Expressing a viewpoint: Editorial cartoons

Editorial cartoons are a popular and sometimes very controversial form of

cartooning. Editorial cartoons are simply cartoons written to express a politi-

cal or social viewpoint. They also first appeared on the scene about the same

time as the modern newspaper gained widespread popularity.

Early newspaper publishers used editorial cartoons the same way they used

comic strips — to attract readers. Editorial cartoonists in the early part of

the 20th century were the media celebrities of their day. Their cartoons

preceded TV by several decades and were a source of information and enter-

tainment for readers. Editorial cartoons of that era were very influential,

even influencing political elections and reforms. From Thomas Nast and his

exposure of corruption in the underbelly world of New York politics to the

Washington Post’s Herbert Block (better known as Herblock) landing on

Nixon’s enemies’ list during the Watergate scandal — and up to the scathing

criticisms of the war in Iraq — editorial cartoons have played and continue to

play an important role in the annals of political discourse.

Editorial cartoons have evolved over the last century and remain very popu-

lar today. However, market realities are challenging for new editorial cartoon-

ists. The profession has traditionally been tied to print journalism, and in the

past few years, newspapers have had massive layoffs and cutbacks. But like

comic strips, editorial cartoons are thriving on the Internet, and unlike their

print counterparts, the Web versions are done in full color, and some are

even animated. Check out Chapter 11 for more info on editorial cartoons.