Cartoon 4.0 : Social Reflections in the Digital Age
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CARTOON 4.0 : SOCIAL REFLECTIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE Alongkrot Tantherdthit1 Patama Satawedin2 Abstract Cartoons have played important roles to make people entertained and easy to digest. Self-reflection and self-representation of cartoonists also show a sense of art. Especially editorial political cartoons have become more popular nowadays. Cartoons, written by Chai Ratchawat in Thairath newspaper and published online between 1 June and 31 August 2017, were analysed. There were 92 comic strips in total. During these three months, it was revealed that 92 comic strips were discovered. It failed into political news most. It was followed by social news and other types of news. There were four dimensions seen through the angle of Chai Ratchawat including (1) changes in media consumption, (2) behaviour change, (3) a greater extent of opinion expression, (4) the emergence of aging society, (5) social inequality, (6) suspicion about justice in Thailand, and (7) indiscipline. This study recommends creating communication campaigns to encourage and discourage such behavior and making the government and mass media rethink their roles and responsibilities. Keywords: cartoon, social reflection, digital age, editorial political cartoon Introduction and Literature Review From time to time, undoubtedly, cartoons have played important roles to make people entertained and easy to digest. Likewise, self-reflection and self-representation of cartoonists show a sense of art (Cartoon-discovery, 2014). A cartoon is rooted from charta or cartone. Its original meaning is a large piece of paper. There are many scholars and professionals defining cartoons from a simple way to a complicated one. More obviously, based upon presentation, (Kanjana kaewthep, 2004) categorized cartoons into seven types. 1 Graduate Student, School of Communication Arts, Bangkok University, Bangkok, Thailand 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Public Relations, School of Communication Arts, Bangkok University, Bangkok, Thailand 261 INCBAA 2018 ● Khon Kaen, THAILAND (1) Political cartoon or editorial cartoon is described as a cartoon representing a writer’s opinion towards a daily political issue or involving an editor’s editorial. An audience effect is mainly a focal. (2) Comic strip and panels is defined as a new character is daily constructed by a cartoonist. (3) Gag cartoon is depicted as a funny and entertaining cartoon and written in a single frame, with or without a description. (4) Comic, serial cartoon is understood as a long-story cartoon published in a magazine and newspaper or gathered as a pocket book. (5) Illustrated cartoon is used to give further explanation to verbal texts, for example, advertising cartoon and educational cartoon (6) Animated cartoon is explained as a motion cartoon comprising of a variety of comic strips and recorded on films. (7) Critical cartoon is to satire those who involve political issues. Since the 16th century, a political satire has becoming to be recognised. The first political editorial cartoonist is James Gillray (1757 - 1815). This British cartoonist’s masterpieces are to satire the British royal family on extravangance, high-society persons’ virtues and ethics, and the government. While suffering from a war, as a result, people can escape from stress and boredom. The first politically-satired printed platform is CARIVARI, a French magazine. PUNCH, a weekly British magazine, is the the second one. In Thailand, political editorial comics have been launched in the reigns of King Rama III and Rama IV. Even not being real cartoons, Kruainkong, an artist, have started painting virtual and entertaining pictures on a wall. In 1987, while the King Rama V had first visited Europe, there was someone drawing his royal duties’ pictures and these were published on magazines, newspapers, leaflets, postcards, book covers, and so forth. Once he was acknowledged, he asked to send these pictures to Thailand. In 125 BC, entertaining comics were designed in a handcrafted wood and published in the Samranwittaya book and The Rise of the Sun letter. A year later, i.e. 126 BC, an international cartoonist drawed comic strips to satire foreigners who were living in Thailand and published his works in Siam Observer. In the reign of King Rama VI, he translated cartoon (in English) to Pap Lor (satired cartoons) in Thai. Since then, there was a widespread of political editorial cartoons. The King Rama VI himself was fond of drawing comic strips and he showed his talent about his staff’s cheating, fraud, and corruption on Dusit Samai, Dusit Samit, and Dusit Sakkhee newspapers. The first political editorial cartoonist, in Thailand, was Pleng Tripin. 