Read any good textbooks lately? My guess is they’re probably not crowding your nightstand. Even a good textbook is not what I’d call a real page-turner. And yet, it might surprise you to know that many textbooks sort of double as cartoon anthologies, using cartoons to provide comic relief naturally while reinforcing and making memorable…
Continue Reading…
Recent Posts
Anatomy of a Cartoon: Outside the Box
Cartoon critics Phil Witte and Rex Hesner look behind the gags to debate what makes a cartoon tick. This week our intrepid critics take a look at unusual toons. Many cartoonists rely on cliches, that is, setups that can be relied upon because they are familiar yet durable enough to vary in almost infinite ways….
Continue Reading…
“Curious Dog” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
In Kaamran Hafeez’s cartoon, a dog is on his hind legs and resting his front paws on a counter under a sign that reads “Information.” Behind the counter is a woman. The dog is saying something to her. Since he’s at an information booth, I assume he’s asking a question. Dogs are incredibly affectionate and…
Continue Reading…
“Wedding Crasher” Caption Contest Commentary with Lawrence Wood
In Brooke Borgeois’ cartoon, a Godzilla-like monster has interrupted a wedding ceremony by tearing off the roof of the church. He’s glaring down at the bride and groom and minister. The bride, who looks more disappointed or apologetic than shocked, is speaking. In Othello, jealousy is personified as “the green-eyed monster,” so I thought this monster…
Continue Reading…
Courting Laughter
We are a nation of laws… Which would be fine except for the lawyers, judges, and juries who screw it up. Anyway, that’s the view of cartoonists who are not in the business of praising institutions but are in the business of showing how the humans who comprise them are all too human, all too…
Continue Reading…