Assignment: Share Your Work

Cartoons, the visual art of storytelling invades our psyche, influences pop culture and can be a catalyst for change. Historical figures, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Rivere used this medium to describe the unjust conditions experienced by columnist at the hands of the British. Benjamin Franklin’s running commentary on how the colonist were oppressed was depicted in a cartoon with snakes representing colonist. Their Join or Die Campaign was the first political cartoon published in America by the Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9th, 1754.

“Cartoons introduced generations of readers to symbolic ways of addressing the continuing problems of society and the philosophic questions of mankind…[They please] our visual sensibilities by bringing to life the kinds of dramatic conflicts that enable us to work out vicariously our internal frustrations” (Lester, pg.233).


Walt Disney was one of the most prolific and profitable cartoonist in the world. He revolutionized the art of storytelling by making cartoons more profitable by introducing preplanned storyboards. He taught creative types how to mass market their characters and make huge profit from product placements, endorsements, etc. Despite these achievements he was accused of making non-descriptive uninspired cartoons free of controversy. In fact Walt Disney, used his talents to make propaganda films for the military.

This would be in stark contrast to the current crop of cartoons airing on TV. The Simpsons cartoon exploits their first amendment freedom by poking fun at “sacred cows”. Simpsons creator Matt Groening, incorporates all demographic types in lambasting dysfunctional families, real life situations, and everyday culture.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the chapter pertaining to television and stereotypes. Paul Michael Lester, the author of our textbooks, Visual Communications: Images With Messages, has me taking an introspective look at my hypocrisy involving the representation of minorities in cartoons and television.

Spike Lee was upset at the demeaning portrayal of Afro Americans in a cartoon executive produced by Will Vinton. The cartoon highlighted residents living in a high-rise projects, sitting around a table drinking malt liquor. He resented how those cartoons played to racial stereotypes that characterized a group of people as lazy. However, critics contend that he was overreacting. Homer Simpson, and his cronies can often be found drinking Duff Beer on Fox’s animated series.

“Expecting television programs to be completely free from some kind of stereotyping of individuals is unreasonable. Someone, somewhere, is bound to be object to a media characterization. But because of the enormous scope and influence of television, producers need to be especially sensitive to characterizations that have the potential to cause harm” (Lester, pg.340).

Amos and Andy was a radio program that many Americans found entertaining. The show voiced by white actors was a media darling and played on air for twenty years. However, the transition to television was a failure. The first primetime show featuring an all Afro American cast had the NAACP organizing a boycott against one of its sponsors, BLATZ Bear. Critics contend that “every black is either a clown or a crook. Seeing the program than actually hearing it, made the program more racist . White males dominate comic strips and images.



The chapter on graphic design and the six perspectives reintroduce us to the creative genius and visual impulses of Saul Bass. We are reminded of his importance to cinema, graphic designers, marketing, and mass media. Alfred Hitchcock incorporated his vision and encouraged him to create storyboards for one of his most visually appealing and scary murder scenes in the film Psycho. Visual images of Janet Leigh being shanked by her costar Anthony Perkins, left audiences spellbound. “It was one of the most memorable visual messages in the history of Motion Pictures” (Lester, pg.154).


“He understood the importance of visual communication and gaining a viewers attention and keeping the message in a persons long term memory” (Lester, pg.155).

Visual Persuasion


It was interesting to go back in time to the fourth century B.C.E. and research the musings of Greek philosopher Aristotle who waxed nostalgically about the art of persuasion. Persuasion he noted has three components: Ethos (credible sources), Logos (Logical Arguments), Pathos (Emotional Appeal). I would argue that these are the tools of the trade for mass communication. Aristotle believed that an individual must be credible, use logic, or a factual information to influence others or change perceptions.