Significance of this form of illustration. Very little or no distinction is made between the two words, caricature and cartoon, as we use them at the present day. Yet the word caricature instantly suggests something made ridiculous or absurd in a spirit of attack or burlesque, while a cartoon may be merely a suggestive representation of any person or idea of present interest. A caricature always makes ridiculous, but a cartoon may either ridicule or praise, and although usually humorous, it is more serious in its aims and subjects.

To cartoon a public man once meant to insult him. If by any chance he had some prominent physical defect it was hailed with delight, and made the butt of the cartoonists’ characterizations. Now our best cartoonists would not stoop to secure recognition by such means; they are more considerate, and we are allowed to appreciate their clever representations without feeling the sting of resentment, even though our sympathies are on the other side. But our cartoonists of to-day do not spend all their time representing the political issues; they also deal with the affairs of everyday life.

We are told that the word cartoon originally meant a design or model for a large picture in fresco, oil, tapestry, statuary, glass, or mosaic. The most famous of these are the cartoons of Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. But in 1843 a great exhibit of cartoons was held at Westminster Hall, London, from which the fresco decorations for the new houses of Parliament were to be chosen. At that time Punch declared itself a competitor, and presented its claims in its most humorous manner. The most absurd caricatures were dignified by the name cartoon, and the reasons why they should be accepted were set forth in a most laughable manner. For some time after this Punch continued to use the name cartoon for its representations, and when it would have gone back to the term caricature the public would not permit it. Perhaps the fact that the word cartoon is so much easier to pronounce had something to do with it.

To the Teacher: Pupils should be encouraged to bring good cartoons to school. These may be collected, and the best put up where all can see and be ready to discuss as to size, composition, variety, number, and color of lines used in expressing the idea.

History of caricature and cartoon. It is hard for us to realize that caricature is as old as man’s ability to express himself with chisel, pen, or ink. Away back in the time of the Assyrians and Egyptians we find certain caricatures representing grotesque figures drawn on papyrus. The Greeks caricatured their gods and heroes, although their sense of the beautiful made it impossible for them to distort the human figure. In Rome they were not so particular, and one caricature representing a dwarf philosopher preaching to a fox has been handed down to us in many different forms. During the Middle Ages caricatures were made of such unpopular ideas and experiences as Satan, death, pride, hatred, and so forth.

The invention of the printing press greatly increased the power and influence of the caricature, in spite of the many regulations and hindrances that had to be complied with. During the Revolution, Napoleon I tried to repress caricature in France, and on this account the English made him a special victim of their ridicule. The kings and aristocracy that held sway after the Restoration next became the subject of satire. Then in 1830 came the invention of lithography and, with the increasing freedom of the press, caricature, of course, reached its height. Poor Louis Philippe, of France, was the most caricatured of all the kings, because of his pear-shaped head, which was so easy to draw. In London, caricature became more and more popular with the founding of Punch in 1841. The best-known contributor to Punch was Du Maurier, whose burlesques of aristocratic society in England were taken in good part. In Germany, Wilhelm Scholz’s caricatures of Bismarck are famous. And so on through all the countries, we find traces of the art of caricature.

In America we find Benjamin Franklin first on the list. We are told that the talent came naturally to him, as his grandfather and father before him had shown considerable ingenuity in that direction but had not ventured to express it except in the signs and printed handbills advertising their trade. It was the custom at that time to advertise by means of pictures or representations—a gilt Bible in front of a store meant a book store; an anchor, naval supplies; the figure of a mermaid, an ale house; a gilt sheaf, a paper store, and so on. The figure of an East Indian queen gayly dressed in a many-colored gown advertised the store belonging to Franklin’s grandfather, where he offered “to dye into colors” all cloth, silk, and calico. The handbills which he sent out were more elaborate, representing the same queen but with two servants, one holding up her train, the other holding a parasol over her. All public buildings were easily recognized by the carved royal lion and unicorn.

Benjamin’s brother James started the first sensational newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1721. This paper was called the Courant, and to it Benjamin Franklin first contributed his articles and caricatures. Their wit was not appreciated by the sober people of Boston, and it was not long before the brother was put in prison on account of his editorials. Benjamin continued the paper, fearlessly ridiculing in writing and pictures not only Harvard College but the ministers and well-known church members. The people were now thoroughly aroused, and soon both brothers were forbidden to print their paper.

So far, however, work in caricature had been crude and was to be completely overshadowed by the brilliant Thomas Nast, the great political cartoonist. Mr. William M. Tweed was the first political “boss,” and the subject of Mr. Nast’s cartoons. He represented that leader’s face as a money bag with dollar signs as features, and in this strange way he somehow managed to secure a very good likeness of the man. It is even said that when at last Tweed was forced to run away to escape imprisonment, he was recognized and caught through the familiarity of all with his cartooned face. Mr. Nast’s cartoons were published in Harper’s Weekly, and became so popular that they opened a way for the publication of a new humorous magazine, Puck. Then came Judge and Life. These three are devoted mainly to cartoons.

