Friday, 13 March 2015

Cartoonists In A World Of Their Own

To most Nigerians, cartoon is nothing more than the animated film that children watch, especially in Cartoon Network. To some literate ones, who see it in Newspapers, it is a funny drawing that elicits faint smiles and nothing more.

Elsewhere, especially in developed countries, it is much more than that. It is an effective means of communication, a million dollar business, which is so reckoned with that it could bring a whole continent to a standstill.
That was the case in France when a controversial cartoon by Charlie Hebdo, a French satirical magazine led to the death of 12 people, including the cartoonists and the 3.7 million man march that attracted an array of world leaders.
It all started with a cartoon. Sure, cartoons are movies made using animation instead of actors, especially those humorous films intended primarily for children. It is also a sequence of drawings in newspapers or magazines that tell a short story and always accompanied by a caption. But more than that, it is always satirically commenting on topical events or theme.

No comments: