A Personal Relationship to the Development of Drawing Into the Cartoon Form V
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Eastern Illinois University The Keep Masters Theses Student Theses & Publications 1972 A Personal Relationship to the Development of Drawing into the Cartoon Form V. Gene Myers Eastern Illinois University This research is a product of the graduate program in Art at Eastern Illinois University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Myers, V. Gene, "A Personal Relationship to the Development of Drawing into the Cartoon Form" (1972). Masters Theses. 3847. https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/3847 This is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Theses & Publications at The Keep. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of The Keep. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PAPER CERTIFICATE #2 TO: Graduate Degree Candidates who have written formal theses. SUBJECT: Permission to reproduce theses. The University Library is receiving a number of requests from other institutions asking permission to reproduce dissertations for inclusion in their library holdings. Although no copyright laws are involved, we feel that professional courtesy demands that permission be obtained from the author before we allow theses to be copied. Please sign one of the following statements. Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University has my permission to lend my thesis to a reputable college or university for the purpose of copying it for inclusion in that institution's library or research holdings. I respectfully request Booth Library of Eastern Illinois University not allow my thesis be reproduced because ��-� Date Author A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DRAWING INTO THE CARTOON FORM (TITLE) BY V. Gene Myers THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN ART IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL, EASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY. CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS I HEREBY RECOMMEND THIS THESIS BE ACCEPTED AS FULFILLING THIS PART OF THE GRADUATE DEGREE CITED ABOVE �!.lq f9'.l)- oATE I DATE <;.!we- 101. TABL£ OF CONT�NTS Frontispiece ••print from line etched zinc plate... • • i by V.G.Myers • • • •• • • • • • • • • • List of Illustrations • _ • ii Acknowledge:nents_ • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • iii Introduction • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • iv Chapter I • Historical Notes on the Art of Cartooning • 1 •• • • • • • • . • • Chapter II The Cartoon and Art • 24 Chapter III T�e Diversification of the Comic Strip • • 27 Chapter IV • The Author 's Interest in Cartoons • • • • 30 Chapter V • A Personal StatP.ment on Cartooning • • • • 35 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Conc lusion • 59 Bibliography • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 60 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Fig . 1 • • • • • • • Cave Drawing • • • • • 2 Fig . 2 • • • • • Egyptian Tomb Drawing • • • • 4 Fig . 3 • • • • "Easy Victory" Goy�. • • • • • • 6 Fig . 4 • • ."Don Quixote and Sancho Panzo" Daumier • 8 Fig . 5 • • • • • • • "A Clown" Daumier • • • • • • • • 9 Fig . 6 • • • • • "Join or Die" B.Franklin • • • • • • 10 • • • • • • • • Fig . 7 ."Gerrymander" E. Tisdale • 11 Fig. 8 • • • • • ."Tweed 's Ring" T. Nast • • • • • • 14 Fig . 9 • • • • • ."Tammany Tiger" T. Nast • • • • • 15 Fig . 10 & 11 ••"Ye llow Kid" Outcault • • • • • • • 18 Fig.12,13, 14,15,16 • • • ."Author 's early Cartoons" • .36-40 Fig. 17 ••••••• "Hippies" Myers • • • • • • • • 43 • • • • • • • • Fig . 18 . "Sight Gag Pinch" Myers 44 Fig . 19 • • • • ••"S ummer School" Myers • • • • • 45 Fig . 20 • • • • ."Have a Nice Day" Myers • • • • • • 53 Fig. 21 • • • • ."Kluge and Fite" .i-iyers • • • • • • 54 • • • • • • • • • • Fig. 22 ."Welcome Home" Myers • 54 Fig . 23 • • • • • • ."4U! of July" Myers ...• • • 55 Fig . 24 • • • • • • • "Editorial Mauldin" • • • • • 56 Fig. 25 • • • • • • ."Editorial Oliphant" • • • • • 57 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the three people on my committee for their greatly needed assistance in writing this paper , Dr . Lynn Trank , Dr . June Krutza , and Mr . Carl Wilen . iii INTRODUCTION The field of cartooning is a "side-branch" of drawing that many artists probably do not associate with what they belieYe to be art . In this paper no attempt is made to relate it to any great works or to make excuses as to why it should be given a berth a- long with the great works of art. It is prefer able to have the majority of those people who see cartoons t• look at them not so much as art but as cartoons. The whimsical nature of the drawing itself, the idea that makes you laugh are all the reason a cartoon has for existing . Of course one should not get the impression that people who can't draw and up as cartoonists. On the contrary, cartoonists probably know the field of