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Saturday morning comes, and the TV goes on. Cartoons of all colors, shapes, and sizes dance and play across the screen. Yet as kids and adults plot on the couch and floor to watch the newest episodes and reruns of their favorite classics, they probably don’t guess the long, rich history of cartoons that goes back farther than even the television and the printing press.
Cartoons are most often associated with entertainment, but they have served many purposes. From the primary sketches and proposals of a grand work of art to commenting on political activities to amusing us, cartoons are as varied in form as they are in purpose.
The first known cartoons were used in Italy to create fine art, primarily frescoes. The artist sketched a rough caricature onto matte or heavy paper, also known as cartone. The piece of art work was outlined in full so that the artist could paint accurately and proportionally. Raphael and da Vinci both used cartoons for some of their work.
Because the cartone was disposable, it led to a certain element of freedom. Leonardo da Vinci used them in his discovery of beauty, creating caricatures and how the exaggeration of certain features led to different perspectives. Caricatures eventually became popular, spreading throughout Europe, though they were seen as an inferior form of art.
Additionally, during the late Middle Ages, scholars began creating hand drawn picture Bibles. This booklet was known as the Biblia pauperum. Bible stories and passages of Scripture were illustrated with pictures and text. Most of these booklets were used in Germany and the Netherlands, and, while that was not their original purpose, these booklets ended up being the precursors to modern cartoon comic strips.
By the time Martin Luther began his efforts at reformation, caricatures had become commonplace. Most of the time, they were kept hidden, and, due to their controversial nature, they were only on display in inner rooms of houses. The church and government were popular subjects then as they are now. After Luther posted his 95 theses, one of the tools which he and his supporters used to communicate was pamphlets that implemented cartoons. These cartoons conveyed the meaning of the theses, and they often told stories in a sequence.
From there, political cartoons blossomed over the years and throughout the countries, both in the illiterate and literature public. Punch magazine began publishing them publicly in 1843. These cartoons were primarily single panel images, primarily consisting of political or social commentary.
The humor embodied in the caricature began to give way to something known as the “gag cartoons.” After Punch magazine began publishing its issues, purely humorous ones began to increase in popularity. These images were also single panels and incorporated sight gags, awkward situations, and the like, similar in nature to the modern day Far Side.
With the increase of humorous stories and more complicated dialogue, the single panel cartoon soon gave way to regular comic strips. The Yellow Kid, a cartoon strip published in North America in the late 1800s, is supposed to be the first. Around the same time, Rudeolphe Topffer, the father of modern comic strips, began illustrating stories and publishing them in as paneled strips books and newspapers.
People loved the cartoons. Newspapers began printing them to help increase their sales, offering general weekly cartoons and special full page cartoons. From being something kept hidden and laughed at in secret, the cartoon had become something publicly displayed and enjoyed. The late 1800s also saw the start of the first full time cartoonists.
As the popularity of comic cartoons increased, Charles Emile Reynaud projected the first cartoon animation in 1877. More followed throughout Europe, gaining great admiration and awe. Others animations developed, creating characters rather than just showing scenes. Some of the most famous early successes were Gertie the Dinosaur and Felix the Cat.
But the silent cartoon soon vanished when Walt Disney aired his 1928 cartoon Steamboat Willie. In this short clip, Mickey Mouse’s actions were completely synchronized to the music. While the silent flashing images of previous cartoons had entertained, people sat in amazement as the drawing came to life in time with the whimsical music.
A few years later in 1932, Disney started using Technicolor for his cartoons, meaning three strips rather than the traditional two was used. This advancement created far richer images and more complex detailing.
Disney, Warner Brothers, and MGM began producing cartoons as quickly as they could. Most focused on the adventures of cute animals in conjunction with fun music. These short clips were played before movies, but in some cases as with Tex Avery’s Red Hot Riding Hood, the audience refused to watch the movie until they saw the cartoon a second time.
As techniques and skills expanded, the animated cartoons also hearkened back to their original roots, using parody, satire, and caricature to convey messages about politics and current events. And they had all the more room for this as cartoons on the big screen soon transitioned to television.
Felix the Cat was one of the first on television as well. These cartoon programs were marketed in particular for children, but some included more adult innuendo so that the parents would be entertained as well. Hanna-Barbera joined the cartoon scene in 1957, producing cartoons precisely for television and the family hour. Among their many hits were Huckleberry Hound, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, and more. The Flintstones was the first of the half hour sitcoms, more than doubling the cartoon’s original length.
Warner Brothers, which had been producing cartoons since the 1930s, also joined the television scene. Their cartoons which were produced under the general titles of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, introduced the now famous characters of Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck to cartoon history. Their shift to including Saturday morning cartoon time also solidified Saturday mornings as cartoon time.
Plans for a channel dedicated to started back in 1986, but financial difficulties and the increasing cost and time required to create cartoons put off the plans for a time. Turner Network Television purchased a substantial animated library which included MGM cartoons and pre 1948 Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. They also acquired Hanna Barbera Productions. Later, in 1992, they launched the Cartoon Network.
At first, the Cartoon Network consisted of nonstop classic cartoon reruns. They had more than 8500 hours of cartoons. But then they began to develop new takes on old cartoons, including parodies and self referential cartoons, starting with Space Ghost Coast to Coast and moving forward. New cartoon series then went into development with Dexter’s Laboratory and Sponge Bob being some of the most popular.
With the internet and a variety of networks, anyone can find a variety of cartoons at any time. Whether new or classic, they’re there. The medium of cartoons has changed. They incorporate far more humor now than ever before, but many still hearken back to some of their original purposes, focusing on caricature, bringing awareness to politics and current events, and entertaining.