262 INCBAA 2018 ● Khon Kaen, THAILAND Because of the World War II and paper limitation, cartoons were not as popular as previous in the reign of King Rama VII. The rebirth of cartoons occurred after the political revolutation in 1932. The freedom of expression through cartoons were given until they were controlled by People’s Council. Although Prayoon Janyawong or Suk Lek (Little Happiness) received a reward on his masterpiece ‘The Last Nuclear Test’ and the Ramon Magsaysay’s award in Phillippines, after the World War II, he was not given the grant to draw political editorial cartoons. Until his death, he, then, moved to draw comic strips in a so- called Kabuankarn Kae Jon (Poverty Problem Solving Team) in Thairath newspaper. The golden era of political editorial cartoons happened after 14 October 1973. With regard to an increase in newspapers, there were the emergence of many popular political editorial cartoonists including Somchai Katanyatanon (or his pen name Chai Ratchawat), a cartoonist of Pooyaima and Tungmahmern (Ma Sheriff and Mahmern Field), Thairath newspaper, Chuchart Munginkul (or his pen name Mun), a cartoonist of Matichon newspaper, Aroon Watcharasawad, a cartoonist of Matichon and The Nation newspapers, Sukda Eiaw (or his pen name Sia), a cartoonist of Thairath newspaper, Bancha Kamin, Manager newspaper, and Surapon Pittayasakul (or his pen name Pol), a cartoonist of Khaosod newspaper. It is not similar to the past, because of technological advance, windows of freedom of expression are nowadays lifted up for political editorial cartoonists (Ramkhamhaeng University Library, 2006). Somehow, the roles of cartoons in reflecting social and political issues in society and in creating happiness still remain. Through political editorial cartoons, currently, public opinions are heard and positioned and these can enlighten new bills and laws (Sriwattanasarn. 2012). These, furthermore, play an important role of being a public sphere and help reflect truth in society, for example, technological advance leading to uplift social equality, government control on mass media, and the like (Ngamlei, 2016) Therefore, the researchers were interested in studying what type of news cartoons were reflected on an online newspaper and how cartoons mirrored society as a whole. Chai Ratchawat’s cartoons were investigated for this study. Research objective The purposes of this research are to examine (1) Type of News that used on Cartoons (2) Study how Cartoon News have shown the Social Reflections in the Digital Age. Methodology 263 INCBAA 2018 ● Khon Kaen, THAILAND Cartoons, written by Chai Ratchawat in Thairath newspaper and published online between 1 June and 31 August 2017, were coded and analyzed. There were 92 comic strips in total. Please be noted that, according to Thairath.co.th website, the new types could be categorised into: royal family news, political news, sports news, entertainment news, lifestyle news, economic news, international news, and social news. Based upon these categories, the cartoons’ content was scrutinised. Findings During these three months, 92 comic strips were discovered. It failed into political news most (i.e., 50 comic strips, 19 ones in June 2017, 16 ones in July 2017, and 15 ones in August 2017). It was followed by social news (i.e., 31 comic strips, 9 ones in June 2017, 14 ones in July 2017, and 8 ones in August 2017) and other types of news (i.e., 11 comic strips, 2 ones in June 2017, 1 one in July 2017, and 8 ones in August 2017). These studied comic strips projected digital society in seven dimensions including (1) changes in media consumption,(2) behaviour change,(3) a greater extent of opinion expression,(4) the emergence of aging society,(5) social inequality, (6) suspicion about justice in Thailand, and (7) indiscipline. A greater detail was explained as follows. Changes in media consumption Consumers nowadays preferred to consume information via online media to newspapers or magazines. Outstanding examples presented that consumers were nowadays exposed to information via online and mobile platforms rather than reading newspapers. The examples of the comic strips reflecting changes in media consumption were shown below: Figure 1. Date: 2 June 2017, by S. Katanyatanon, 2017, Thairath Online, Retrieved form https://www.thairath. co.th/cartoon/6/115/2. 264 INCBAA 2018 ● Khon Kaen, THAILAND Figure 2. Date: 5 June 2017, by S. Katanyatanon, 2017, Thairath Online, Retrieved form https://www.thairath. co.th/cartoon/6/115/5. Instead of tuning to broadcasting and printed platforms, from these two comic strips, information was sought from computers and mobile phones that were well-accepted not only in Thailand, but also around the globe. Behaviour change As mobile phones were economic and not too expensive and of high quality as well as made consumers more convenient, they nowadays loved taking photos and sharing their information and photos. Selfies were a catchword. This manner could be articulated in two ways, i.e. consumer per se and marketers. On the one hand, these were the reasons hidden behind selfies craziness among consumers. That was to say, people would like 1) to keep a memory of happiness, 2) to record a moment of joy, 3) to remind what clothes and hair style made them good looking, 4) to record a moment of friendship, 5) to show off what kind of food they were eating, 6) to stamp who were their favorite stars, 7) to show their participation in memorable circumstances, and 8) to strengthen their self-confidence (10 reasons why people like selfies, 2014).