A few weeks ago, I showed you how to construct a cartoon using a simple formula and some tropes. There’s an inherent risk, though, when relying too heavily on tropes and references—you begin to lose sight of why the reader is there in the first place.
The Secret Sauce
So, what is the goal of cartooning then? Many might assume it’s an arms race to be the wittiest or have the cleverest wordplay, but that in itself hardly creates a memorable cartoon. Readers aren’t just looking for a laugh, they’re looking to laugh at some aspect of themselves. What does this look like in practice? I’ll walk you through how I evaluate my own work.
Now, this is one I’m actually quite fond of; it’s a spin on a trope I hadn’t seen before, I like the wash and composition, but ultimately, what does this cartoon tell me about myself? Absolutely nothing.
At most, this is good for a smirk, and then the reader moves on. This is 99% of cartoons out there. Heck, this is most of what I draw and pitch! And that’s why I’m not surprised when it gets rejected. Good cartoons are clever; great cartoons articulate something about the human experience for the reader. Bob Mankoff puts it this way:
“Cartoons either make the strange familiar or the familiar strange.”
— Bob Mankoff, Very Semi-Serious.
This isn’t just theory either, I have rough data to back it up.
Here’s another example of a cartoon that I enjoy, but again says nothing about myself or the reader and that’s reflected in the metrics of how it does on social media.
Now, I’m not saying that social media is the end-all, be-all, but the “shared” metric is generally a good indicator of how people are responding to a cartoon. The metrics here, especially between likes and shares, seems to imply that there is little impetus to forward the cartoon to anyone else. No one feels that strongly about it one way or the other.
Conversely, a cartoon that resonates will show a higher ratio of shares to likes. I drew this cartoon about hotly-debated director, Wes Anderson (whom I love), a while back and was surprised by the response. Apparently, a lot of people share the same guilty appreciation of Anderson’s filmography.
And, one of my personal favorites: the fish profile picture guy. You either know one or are one.
The latter two aren’t exceedingly clever, they just speak to experiences and emotions we’ve all probably had at some point. Think of it as the moment you text a meme to your friend and say “this is you!” That’s the intangible X-factor we’re striving for—that moment of connection with the reader.
New Yorker cartoons have a knack for this type of incisive commentary which is part of why they’re so revered and hard to create. One such cartoon from Emily Flake comes to mind:
— Cartoon by Emily Flake, The New Yorker.
If you were to turn this into a caption-writing prompt, you could list out gripes you have, questions you’re afraid to ask, or insecurities you probably share with many others. Captions should feel like they’re plucked out of a conversation the reader could see themselves having. You can then go through your rolodex of cartoon tropes and apply them to your list until you hit upon something you like. This reader-centric approach to cartooning will undoubtedly get you closer to the “New Yorker” style than any trope can.
The Social (Distancing) Network
My first piece for McSweeney’s Internet Tendency was published this week! I hereby reserve the right to claim Jesse Eisenberg as a colleague.
It was my privilege to illustrate this piece written by frequent collaborator, Evan Allgood. You can tell a lot about a person by how and if they’re wearing a mask. As social distancing restrictions are eased across the country, it’s important to understand who you’re dealing with.
Click through to find out what kind of mask-wearer you are:
Pocket Change
If you’re outraged by the murder of George Floyd, there’s more we can do. Here are a few resources to start:
Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
Thread of bail funds across the country LA: gofundme.com/f/peoples-city… Philly: phillybailfund.org Chicago: chicagobond.org Minneapolis: minnesotafreedomfund.org/donate Atlanta: actionnetwork.org/fundraising/su… New York: libertyfund.nyc Columbus: