is there zen in cartooning?
February 29, 2008
Humans are visual animals. We react to what we see. And to a lesser degree, we are auditory. Sounds can cause a reaction.
How do cartoons fit into this?
We often feel better when we are laughing. Many eastern philosophers and yoga experts believe that the laughing chakra is in the same area as the sex chakra. I guess the powerful lesson here is to use them wisely and not at the same time. In other words this could be very upsetting to a soul-mate unless you can tactfully explain that your laughter chakra short-circuited during lovemaking. Stranger things have happened I guess. One caveat: If you are the female partner and should this happen to you, please respond, without missing a beat, the predictable compliment/lie “But size doesn’t matter, it is your brain I love the most.” Uh huh.
The male species has an ego connected to certain organs other than the brain and size matters in both cases. We instinctively know it.
Cartoons are really nothing more than a small piece of art (again, not that size matters) , hopefully humorous, that tell a much longer story, using what I like to call “extreme editing”. Though we call ourselves writers, we truly are more editors than writers. Yes, we can write, and, though a cartoon may not have any caption or “word bubble” at all, generally some text is added to “drive the point home” Most cartoonists are instinctively aware, though, that if it can be done with no wording, a picture only, that is a triple bonus to the psyche, and, when we can occasionally do that, we get complimented way beyond our actual talents. And it makes us look all that much better.
Cartoonists create a product that can greatly influence society, often even more so than the news. That is why we often think of them as “bigger than life”. I can assure you, being one, we are just like everyone else. We just don’t crave the limelight; but the limelight craves us, it appears. This fascinates people. When you mention names like Charles Schulz or Gary Larson, some wonder if they are even in the same species. They are. Money is rarely the motivator for a cartoonist. Making people laugh is.
Nothing is more fun than laughing. Well maybe something, but like I said, they come from the same chakra points. And as long as we are doing one, we will probably be doing the other. So, as long as humans continue to procreate, which I have a feeling we will, laughter will, hopefully be a major part of our lives, and, hopefully, cartoonists will contribute towards that in a big way. That is why cartoonists work hard, though it may seem like play, but it is not. It’s serious business, and if you aren’t laughing, neither are we.
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