Cartooning 101

All right, enough messing around, we’re diving into some basics today. We’ve been slacking off, joking around, getting distracted. We’ve forgotten about the true meaning of my newsletter: how to make cartoon more good. That’s why I’m trying out a new segment: Cartooning 101! If you got a “cartooning how to make better question” (what’s known as a CHTMBQ in the biz), please let me know!

I’ve written about contrast before, and how important it is for a joke. Today, I’m going to get into that a little more, but on a technical level. I’m talking about how to setup a cartoon. There’s lots of ways to do that, but for the purposes of this one particular post, I’m going to focus on three forms of contrast you can use to set up a cartoon: overstatement, understatement, and just plain ol’ statement.

First, we got your standard overstatement:

It’s an exaggeration. You’re making a point by taking that point to a humorous extreme. Within that extreme lies your contrast. Your friend’s shower is not actually like this, but it feels like this. Mixing reality and perception together can result in a solid cartoon.

This set up comes built in with an aura of sarcasm, a bit of snark that makes a reader feel in on the joke. The best part is that it lends itself to humorous imagery. Some cartoons merely illustrate a funny caption (which is fine), but the exaggeration set-up pretty much guarantees a rich and funny illustration.

Here’s another example:

It sure feels like my dad is going for a record when he tells the same joke over and over (I’m guilty of this too and I love it. )

Taking that concept one step further, we got the understatement:

Just like a cartoon utilizing overstatement, this set-up requires exaggeration, but this time you have someone reacting to it as if it were normal. This creates the contrast and surprise. The reader is one step removed, meaning that you’re not laughing at the premise, you’re laughing at the reaction to the premise.

The cartoon above relies on the reader knowing that it’s the lawyers job to relay information gently to his client, and by attempting to do so, he undermines both the severity of the sentence and its ridiculous presentation. The cartoon wouldn’t be as funny if the caption were something like “Chopin’s Funeral March means the death penalty.”

A second example:

To be an astronaut. A life made possible by the incredible scientific achievements of humankind. An embodiment of our endless capabilities as a species. An opportunity to literally see the world in a different perspective, to go somewhere that very few people ever will. A reminder that despite our countless flaws, humans are capable of wonderous feats. But also like, it’s just another job, man.

Middling out those two concepts is simply making a statement. It’s the “quiet part out loud” set-up. This is a cartoon in which truth is simply blurted out.

This joke utilizes neither the silly exaggeration of an overstatement nor the guarded indifference of an understatement. The humor comes from the bluntness of reality. Generally a reality that we don’t want to face.

The trick to making this set-up work is by stating the truth with a degree of cluelessness; an admission without realizing that it is one. The joke would not be funny if the caption was “do not bring that extraordinary heavy book that you won’t read.” By stating it as a helpful suggestion instead of a warning, she is acknowledging that it’s going to happen anyway even though they both know it probably shouldn’t.

Often these kinds of captions are spoken from the oblivious character in question. The contrast comes from within: self-awareness of our own obliviousness. People can be very smart when it comes to being stupid. That sounds mean when I write it out like that, but here’s another way to look at it: sometimes just having a goal is as good as the goal itself. Sometimes.

One problem with this joke is unlike the other two set-ups, this type of cartoon does not usually lend itself to an interesting picture. To make up for that, lean into the “truthiness” of it all and utilize some illustrative fundamentals. Make it feel real. Draw in lots of details, get the lighting right. Capture the scene and make the reader feel the setting. Do your best, anyway!

Okay that’s 739 words, which I think is sufficient. Is there something that you want to know about cartooning? Need help with some aspect of it? Trying to learn something specific? Ask me! I know a lot of you like the “how-to” stuff and I would love to write more.

That’s all! But check these out: