Public Speaking Caricature, Cartoons, and Comic Strips

When certain prominent features of something or someone are highlighted and other features are diminished, that is called caricature. Studies have found that it is easier to identify a political leader from a caricature than from a real photograph.

You can use caricatures of yourself in your own promotional material or in your programs to make fun of yourself. You can do the same thing to make fun of your competitors or your competitor's products by amplifying whatever feature you want to emphasize.

Caricature artists are not too hard to locate. Many times you can find them by looking in the yellow pages under the categories of entertainment or party planning because they frequently perform at parties.

Cartoons and Comic Strips are the most universally accepted formats for humor across cultures. Find out why by viewing this website's article:

'Show 'em' When You Cross Cultures'.

There are three ways to use cartoons: first, you can tell the audience about a cartoon you saw; second, you can cut the cartoon out of its publication and show it; and third, you can make up a cartoon yourself.

I saw a cartoon once where a lady was holding a gun to her purse. The caption said, 'Give up the keys!' I use this example in my Business Lite Seminar when I want to illustrate the use of humor to help ease the tension in embarrassing situations. (I have also used this line many times when I am with a woman who is fumbling through her purse.) When I tell the audience I saw a cartoon, it helps them paint a mental picture of what I am describing with words.

Describing a cartoon is an easy method for using cartoons without having them physically available or needing audio/visual equipment to show them. Showing a cartoon is a more powerful way to convey its humorous message. This is especially true in international audiences where the visual aspect takes on a greater significance. In a very small crowd I might hold up the cartoon or I might pass it around. In larger audiences, the cartoon should be projected (don't forget to get permission from the copyright holder) so everyone can see it clearly. I like this method better anyway because I can control when it pops up on the screen. I want everyone to see the cartoon simultaneously so their laughter will be cumulative. Try to fill the frame of the visual with your cartoon or comic strip. You will create a greater impact.

The third way to use cartoons is to make them yourself. When I first started teaching this subject I could not take advantage of this method unless I hired an artist. Things are different now. There are a number of inexpensive computer software programs available which can be used, one of which is Corel Draw. This program has 25,000 pieces of electronic clip art, many of which are cartoons. I can make custom overhead cartoons for my speaking engagements. All I do is pick an applicable cartoon, add a custom caption for my audience.



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Tom Antion provides entertaining speeches and educational seminars. He is the ultimate entrepreneur, having owned many businesses BEFORE graduating college. Tom is the author of the best selling presentation skills book "Wake 'em Up Business Presentations" and "Click: The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing." It is important to Tom that his knowledge be not only absorbed, but enjoyed. This is why he delivers his speeches laced with great humor and hysterical jokes. Tom has addressed more than 87 different industries and is thoroughly committed to his clients' needs. http://www.antion.com

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Cartoons - Strips Versus Films

The English language is confusing enough, without having terms that can mean more than one thing or are interchangeable. The word cartoon is one of those terms that has people, especially researchers, scratching their heads wondering why they can't find what they are looking for.

Depending on when you grew up, the term cartoon may mean something completely different to you than it does to a kid who grew up watching Bugs Bunny on Saturday mornings. For older folks, the term cartoon strikes up images of Lil' Abner comic strips. For some people, it is both.

The fact of the matter is, technically, if you look up the definition of a cartoon, it really applies to both mediums. If you go by the original historic meaning of the word cartoon it refers to a full size drawing made on paper as a study for a further artwork. In other words, cartoons really weren't finished pieces of work, much like an architects drawings for a building. the drawings are just preliminary. The buildings are the finished work. Early cartoons were usually just outlines of a subject. The details were then filled in at a later date.

In more modern times the definition of a cartoon became an illustration for a humorous intent. However, because of the advances in print and motion technology these illustrations no longer remained motionless pieces of paper. With the breakthroughs of movies like "Steamboat Willie", suddenly a cartoon took on a whole new meaning. And with that whole new meaning began the confusion. You had your cartoons that continued to remain in stationary print, like your Sunday comic strips, and then you had your cartoons that took on the properties of motion, like your Saturday morning half hour shows. Suddenly, the term cartoon was just too confusing to use for both mediums. Something had to be done.

In order to remove the confusion, a new term was developed. Cartoons that were seen in print media were no longer referred to as cartoons. They became known as comic strips. These are usually a short series of illustrations to tell a story or part of one, like the daily serial strips such as Brenda Starr. The motion variety of cartoon retained its original terminology. However, it may be interesting to note that those who work on stationary print media are not referred to as comic strip artists. They are still called cartoonists. Those who make cartoons are now referred to as animators. Some would say that in trying to clear up the confusion, in some ways we've only made things worse.

Then of course there is the ongoing battle between cartoonists and animators themselves. Those who work at motion animation take offense at being called cartoonists. Most feel it demeans the work that they do. Cartoonists, those who actually work on cartoons (the original kind) have no problem with either label and certainly wouldn't mind if you were to refer to them as an animator, as that tag seems to have more prestige in our modern times.

Regardless of what has or will be done to draw a distinction between comic strips and animation (notice cartoon itself is now gone) there will always be those who think of a cartoon as Bugs Bunny on a Saturday morning and those who think of it as Lil' Abner in a Sunday paper.

There is no doubt that this battle will go on for all eternity.



Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Cartoons [http://cartoons-guide.com/]




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