Unit 3: Cartoons

Cartoons, a form of art widely accepted throughout the world, were not always portrayed as the humorous characters that we grew to know throughout our childhood. The word cartoon is actually derived from the Italian word cartone, which means paper. Cartoons were originally used as preparatory steps done on paper for greater projects. Over the centuries, cartoons have evolved and include a wide range of mediums including film, comic strips, and book illustrations. They are even used as a form of communication for an intended viewer. For example, cartoons such as Dora the Explorer and Caillou are targeted towards younger children and are used to reinforce good behavior and the learning of information. Cartoons such as The Boondocks and Family Guy are targeted towards the teen and young adult population as a form of entertainment. There are even political cartoons that are used to deliver a political or social message. Despite the message a cartoon is attempting to deliver, they all share a common theme and that is the exaggeration and distortion of natural features to satirize a social matter. This is called caricature. The idea of cartoons has progressed and expanded greatly throughout former years. The fact that they started out as minor sketches used as planning tools and now are used as communication art forms for different demographics is extremely wonderful and neat.