Visual literacy
Analysing cartoons/comics
Things to look for when analysing a cartoon:
-
Artistic elements
Characters
Speech/sounds
Humour (duh)
Artistic/stylistic
elements
Look at:
-
-
-
What’s included in the
frame
Colour: The artist may have
used a specific colour to
add meaning to the cartoon
ANY TEXT OR CAPTIONS:
Captions are often very
important
Symbols: Is there anything
in the frame that
symbolises something?
size:
Size may be used to place
emphasis on something important
in the cartoon.
characters
stereotypes
Stereotype: a widely held, but
fixed and oversimplified image
or idea of a particular type of
person or thing
E.g.
- All blondes are dumb.
- All policemen love
doughnuts.
- All old people are grouchy.
Ask yourself: does the
character represent a
stereotype?
caricature
Caricature: a picture or
description of a person in
which certain features are
exaggerated for comic effect.
Often used to make a commentary
on people's characters. Used a
lot in political and historical
cartoons.
Facial expressions and body
language
Used to show how characters are
feeling...
Speech and sounds
Look for:
-
-
-
Figures of speech
(you should know
these!)
Onomatopoeia
Fonts (may tell you
something about how
the character is
feeling
Size and shape of
text bubbles
humour
Irony
Irony
Something happens or is said
that is the opposite of what is
expected.
sarcasm
Sarcasm: using irony to be
mocking or contemptuous.
satire
Satire: the use of humour to
expose and ridicule people’s
stupidity or vices,
particularly in social and
political commentaries.
puns
Pun: a joke based on the
different possible meanings of
a word, or using words which
sound alike but have different
meanings.
E.g.
- The butcher couldn’t reach
the meat on the top shelf.
The steaks were too high.
- Santa’s elves are nothing
more than subordinate
clauses.
allusion
Allusion: a subtle or indirect
reference to something, that
the writer assumes the audience
is familiar with.