Importance of Cartoons

Cartoons is a form of expression. Cartoon conveys a lot of information in very few words. Cartoons add special value to newspapers. That is why, despite advances in photography and animation technologies, cartoons still command their own place in newspapers. It is a visual medium that engages the audience, helps them understand and interpret the political, social Cartoons that can help them understand the mood of the country benefit people. Political cartooning is inspired by the situations around the cartoonist, what he sees and believes are portrayed through the sketch he creates.

 Apart from a great sense of humour, a cartoonist is required to understand the political scene and make a commentary on the situation, but to refrain from making it of bad taste.  source 

“Cartoons have ever-lasting impact on the minds of readers. They are such effective communicators that in a few lines, they describe the most important event of the day. 

 S.V. Padmanabha, senior news cartoonist and president of Karnataka Cartoonists Association, says that   “`For me, cartoon is poetry in lines. It packs great meaning in a few lines,” An ideal cartoon should conceal more than it reveals and it should give new meanings every time someone looks at it

Cartoonists 

Cartoonists were creative people with exceptional courage. They comment on politics, corruption and other sensitive issues and twist it to give it a witty look. That calls for integrity and bravery

What is a Political cartoon? 

 Since the 18th century, political cartoons have offered a highly useful window into the past.  He says cartoons in short, are visual strategies to make a point in small spaces. Cartoons are a reflection of society and provide for a point of view to the people reading it. Cartoons are considered as harmless, while in reality they can unleash a revolution, be it from a positive perspective like in the case of R.K.Laxman‘s Common man or in a very negative way in case of the Jyllands Posten cartoon of Prophet Muhammed.

The history of political cartoon‘s is older than the history of newspapers themselves.
 Political cartoons are for the most part composed of two elements: caricature, which parodies the individual, and allusion, which creates the situation or context into which the individual is placed. 

Famous caricatures 

Most famous caricatures around the world have been of politicians. Others may also be featured in the section but these celebrities are quoted with a political context. Few of the more famous political caricatures are of 

Mrs Indira Gandhi,
 PM Man Mohan Singh 
 Sonia Gandhi 
 AB Vajpayee 

 The most famous of them all, the common man by RKLaxman To quote a few, George Bush and Barrack Obama cartoons are also popular. The popularity of a caricature depends upon the news.

Editorials Versus Cartoons 
It is a popular belief that editorials are inherently biased and take on a perspective of the management of a newspaper organisation, while a cartoon is unbiased. Editorial are considered as an opinion of the intellectuals and elite. It is rarely said so about cartoons.