Political cartoonist

Editorial Cartoonist

Self-caricature by editorial cartoonist Shekhar Gurera
Occupation
Names	Political Cartoonist
Occupation type	profession

An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary. Their cartoons are used to convey and question an aspect of daily news or current affairs in a national or international context. Political cartoonists generally adopt a caricaturist style of drawing, to capture the likeness of a politician or subject. They may also employ humor or satire to ridicule an individual or group, emphasize their point of view or comment on a particular event.

The traditional and most common outlet for political cartoonists is the editorial page of a newspaper, or in a pocket cartoon, in the front news section of a newspaper.

Editorial cartoons are not usually found in the dedicated comic section, although certain cartoons or comic strips have achieved crossover status.

Historically, these are quick, hand-drawn ink drawings, scanned and reproduced in black and white and published in print newspapers. The introduction of color came later, and more recently the use of digital drawing tools are a popular and efficient way to produce work quickly for newspaper deadlines.

Editorial cartoonists may reflect the political opinion expressed in the editorial page, or a newspaper in general, but they can also express opposing views, or opt for more populist humor that often reflects the conventional wisdom of the readers.

Historically, these artists have roots in ancient art forms, such as the cave painting of Early Man, or the hieroglyphics of Egypt, in terms of their role in informing society. Cartoonists in many ways take on the role of a court jester, who though employed by a King or ruler, would often mimic and ridicule him and his regime in his performances, to entertain the court, or 'the common man'.

In recent years, the internet has become an excellent means for distributing this kind of short format media, humor, and minority political opinions, leading to a large growth in the popularity of online and alternative editorial cartoons.

The rise of comic journalism online, which combines the longer comic strip format as a means to relay a story in more depth, is very effective in a vertical web format. As visual journalists, they can tell a story in a visual way, with words and images.