ser ious drawing as well as any artist• After all, be fore the cartoonist can draw cartoons he must have a complete knowledge of reproducing nearly everything on paper correctly before he changes it int� a car toon. Probably for more than any other reason the area of cartooning is somewhat limited to those who find it within their grasp to not only reproduce peo ple and object5 properly but to those who are able to iv alter the dr&wing•s appeJrance just enough to make them c•rtoo�s . For these reasons this p•per is devoted to th� cartoon and the cartoonist. Drawing will be discuss ed from its beginning as it first appeared in history and its evolvement from just a simple drawing to the cartoons that we know as the comics, the reascn for the comics, their popularity and my own approach to the drawing as a cartoon. v. Gene Myers y CHAPTER I HISTORICAL NOTES ON THE ART OF CARTOONING The recerded histery •f m•n beg•n with the hunter •f the P•leelithic •r Stene •ge wh• drew, painted and incised l!kenesses �f the animals ef the hunt en his CaYe w•lls. (Fig . I) Depending ea certain &nimals fer his livelihoed, the Paleelithic man was keenly interested in "c•pturing" these •n!�•ls en his CaYe walls bef�re the h�nt. E:ch an- imal was ch•r•cterized by definite •nd identifying marks: the heaYY hump and pewerful bedy ef the bi ser. with its sa•ll eyes &nd shert sh•rp herns, er the thin , leng , and graceful legs and herns •f the deer . It was by this rep resent&tien ef each animal , primitiY� m&n felt that he w&s achieYing • certain �•gic•l centrol ef that •nimal; the sy�bel ea the walls ef the caYe remained fixed, ferever accessible fer the magic-ritual activities that insured success in the hunt. And it is these simple representatiens th•t h•Ye serY ed threugheut theusands ef years as a means ef t�lling the stery •f man's life en e•rth. These drawings were �•n 's 2 ,, 'lt, '\ • ·1 �ii .. l' �. ..... r / ..I � .. .,I. .. • I -· } I .•j .... '• . ·��� 'I' d. '• � . -l ' '"' .. .. I . ... , . \ r-�- \'�' f ' ., . � I t' 1 -<.. .. ..,. t�· .. �� -. ' .. .. t � . I".-. • .... --{-:- � .. --�..� �, ..· � . ,. I• . ""'· . -!-':I .... (' . ·- , "' . -�..'. - ;"; . ... �;, .. k_C.!.. � ,- r· .· I r. Fig . l 3 first attempt t• depict a stery te relate his life . "It was the first illustratien ef •n ide&-story , the beginning ef beth writing and painting and the fererunner of today 's 1 comic strip". Of ceur se, these simple c•ve-•rt representatiens were net meant te be cartoons but they were related te the car- teen , because in beth the caves and the comics m�n was, and still is, representing his life with • simple drawing. O�her picture stories ef civilizations past h«ve been feund in tablets long-buried under desert s•nds , er enshrined on pyramid walls. (Fig. 2) The ancient Egyptians used a simpl� drawing thr3uqhout the 4,000 years of their history. The artist was governed as to what he drew by the priests and rulers whe directed decer&ting the walls of palaces, temp- les, tembs and buildings accerding to long established trad- itiens and rules . Of ceurse these Egyptian drawings as well as these drawn by the Paleolit�ic man were far frem being light-hearted entertainment . The c&Yeru•n was attempt- ing te gain seme Mastery ever the mysterieus and everwhelm- ing ferces of nature, and �he Egypti•ns deYeloped their drawing as • pa.rt of _t heir religion trying te transcend the mystery and finality of death . The a.ctua.l comic strip er c&rtoen did net c•me &leng fer quite seme ti�e , but dra.wing continued te develep threugh the centuries with artists getting ever closer to 1 Ga.ines M.C., Narra.tive Illustration-The Story of the Comics reprinted ·from Print Summer 1942 p. 1 4 ;:;=. Y, '� ¥ "{;,,. r �� ,,//" _,-Jr __ ..al.a. .- , • A I • I I ...... / r / -<'· .,. Fig . 2 5 what we knew to be the c•rtoon . Francisco Gey• , • Spanish artist of the late 18� and early 19� centuries drew contin uously. Many ef these drawings reflect his amazing �b ility te summarize the human drama with irony , humor , or compass ion in a few telling lines •nd beld tGnal c•ntr&sts . Ch•r •cteristics like these &re basic t• • geed cartoonist . One example ef his work "E&sy Victory" (Fig . 3) combines s•r donic humer with a quick moving line th•t comes alive. Al though the drawing appears tc be quickly drawn •nd sketchy it is quite we ll placed and we ll executed. For his ability t• portray m&n in • co�plex •f ideas •nd feelings with enly a few simple graphic notatiens and lines, Goy& has become ene ef the great r.omment&ters on man as a social animal . Gey• drew in many ways the same «s do contemperary politic al cartoenists. He drew quickly but with feeling tc prove his peint , st«ting his ide• in the simplest of terms . Another ar tist of the Mid-nineteenth century who con cerned himself with m«n &s « social and political «nim«l w«s Honore Daumier . He was « satirist who �•de his living by c«ric•turing th� political personalities «nd �•cial iss ues of the d«y.