Political Cartoons Also known as editorial cartoons!

Political cartoons

We need to look at what political cartoons are.

We need to learn how to “read” them.

Knowing what to look for in a political cartoon can help you understand the meaning!

Political Cartoons have been with us for a long time.

They were one of the earliest ways of swaying public opinion.

There are several things to look for in a cartoon:

Symbols: pictures that represent words.

Actual words: these point out things the artist may think you might not be able to interpret.

Assumptions: the artist make expect you to already know.

What symbols do you recognize in this cartoon?

What parts of the cartoon did the artist feel he needed to tell the reader?

What is your overall interpretation of the cartoon? (its meaning)

This political cartoon was originally drawn by Benjamin Franklin when tensions were rising between the French and British.

They were feuding over who controlled which colonies in North America.

Franklin believed that the colonies needed to join together in order to better defend themselves.

This cartoon was later used to encourage the colonies to join together in the fight against England…

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION!

Political cartoons aren’t just in the past either.

There are many written about the present also.

Political cartoons aren’t just limited to the United States either… they sway public opinion around the world.

Who is the person in the military uniform?

What or who does the figure on the ground represent?

What clues give you that answer?

According to the cartoonist, what has this person done? Why?

What do you interpret from this cartoon?

How about this one?

Some can be very funny…

Others can be sad, scary, and worrisome…

Where does this cartoon take place? What is the pile made of? Who does the man in the suit represent? What interpretations do you make about what has happened here? What has the man in the suit done about what has happened here? How do you know that? When will the man be concerned with the pile?

Even everyday comic strips can be politically motivated…

The Boondocks by Aaron McGruder

The ones that you will see in your text will be the “editorial” style.

The following are more examples…

Henry Payne

Jerry Holbert

Ed Stein

Here are some more…