Interested in putting your excellent drawing skills to use
making wry visual commentaries on social life? Becoming a
satire cartoonist is not likely to make most people a
full-time living but it can be an important outlet for you
to express your concerns and raise issues of importance
using a medium you're familiar with and good at, whether
it's via a blog, a newspaper or magazine, or any other
publication you have access to. This article explains what
is involved in becoming a satire cartoonist, also known as a
"visual journalist",[1][2] editorial or political
cartoonist.
!! Steps !!
Understand satire. Satire is humor that relies on using irony,
exaggeration or ridicule to expose and criticize vices or ridiculous
actions either by an individual or by an institution of society or
society in general.[3] Not to be confused with sarcasm or spoofing,
satire is much more refined. It seeks to highlight or expose the
absurdity, inconsistency, or hypocrisy of behavior, attitudes,
beliefs, or practices of a person, government, corporation,
organization, etc. It's also humor that can get you into trouble,
and crafting it can be hard to create as you seek to balance the
irreverent with the political correctness or sensitivities
surrounding the context.[4]
* Satirists exist in all artistic fields, including novels, poems,
plays, sculpture, movies, etc., as well as cartooning. In contrast
to some of the other means for portraying satire, cartooning
proves to be an excellent and fast medium for conveying short,
witty messages that can be enjoyed by many people.
* Cartooning is a natural vehicle for satire. Even those cartoonists
who don't set out to deliberately focus on satire are frequently
relying on it as a form of humor.
* Dave Brown thinks that satirical cartooning is "a way of taking
back a little power from the bullies who run our lives. A
cartoonist is a lone assassin who keeps on firing away at them and
hopefully, if he manages to get enough direct hits, he might find
a little weak spot and help to bring them down".[5]
Combining well known elements using computer programs can be
effective Be a good cartoonist. The ability to draw well is clearly
a useful aspect of cartooning but a cartoonist has plenty of artistic
leeway because it's expected that you'll develop your own eclectic
style. Indeed, you may prefer to work with graphic art programs to
create your satirical imagery and commentary, allowing you to combine
many elements to create new images or recreate well known images in a
satirical mold. Some things to keep in mind about being a good
cartoonist over an average one include:
* What you're depicting must be obvious and clear to the viewer.
* Your style must be appealing to a viewer. Knowing how to draw
caricatures well can be very helpful – see How to caricature for
more tips.
* Understanding subtlety and nuance is essential in satirical
cartooning.
* Developing the ability to use both art and words well. Sarah
Gillespie from United Feature Syndicate explained that while the
skills of drawing well and writing funny are completely distinct,
they are vital for a good cartoonist and it's hard to find such a
combination.[6]
* Be aware that you're combining journalism and art as one. Even so,
it may feel that neither a journalist nor an artist will see you
as fully integrated into their world. This shouldn't deter you, as
visual commentary is an amazingly powerful way to engender public
understanding; Andre Pijet suggests that: "The satirical art is a
product of intelligence and interior intellectual poetic
sensibility, as [much as] any other form of artistic expression,
but enriched with a wit and spicy seasoning."[7]
Learn what other satire cartoonists have created. Gain inspiration
by looking through the work of existing and past satire cartoonists.
While the idea is to still to develop your own style and satirical
commentary, learning the approaches and humor styles of other
cartoonists will benefit your knowledge and understanding greatly,
enabling you to see tactics that you might not have considered
before.
* As well as looking at what works, also consider what cartoons were
most controversial or didn't work, and why. For example, cartoons
that depict religious figures have caused much controversy not
only in recent years but throughout the ages. Some reasons for why
cartoons don't work include poor context or lack of notoriety of
the subject matter. Seek to understand what makes effective
satirical cartooning, as well as knowing how far you're willing to
challenge or conform with public sentiment.
* Look at magazines, websites, and books that use satire regularly,
such as The Onion, Mad (magazine), National Lampoon, etc.[8] It
can also help to watch comedy TV shows for ideas.
* Look at other cultural depictions of satire over time. You'll
discover that tolerance of satire and the extent of satire waxes
and wanes over time, according to the culture and country in
question. It will also help you to better understand that some
cultures are more accepting of satire than others, although even
under oppression satirists will attempt to speak their mind.