Now many weekly journals, as Harper’s, Leslie’s, and a monthly magazine called Cartoons, make this a special feature. Nearly every newspaper in the country contains at least one cartoon in each issue, and many have their own cartoonists, whose time is busily occupied preparing drawings for the daily issues.

Then, too, the Sunday supplements are full of them, and we have become well acquainted with Frederick Burr Opper, creator of “Happy Hooligan,” “The Folks in Funnyville,” “Alphonse and Gaston,” “Maud, the Matchless,” “John Bull,” and others; Richard Felton Outcault, creator of “Hogan’s Alley,” “Yellow Kid,” “Buster Brown,” “Buster, Mary Jane, and Tige”; A. B. Frost, creator of “Tragedy of the Kind Hearted Man and the Ungrateful Bull Calf” and “The Spinster’s Cat That Ate Rat Poison,”; Carl Emil Schultze, known as “Bunny,” creator of “Foxy Grandpa” and “Bunny’s Blue Book,” and many others.

Requirements. A good cartoon must show the real characteristics of the original, exaggerated, yet easy to recognize. A picture that will tell its story at a glance can be understood by all, and will be remembered long after paragraphs are forgotten. So it is readily seen what a power for good may be found in the daily cartoon.

It is necessary that a good cartoonist have a clear sense of form, although great freedom is allowed in his drawing and no attempt is made for a studied or accurate representation. He should be a keen observer and well informed, especially on all topics of daily interest, and possessed of much originality and a ready pencil.

Process of making a cartoon. A general idea may be given of how a cartoon is made. First, the cartoonist must have a subject or an idea to be represented. This is sometimes suggested by the city editor, by members of the staff, or more often left entirely to the judgment of the artist. Then the idea is usually sketched in with pencil on a piece of medium weight cardboard, corrected, and then finished in pen and ink. Black ink is used with pens of various sizes depending upon the width of line desired. The best cartoonists use lines of different widths. Often we find a strong bold line for the foreground, a medium line for the middle distance, and a thin line for extreme distance. The drawing is usually made twice the size it is to appear in the paper. When sent to the printer a photograph is made of the drawing of the size required. The film is then stripped off the plate and put on a heavier, thicker plate and printed through on a piece of zinc, covered with some substance which is not affected by acid. The zinc is then placed in an acid bath which eats away the parts exposed to light in the printing, leaving the lines of the drawing untouched.

JOHN T. McCUTCHEON

One of the best-known of our cartoonists is Mr. John Tinney McCutcheon, of the Chicago Tribune. He is one of a comparatively small number of cartoonists who have studied art and understand the principles governing it. Many have not had this special training, and must rely entirely upon the clever idea represented and the natural skill which they possess. Besides this preparation Mr. McCutcheon is a graduate of Purdue University, Purdue, Indiana. He has traveled around the world, and seems to have qualified himself for his work in an ideal way. An eyewitness of the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish War, he sent a detailed account to the Chicago Record which was one of the “most notable events of journalism in connection with the war.” He also visited many places in the Orient, in the Philippines, and was with the Boer Army in Africa as correspondent for the Record. In 1900 he returned to Chicago as political cartoonist for this paper, but later accepted a position with the Chicago Tribune.

Mr. McCutcheon is also an author, having published Stories of Filipino Warfare, and several series of cartoons in book form, as Boy in Springtime Series, and others. As a lecturer he has proved very popular in Lyceum and Chautauqua courses.

It is interesting to know that the dog appearing so often in his earlier cartoons was first introduced merely because there was a space in his picture that needed filling. The same thing happened several times, and when later he made a cartoon without the dog, people wrote and asked him what had become of it.

George Ade, in his introduction to the Boy in Springtime Series, has summed up Mr. McCutcheon’s qualities as a cartoonist in this way: “Clever execution, gentle humor, considerate treatment of public men, and wisdom in getting away from political subjects and giving us a few pictures of everyday life, which is our real interest.”

Questions about the art. What is the difference between a cartoon and a caricature? How did the word cartoon come to have its present meaning? What kind of a magazine is Punch? Tell something of the early history of caricatures and cartoons. What effect did the invention of the printing press have upon them? Who was the first American caricaturist? Tell about Benjamin Franklin and his newspaper. What magazines publish cartoons now? What is your idea of a good cartoon? What subjects are usually chosen in newspaper cartoons? What good can they do in the world? what harm? What preparation is it necessary for a cartoonist to have? What preparation has Mr. J. T. McCutcheon made for his work? Tell something of his life and his cartoons.

To the Teacher: The lesson may be prepared by assigning subjects to various pupils as follows: