Editorial cartoons : A Dying Art

" A cartoonist enjoys not a great man but a ridiculous man."

- R.K.Laxman(1921-2015)
For millions around the globe,a newspaper is the window to the world. Amidst the plethora of
articles and reports jostling for space in a newspaper lies the seemingly harmless cartoon or
sketch. This newspaper cartoon, also called an editorial cartoon,has served as the most potent
weapon of ridicule and satire against all social and political evils. Journalists believe that a single
sketch can have a greater impact than a 1000 -word editorial.
Though prehistoric man, who painted in caves would be called the first cartoonist, origins of
editorial cartoons can be traced back to 17th century Europe. The art came to India with British
rule. Since then, India has produced great cartoonists like K.Shankar Pillai (1902-89) and
R.K.Laxman. Their legacy is continued today by Keshav (The Hindu), Unny (The Indian
Express), and a few others. Editorial cartoons remained an integral part of newspapers in
independent India. Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru was a great fan of Shankar and once said, "Don't spare
me Shankar!". Similarly, R.K Laxman through his iconic character - the ' Common man ',
chronicled India's eventful history. Many of these cartoons have found a place in school
textbooks. Even during the Emergency in 1975, most news articles were censored, but cartoons
were spared. Several world events like the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin
wall became subjects for world famous cartoons.
But today, times have changed. Man has progressed from a world of newspaper and radio to one
of the computer and the internet. Cartoons are no longer as popular as they were even a couple of
decades ago. A 2012 study by The Herbert Black Foundation says that while around 2000
editorial cartoonists were employed by U.S. newspapers at the turn of the 20th century, today
the number has dwindled to less than 40. The modest cartoon has failed to compete with more
attractive and modern rivals like internet trolls and memes. Youngsters today know of the Google
Doodle but are clueless about editorial cartoons.
Apart from technology, extreme intolerance is another threat to cartoons. In 2015, cartoonists of
the French magazine Charlie Hebdo were gunned down by terrorists in Paris. Similarly, a furore
erupted in the Indian parliament in 2012 over a cartoon by Shankar made five decades ago.
Commercial interests find preference in newspapers carrying full-page advertisements . But the
same newspapers do not find a tiny corner in their pages for a cartoon. The photographs of
politicians jostle for space but their caricatures are tactfully omitted. Cartoons are to newspapers
what the Clown is to Shakespearean plays - comic relief. Just as the clown, cartoons are not
merely to evoke laughter , but they often have words of wisdom.

Another question which arises is that would the internet memes and trolls of today have the
longevity of editorial cartoons? Will we remember them, say 50 years from now ? The answer in
all likelihood is , no. It will not be an exaggeration to say that people and politicians today have
lost their ability to laugh at themselves. Self importance has reached such great heights that even
the slightest of ridicules is not tolerated.
In a world full of hostility, the sketch pen of a cartoonist is fast running out of ink. This has made
them a dying breed, and their cartoons --- a dying art.
Atul.v.Nair
B.A. English (Hon.) Part -1
Session - 2015 - 18
Class roll no. - 014