or to make a jokey comment about a topical subject; the person may be in the exaggerated midst of what is being talked about in order to support the humor.
8

Draw over the pencil lines in black pen, since editorial cartoons are generally drawn as black and white line drawings. Erase any pencil lines to complete.

Examples of Editorial Cartoons

Success as an editorial cartoonist requires far more than simply possessing drawing skills. Aspiring cartoonists also need to understand how to make a point through the cartoon and have an ear for the news, so they can turn recent events into relevant illustrations.

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