Recenty, I had the pleasure of
addressing the students of Valeo
Acadamy about the wonderful world
of cartooning. The discussion was
met with such enthusiasm that I
thought I'd share my research with
everyone.
Cartoon (from the Italian "cartone
and Dutch word "karton"), meaning
strong, heavy paper or pasteboard)
is a full-size drawing made on sturdy
paper as a study or modello for a
painting, stained glass, or tapestry.
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THE HISTORY OF CARTOONING...
Editorial Cartoons
What may be seen as possibly the earliest political cartoon is an anonymous woodcut entitled Le Revers du Jeu des Suysses (The Other Side of the Swiss Game), produced in 1499. The London-based printer and publisher Arthur Pond produced a collection of European caricatures (including many by Ghezzi) in 1744. In the United States as well there were now important artists and magazines. The forerunner of them all, and perhaps the first truly American political cartoon, was “Join or Die” (Pennsylvania Gazette, 1754. However, he is probably best known for his creation of what is perhaps the first cartoon character, Dr Syntax, in The Three Tours of Dr Syntax (1809, 1820, and 1821). The second half of the 19th century saw a flowering of first-class talent in cartoons and caricatures. In France—appearing in Le Rire (1894). Frenchman Charles Léandre, in the newly formed L’Assiette au Beurre (1902) in 1902 Clifford Berryman, commenting on a bear hunt by President Theodore Roosevelt, had created the “Teddy Bear” in the Washington Post. With the launch of the New Yorker in 1925. July 15th, 1843, when it was published in Punch magazine with the caption: ‘Cartoon No.1: Substance and Shadow’. John Leech was also the first artist to be called a ‘cartoonist’. Punch, or The London Charivari had been launched on Saturday July 17th, 1841, in imitation of Charles Philipon’s famous satirical Parisian journal, Le Charivari, founded in 1832.
Cartoons, cartoon strips and comics play an important role in the artistic 'heritage' of the world we live in today and cartoonists have become acknowledged artists who both entertain and inform us through their brilliant work. The following list exemplifies the popularity of cartoons, cartoon strips and comics.
Early TV cartoon:
Many consider Jay Ward's Crusader Rabbit to be the first cartoon produced for television. Ward's studio created 195 black and white Crusader Rabbit shorts from 1948 to 1951. A half hour show represents appox 30000 drawings
Early cartoon film:
The first animated cartoon (in the traditional sense, i.e. on film) was "Fantasmagorie" by the French director Émile Cohl. Released in 1908.
Gertie the Dinosaur is a 1914 short animated film by Winsor McCay.
Felix the Cat 1928 Australian cartoonist/film entrepreneur Pat Sullivan
The first cartoon sound film:
Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse : Steamboat Willie (1928)
The first cartoon feature film:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first animated feature film. It was released by Disney in 1937.
Longest-running cartoon series - 'Popeye'
First aired on television in 1956. Between 1933 and 1957, 'Popeye the Sailor Man' was made as
233 one-reelers and a single two-reeler. Between 1960 and 1962 there followed
a further 220 'Popeye' cartoons (for television) and then 192 cartoons 'All New Popeye' between 1978 and 1983.
Longest-running comic strip still syndicated - 'The Katzenjammer Kids'
Created by Rudolph Dirks (USA), first published 1897 and still in syndication (to 50 newspapers). Now drawn by cartoonist Hy Eisman (USA).
Most Comic Readers - Japan
In Japan manga means comic - manga sales in the 1990's averaged 600 billion Yen per year
(approx. £GBP 3.83 billion, USD 5.5 billion). Initially written for children (one example with worldwide success is Pokémon), about half of all manga material is now aimed at adults. Manga culture is very important in today's Japanese society.
Longest cartoon strip - Spain
Measuring: 53.5m x 1.5m (175ft 6in x 4ft 11in), drawn by 26
cartoonists in 1999 during a cartoon festival held by the University of Alcala, Spain.
Cartoon fan mail
In 1933 Mickey Mouse is believed to have received 800,000 fan letters.
Most valuable colour animation cell
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A single colour animation cell from the 1937 Walt Disney classic, sold in 1991 for £GBP 115,000 (approx USD 222,525).
Largest cartoon museum - Florida, USA
The International Museum of Cartoon Art in Boca Raton, Florida - over 160,000 original, animated drawings from 50 countries including books, cartoons, interviews and documentaries.
Cartoons were typically used in the production of
frescoes, to a link the component parts of the composition
when painted on damp plaster over a series of days (giornate).Such cartoons often have pinpricks along the outlines of the design; a bag of soot was then patted or "pounced" over the cartoon, held against the wall to leave black dots on the plaster ("pouncing"). Cartoons by painters, such as the Raphael. Cartoons in London and examples by Leonardo da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519), are highly prized in their own right. Tapestry cartoons, usually coloured, were followed by eye by the weavers on the loom.
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