As far back as the ancient Greeks, the heart has been associated with love. Among the earliest examples comes from Sappho, that famed poetess from Lesbos and original hipster (a daughter of royalty who had a trust fund that provided her the freedom to be an artist). She wrote:
Love shook my heart, like the wind on the mountain troubling the oak-trees.
Oak-trees too shake my heart, but mostly because of my fear of ticks. My favorite example of the heart and love comes from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, when the high priest of Kali removes the heart of a sacrificial victim with his bare hands. The association here obviously being the priest’s love of tearing out people’s hearts with his bare hands.
This week, I’ve asked my fellow Toonstackers to share cartoons about hearts and romance, because as we know, dear reader, the quickest way to a person’s heart is through the humor bone (...or through their chest with your bare hands).
- Navied <3
Johnny DiNapoli
I’ve never had a meet cute in a coffee shop. I have, however, had several dates where I accidentally knocked over full cups of coffee.
Millie von Platen
The way to one’s heart is through their… gut? Leaving a toothbrush at a special someone’s house is a clichéd milestone in romantic relationships. Probiotics are the cool and trendy way to indicate that you (and your 3 billion active cultures) are around to stay.
Adam Douglas Thompson
This may be a bit too ghastly to qualify as a cartoon. I remember feeling rather queasy as I was articulating the angle of that neck. My sincere apologies to the neck, and to you the viewing public.
I also remember thinking of this Stephen Crane poem (oft quoted by my wife):
In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;
“But I like it
“Because it is bitter,
“And because it is my heart.”
Hilary Campbell
Can you feel the love…. Tonight? Okay well if not tonight, maybe this Sunday? What about Wednesday? I could potentially put you down for Friday early evening?
Navied Mahdavian
Snails, like like the cherubic Greek god of love Cupid, shoot one another with “love darts.” Naturally hermaphroditic, snails will shoot their love darts (which are produced in their “dart sac”) into their partner’s foot (malacologists, or snail experts, are divided on whether this is a consequence of a foot fetish or poor eyesight).
Snails, like Cupid, also go well when prepared with garlic and parsley sauce.
Sofia Warren
Poor Panda (who is definitely not me). She’s dangling her little heart out there, but nobody’s biting.
This is from my series Proust & Panda, a strip comic I add to on occasion!
Kendra Allenby
For the relationship and for your mouths, which I apparently decided not to draw.
Ellis Rosen
This is a segment from a Daily Shouts called “My Breakup Directed By…” that I did with Toonstack’s own Sofia Warren. We took 6 film directors and imaged how they would depict a breakup.
That's it! That’s all I got. If you want more jokes, just read the damn piece ok? OKAY? I’M NOT YOUR PERSONAL COURT JESTER. MAKE YOUR OWN LAUGHS FOR ONCE. Jeez, some people.
Shelby Lorman (aka awardsforgoodboys)
Sometimes it is not love. Sometimes it is a pole.
Jason Adam Katzenstein
In the immortal words of LFO, “Billy Shakespeare wrote a whole bunch of sonnets.” In my cartoon universe Shakespeare’s a dirtbag.
Amy Kurzweil
I got stuck on the idea of a newsfeed being a non-physical thing that nonetheless has a form, like a shadow, or a rainbow…
I like the way the image looks, but I’m not sure this is a joke. If so, where is the leprechaun? All rainbow jokes have to have leprechauns in them, per rule 651 of the Giant Rulebook of Gag Cartoons. In any case, I considered a scene for this concept. Enter Megan and her broken heart:
(Doug is a leprechaun, in case you were wondering.)
For Your Pleasure: Cartoon Extras
Pre-order Murder Book, Hilary Campbell’s upcoming graphic memoir our November 9th! and subscribe to her newsletter! New cartoons, poems and jokes every Friday!
Pre-order Send Help! a desert island cartoon collection by Ellis Rosen and Jon Adams!
Join Amy Kurzweil on Patreon!
Follow Kendra Allenby as she walks the Continental Divide Trail for 5 months!
Be sure to check out Shelby Lorman’s newsletter, Please Clap!
The same goes for Sofia Warren’s advice newsletter, You’re Doing Great!
See more cartoons from Ellis Rosen’s weekly Junk Drawer!
Yes, we like exclamation points!