Cartoons, a unique art meant to satirise

by Amal Hewavissenti

Now almost all major newspapers carry cartoons which reflect the point highlighted by the editorial or the headlines. It is perhaps rated the most popular newspaper feature because it comes out with an undiscovered aspect of a particular news item or event under discussion. The commentators on newspaper headlines and features on electronic media often appear to give paramount importance to the cartoon in the newspapers they select for the day.

A cartoonist with a satirical eye deeply studies the prominent feature or trait of a certain person he is going to caricature and represents him in a way that excites humour.

The caricature is not at all created to be a photographic representation of a person but it is meant to be a humorous combination of qualities that accompany his identity.

Cartoon is a product of powerful thought which springs instantly and an art that inevitably guarantees humour and entertainment with a sharp message. This art does not demand a refined taste which is otherwise called for in the appreciation of a realistic painting.

Outlook

It is totally unethical to force the cartoonist's personal view about the situation in to the cartoon. A cartoonist generally looks at a person or society with a wider social responsibility and understanding before he creates an effective cartoon. The audience that may remain unemotional after reading a long story in news may be exhilarated by an exaggerated cartoon made on the news.

Usually a cartoon as a newspaper feature is capable of attracting a good public attention because it full frontally expresses, in a simple humorous drawing, what is otherwise described through a long article.

Thus, a rough line or a sketch can express what is usually impossible to be explained in thousands of words giving entertainment for readers of all ages.

Cartoonist by nature is the architect of satire and humour and communicates what he sees in a funny way without transforming the identity of a particular person or a thing.

The cartoonist's audience live with the funny characters that he creates because the caricature of a person is drawn with any of his features a little deformed to excite laughter.

Anyway, it may prove an uphill task of the cartoonist to make people laugh unless he develops within himself or accept a change of outlook to the tune of time.

In complete contrast to the realistic paintings, cartoon represents nothing of nature - natural appearance of a person or natural set up of a situation. Instead, it exhibits everything beyond nature and everything in distortion solely to communicate an important message together with fun.

Here the message is communicated perhaps with a few lines of caricature and the message is considered the most important thing.

In whatever way, the cartoonist is blessed with no liberty or space to express something humorously but has to convey his message by a single drawing or a simple dialogue. Sometimes the cartoonist employs no words at all but succeeds in putting across his theme through a clear drawing (often of few lines!)

The audience is free to interpret a cartoon in multiple ways but the cartoon is there to enrich their thinking.

Even an illiterate person who may be wide awake to the political and cultural changes in the country may better grasp what a cartoon instantly illustrates. There is always a long story behind every cartoon and the cartoonist's prime concern is to present it so concisely and humorously as to impress it hard on the mind of the audience.

The prominent talent of the cartoonist is his capacity to come off with a pictorial satire within a few seconds - an ability that an average painter does not possess. The cartoonist's role in a newspaper or a magazine is clearly noticeable because he expresses an extremely creative message within a limited number of letters and lines and within a limited amount of space and colours. Sometimes a cartoon easily discusses themes that are impossible to be touched upon through long news items and articles. At the same time the cartoonist under no circumstances derive pleasure by representing a social crisis. The cartoonist creatively obtains public attention because he analyses a social problem with a viewpoint that is most welcome but totally unknown to the readers.

A cartoonist looks at everything with a satirical eye. Satire unconditionally is cartoonist's own language by which he is able to level pictorial assault on the common weaknesses of society. Cartoons appear to associate with politics.

A cartoonist effortlessly becomes a friend of newspaper reader simply because the cartoonist is able to create a caricature and use a language that people immensely like. A cartoonist needs a broad knowledge about everything which forms a part and parcel of the immediate social life.

He may extend his outlook from the home politics to the international scene. The cartoonist should be with a sound understanding of the economic, cultural and political background of his own country as well as current situation of the world.

Pioneer cartoonists

In books and magazines cartoons are published in the form of comic strips that is usually presented as a story in cages. Cartoon pictures vary according to the style of drawing and the nature of contents. The comic strips are presented as a series of isolated pictures or serial pictures which signify a particular idea or incident. A short comment on the scene composed of a few words is presented along with the cartoon pictures or ‘balloons’ are inserted to the picture to signify the words spoken by the cartoon characters.

The present generation of cartoonists has been inspired to some extent by renowned political and newspaper cartoonists who showed love for humanity. Mudalali (drawn by an unnamed cartoonist) was published in Dinamina Sinhala daily and is considered the first cartoon ever to be published in a Sinhala newspaper.

Among the pioneer cartoonists in Sri Lanka are Aubrey Collette, W.R. Wijesoma, Yoonus, G.S. Fernando, Camillus Perera, Amitha Abhayasekera and soon. W.R. Wijesoma was a celebrated political cartoonist who contributed most to the English newspapers of the country. G.S. Fernando, who was a student of Aubrey Collette was also a popular cartoonist inspirational for most amateur cartoonists.

The Ministry of Education has included cartoon art as a subject in the G.C.E. Advanced Level syllabus. The syllabus demands the study of four pioneer cartoonists namely W.R. Wijesoma, Camillus Perera, Yoonus, and Aubrey Collette. It is worth mentioning that the pioneer cartoonists in Sri Lanka have played their part excellently and have provided ideal examples of best cartoons worthy of study.