Campus Journ: Editorial Cartooning

Editorial Cartooning

Is it

possible for papers

to present

“wordless” opinions?

The Editorial Cartoon• serves the function of the

editorial and the other contents of the op-ed pages: to present an opinion on an issue

• may or may not be a complement of the editorial

• Why is there a need for an editorial cartoon? What are its characteristics?

• Is the ability to draw a must to come up with an effective cartoon?

• The cartoon, like the editorial, is a permanent feature of the editorial page. It is called a “wordless editorial” because without words, it expresses comment on a current issue and seeks

to influence public opinion.

* Aside from relieving the grayness of an opinion page, the cartoon provides humor and lightness that break the seriousness of the accompanying opinion pieces.

• While ability to draw is a must, the ability to conceptualize an idea is more important for an editorial cartoonist.

• Subject matter covers a wide range of topics and purposes but the typical cartoon is about current issues and problems. Every cartoonist has his own distinctive style.

*exaggeration of the distinct feature of the subject

a subtle attack “presented humorously”

Samples of Editorial Cartoons:

• TIPS FOR CARTOONING: 1. Limit the use of words and

labels. 2. Use universal symbols, those

which can be understood at once by

your intended reader. 3. Have your own style. Do not

copy or plagiarize.

4. If your cartoon is about the editorial for the day, it must reinforce the stand stated in

the piece.5. Choose a most interesting issue and

express your comment in an interesting way.

6. Do not clutter your cartoon with unnecessary details or complicate your

drawing with artistic touches. These will distract from the impact of the cartoon.

Minimal is better.

• Preparing Cartoons for the School Paper

A school paper may have the good fortune of having a cartoonist who draws well and is well-informed and creative enough to crystallize an editorial idea. But we have students who, thought skilled at drawing, cannot conceptualize. Others are loaded with ideas but cannot draw.

If the class artist is not an editorialist, the school paper adviser may suggest ideas or

better still, discuss with editors the cartoons for a particular issue.

• Steps in Editorial Cartooning: Dr. Net Billones, one of country’s top

cartoonists, suggests the following steps:

1. List down the subjects to choose from.

2. Once the subject is chosen, ask, what is

the issue? What is the paper’s opinion about the issue? Example: Issue – press freedom Opinion: The government is

going back to the martial law days as far

as press freedom is concerned.

• 3. Decide the symbols to be used.

Ex. Government ------GMA Press Freedom—bird flying, typewriter,school

paper Repression -------chair, scissors, slingshot• 4. Draw the cartoon.