Stay well informed about political and social events. Returning to
the reality that a satire cartoonist is a "visual journalist",
you'll need to be well informed about what's happening around you,
every day. Spend some time each day reading and watching the news or
relevant information streams, and forming your own opinions about
events and issues as they unfurl. You'll also need to learn how to
prioritize news stories so that you can run with the ones that seem
to be striking a chord with audiences and if you work for a paper,
it's likely that you'll also be discussing the news with the editor
to reach a decision on what to go with; this will mean that you
won't always be commentating on your pet topics, so be prepared to
be flexible, well-rounded, and open minded.
* Real life is often stranger than fiction; knowing current events
well can avoid your work being overtaken by the even weirder
reality![9]
Become known. Being known will increase your influence and the
chances of receiving further work in this field. The idea is to
expose your work to as many viewers as possible so that you start to
build a reputation. Some suggestions include:
* Creating your own publications and distribution, such as through a
blog or website (like Deviant Art).
* Do cartoons for local newsletters, local papers, and other local
publications that are always in need of content. Keep a copy of
every published cartoon for your portfolio.
* Entering in national and international festivals and competitions
that accept cartoons or graphic artwork. This is the way that
Andre Pijet gained increased recognition for his work,[10] and the
prize money can be handy to help your continued development. Look
for newspaper competitions too: Dave Brown got his first
cartooning job as a result of winning a competition run by The
Sunday Times.[11]
* Broadening your repertoire to include comedy writing and not just
cartooning, if you'd like to. This might increase your chances of
being "satirical" for a living.
Start blogging your cartoons Look for work but don't ditch the day
job. If you're aiming to become a satirical cartoonist for a career,
expect a hard path with many rejections, along with the possibility
that you may not ever manage this goal. There are few full-time
cartoonists working in what could be viewed as satirical or editorial
cartooning positions, and those who are in such jobs tend to keep the
position for a long period of time. As well as this fact, the
publication has to be one that reflects your ideologies, beliefs, and
views about society and its institutions. For example, Dave Brown
says he fits well with The Independent but would be an uncomfortable
and unlikely fit for The Telegraph.[12] However, don't let the lack
of positions dissuade you. Not only will a vacancy in such jobs come
up now and then (for which you should already have positioned
yourself well) but there are a lot of other possible outlets for your
talent:
* Apply to a newspaper for any cartooning or graphic design work.
Once you're in, you can start working your way up, and can
gradually develop your "satirical" style, persuading others to
give you a chance.
* Start a blog and regularly add your cartoons to it. Try to develop
a large following through the usual methods of advertising blogs
(for example, linking it to your Twitter and Facebook accounts,
doing guest posts, etc.)
* Freelance in as many publications as possible to build a
reputation and portfolio. It is highly likely that any potential
publisher will want to see a portfolio and a demonstrable timeline
of satirical cartoons representing recent news events, to get a
feel for your style, and the manner in which you translate
newsworthy items into satirical commentary.
Expect a rigorous selection process. If you do get noticed by a
publisher keen to take on your work, don't sit on your laurels. The
selection process is the hardest part of all this! Those making the
decision about your ability to take on a role as a regular satirical
cartoonist will be keen to find our what sort of a person you are.
To this end, they'll seek to get to know you better with the aim of
finding out if you can sustain providing the cartoons regularly over
a set period of time.[13] If you can already demonstrate this by way
of a regular blog, publication in a school or university paper,
etc., this will help you a lot.
* Satire works best when people expect it.[14] As such, you're best
off looking for work with publications, both print and online,
that normally carry satirical cartoon work. While a seriously
focused publication might occasionally publish an occasional
satirical cartoon, the occurrence is rare and won't provide a
steady stream of income or renown for you.
* Expect a lot of competition. There are thousands of comic and
cartoon submissions to newspapers, syndicates, and other
publishers in the area of comics daily.[15] Your ability needs to
stand out from the rest.
* Don't expect to be hired as a full-time employee. At the
beginning, you'll be on probation to see if your style works out
with readers. Even if your cartoons survive this test, it's likely
you'll be freelancing for most publications.
Caricatures are clearly exaggerated Know the rules concerning
defamation in your relevant jurisdiction. Although it might seem like
drudgery to have to be across the legal issues behind satirizing
situations and people, this aspect is vital to sidestepping potential
lawsuits or even criminal charges under hate speech or blasphemy
legislation (dependent on your jurisdiction). Defamation laws will
differ from country to country, but with the event of the internet,
some complainants might be willing to pursue matters across the
borders, so keep in mind the basics of defamation. At its most basic,
defamation laws seek to ensure that a person's reputation is not
lowered or harmed when broadcast to other people; defamation seeks to
balance free speech with an individual's right to enjoy a reputation
free from indefensible attack. The defenses are as important as the
ability of the offended party to take the action, as these may
protect you from being sued successfully. Satirical cartoons sit in a
bit of a gray area because the facts behind the cartoon may imply
defamatory intent.
