Phil Witte and Rex Hesner

Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick.

Anatomy of a Cartoon: Superheroes

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Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics take a look at superheroes. What is it about superheroes that make them such fun cartoon characters? They’re faster than a speeding bullet, can leap tall buildings in a single bound, etc., but…
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Anatomy of a Cartoon: Canine Companions

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Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics take a look at man’s best friend. Consider the dog—loyal, obedient, trusting—how different from the typical human! Perhaps that’s why dogs make such excellent companions. It’s that extraordinarily close relationship many of us…
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Anatomy of a Cartoon: The Eccentric Cartoonists

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Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics take a look at the more eccentric among us. Single-panel cartoons are executed in an astonishing range of styles; however, most share artistic conventions—such as perspective—that render the image intelligible to the reader….
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Anatomy of a Cartoon: From Staid to Steed

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Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics take a look at how cartoons (and comedy) have changed. The generational upheaval in the late 1960s affected more than morals and politics. Stand-up comedy metamorphosed from snappy one-liners to the observational humor…
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