Download Editorial cartoons

Elements of
Editorial Cartoons
Opinion Writing
Why editorial cartoons?
• People like pictures. They break up a page
that may be hard to photograph.
• To illustrate an editorial. Editorial cartoons
can stand alone or be paired with editorials.
• To provide a new look at the news. Editorial
cartoons have their own rules that allow the
creator to make a point visually.
Do they have to be funny?
No. Editorial cartoons are often funny (or
trying to be) but they can use the same
techniques to make a serious point (or even
use humor to make a serious point.
The artwork should match the tone. Make sure
the silliness matches the subject.
Elements of an editorial cartoon
• analogy
• irony
• symbolism
• labels
• exaggeration
Analogy
Editorial cartoons use
metaphors to make a point.
This cartoon from the Francis
Howell North North Star
compares eighth graders
taking high school classes
to watering a small tree that
can grow larger.
Irony
Editorial cartoons almost
always point out the
difference between the way
things should be and the
way they really are.
In this cartoon, people ought
to notice something as
obvious as an elephant on a
Rachel Fung, Convent of the Sacred Heart
bus, but the irony is they are
High School, San Francisco
so engrossed by their
devices, they can’t bother.
Symbolism
Editorial cartoons use symbols to
get their point across and as
visual shortcuts. Not only does
the tree symbolize growing
knowledge, but the artist uses a
graduation cap on the bottom to
show the person is now a high
school graduate. We also
associate apple trees with
education. Using common
cultural symbols gives the
audience more clues to the
meaning.
Labels
Most editorial cartoons will
use labels and captions to
explain the cartoon further
and to make the point
clear.
This cartoon uses both a
label at the bottom and
speech balloons to make a
point about the
government shutdown.
Rachel Fung, Convent of the Sacred Heart
High School, San Francisco
Exaggeration
Editorial cartoons
exaggerate to show topics
in a larger-than-life context
and to make a point. In this
cartoon the selfies get more
and more ridiculous to
parody how people take
them too often or in
inappropriate settings.
Rachel Fung, Convent of the Sacred Heart
High School, San Francisco
Assignment
Choose a topic and draw an editorial cartoon
using one of the 5 models of satire. Don’t
worry about artistic ability, just get your point
across. Your drawing should be done on an
81/2 x 11 sheet of plain white paper (no lines)
and outlined with black sharpie. No color
please.