* Focus on the intent principally. If your intent is good humor or a
joke and not derision or insult, then there is less likelihood of
it being defamatory. Dave Brown explains this as being about your
motive: _"[T]he difference [...] between caricature and insult
[...] is the motive. You don't draw Nicolas Sarkozy as short just
to laugh at the short man. It's to make a point about his
political or philosophical inadequacy. You're saying he's a man of
small stature not in inches, but in intellect. An insult is just
based on a person's physical look. In a cartoon, you make that
visual aspect a metaphor for what you think of them."_[16]
* Read up on the defamation laws in your country. Media help and
legal information sites for laypersons are good places to start,
such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation.[17]
Expect potential repercussions. Being a satirical cartoonist means
that you'll be pushing the boundaries a lot more often than
cartoonists preparing merely humorous cartoons. The areas of
politics and religion are especially touchy topics to satirize, as
are social institutions deeply routed in cultural and historic
practice.
* Take note of your country's latitude on social commentary. In a
democratic country, satirizing visible and powerful persons or
topics has a high level of acceptance. However, this cannot be
said for authoritarian or totalitarian societies, where criticism
of anyone in authority or government activities can bring terrible
repercussions.
* Select your subject with care. When satirizing individuals, more
care needs to be taken because it is easy to insult the person,
causing them to seek recourse. Be especially careful when
satirizing lesser known people; not only will it be much harder to
satirize them because only those local people familiar with the
person in question will get the message, but they're more likely
to be concerned about their individual reputation than a public
figure who is aware that their high profile role leaves them open
to "robust" commentary.
* Have a hide as thick as a rhino's. You will be criticized for
making fun of sacred cows. Be well-informed, ready to stand by
what you believe, and be able to take as good as you give!
* Sometimes being a satirical cartoonist is life-threatening. For
example, when the Danish publication Jyllands Posten printed
cartoons depicting a religious figurehead, death threats were
issued against the cartoonists and various acts of violence
followed.[18]
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* Be clever, not just funny, and definitely not obscene. Satire is
sharp-witted, informed, and intelligent humor. It's not about
ramming home the message or being lewd.
* Be culturally aware. The ability for humor to hit the spot can be
culturally determined; however, it's also up to you to reach your
own conclusions as to the validity or appropriateness of using
culture as a shield to defend the indefensible.
* In the United States, using a public person as a satire target
makes it much harder for them to sue for defamation. In the
instance of a public person, he or she will be left with suing for
reckless disregard for the truth and actual malice. All the same,
take care to make the exaggerated and farcical aspect absolutely
clear within the context, in order to reduce the chances of a
successful action being brought against you.
* Think about expanding your satirizing to writing and film. While
this won't necessarily be enough to fund a living, it will broaden
your expertise and get you noticed. As with most artistic dreams,
it pays to do something in the daytime for a regular income.
* It would be difficult to be a "neutral" satirical cartoonist. The
satirical source of your commentary stems from your political,
religious, cultural, social, and institutional beliefs and
background. Without injecting your own beliefs, the "oomph" in
your commentary would be flattened.
!! Warnings !!
* Some people take offense easily, especially those with absolutist
thinking. Such people are not your real critics. Your real critics
are those who appreciate satire and support its use but have
constructive feedback on how you might improve your delivery or
wit.
* There are many countries in the world where satirizing politics,
religion, cultural mores, and social issues is not only frowned
upon but can land you in prison. If you're going to be a satirical
cartoonist, a fairly important pre-condition is to be where it's
safe to satirize, or keep well under the radar.
* Being a satire cartoonists is like wearing your heart on your
sleeve; be prepared to defend your beliefs and opinions. And be
prepared for some friends to avoid you, or even downgrade your
friendship status! On the other hand, you'll also make new friends
who love your work.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Satirical publications and cartoons online or in print
* Your weapons - pen/ink/paint and paper
* Wit prompts (they're different for every person, find your own!)
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Draw a Cartoon Crocodile
* How to Draw a Cartoon Pirate
* How to Draw a Cartoon Monkey
* How to Draw a Cartoon Lion
* How to Reshape Your Photos With Cartoonist
!! Sources And Citations !!
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
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