A Proper Proper Name

Hello!
You may come across a cartoon that features a name in the caption. You may wonder, “why that name?” And you may ask yourself, “how did I get here?” I can’t answer the last question but I am going to talk about proper names in cartooning.

Every cartoonist has their go-to names. I can’t speak for my fellow cartoonists, but I can say that my go-to names are chosen very carefully, then evaluated in front of a test audience and finally assessed by an appraiser. Just kidding, I don’t really think about it.

Ok, I give it a little thought. There are certain names that I return to over many cartoons because they work for one reason or another. I’ll get to them, but first: Why do some cartoons even feature names at all?

Could be a few different reasons, but the overlying reason is simple: it makes the joke better. If it doesn’t make the joke better, then the cartoon doesn’t need one. Here’s a cartoon of mine that ran in Wired:

Pretty easy to tell why this joke needs a name in it. If Steve weren’t specifically called out in the caption, then this joke doesn’t work. Here’s a different example, also from Wired:

The reason Bob has a name here is because the joke is reliant on a couple of concepts, both of which require a name to be written in the caption. The first concept is structural. The structure is playing off of a familiar scene: old acquaintances meeting by happenstance. This is a common scene (perhaps popularized by Groundhog Day), and that familiarity plays on the reader’s expectations, which hopefully then provides a laugh when those expectations are subverted.

The second concept here is the extensive database. We’re all worried about the extensive database out there, with all of our information in it, and the data we give to it with every click and post. Presumably that database is organized in some part by our names, rendering our identity a dehumanizing list of metadata. By having the robot say Bob’s full name, his familiarity becomes sinister. That’s funny!

Okay, other reasons for name’s in captions: Sometimes the name helps the reader understand the character in the cartoon, like this one, from The New Yorker:

This guy isn’t just “Hudson,” it’s “Professor Hudson,” and you will address him as such. The reader understands how important his title is to him, and through our own experiences meeting people like this, we know how important social structure is to him, and most likely an inability to laugh at himself. The picture informs this too, but the name is doing the heavy work.

Sometimes having a name simply packs a punch, like this one:

Without her name this joke is only ok. It’s the accusatory “Claire” written in italics that pushes it, makes it personal, gives both Claire and the bookshelf some personality.

OK! Here are some of my go-to names.

Ned: Great for a meek, simple man who takes very little initiative.

Frank: a name and a descriptor. Frank is frank, as frank as it gets. He’s also grumpy and stubborn, he knows what he likes, and more importantly, he knows what he doesn’t like.

Steve: A go-to simple name, used when the joke doesn’t rely much on the character’s personality. Rolls nicely off the tongue.

Claire: Same as Steve, but for a woman.

Uncle (any name): An uncle. Like a parent, but more unpredictable and less likely to acquiesce. Similar to Frank.

Herb, Larry, Lenny. See Ned.

Marty: Cantankerous. Similar to Frank but more talkative. Complaining is an art to him.

Lucille: Dramatic, romantic. Harkens back to an older time.

That’s it! That’s all I’m saying about names. Now you can go back to your day. Thanks for reading!