#140: You Can't Spell Cartoon Without "Art"
A wise man (and very handsome boy, according to my mother), once said that cartooning is the highest ART form. It's a hill I'll die on (that hill way over there, which, on second thought, looks kinda far away and to be honest I'm too tired to walk). Anyway, with just a few lines and maybe a caption, you can tell an entire story, preferably one that will make someone do that thing where they audibly exhale from their nose indicating amusement (a snort?--snortle? Or is that a Pokemon?). ANYWAY, in case you don't agree with me (seriously, did I mention how far that hill is?), I've asked my fellow Toonstackers to share cartoons that reference famous works of art because the only thing that could make cartooning even more artsy, is, you know, more art.
- Navied
Amy Hwang
This cartoon of mine was directly inspired by Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms. As I was trying to draw this cartoon, using as many photos of these rooms as I could find for reference, I realized that nobody draws infinity mirror rooms. A lot of people photograph them, and Kusama makes them, but drawing one is equivalent to performing an endless task. Thankfully, drawing pens are not available in infinitely smaller line thicknesses, so I was forced to stop because I ran out of space on my paper to draw on. Otherwise, I would still be hunched over my drawing desk drawing this cartoon in perpetuity.
Ellis Rosen
This genre of cartoon is what I call ‘anti-Lichtenstein.’ Those high and mighty high artists think they can steal from us lowly low artists? Well how about a taste of your own medicine? I steal from the profound and give to the stupid! I take from the sacred and gift to the profane! Fear me! i am become dumb, the destroyer of fine arts! Muahahahaha!
Jeremy Nguyen
It's a wonder to me that historic pieces of art, which have been seen and talked about by millions of eyeballs for decades and centuries, still inspire new jokes about them. I sometimes don't commit these ideas to paper because I think, surely, someone must have made this joke before me. And yet, in spaces where I'm viewing their work, these jokes will come to me and I'll have to draw them. In museums, in galleries, viewing the paintings in person, reading the curator's descriptions; that's when these jokes strike. And sometimes you have to be three Belgian waffles deep to feel inspired.
Sofia Warren
Jesus: the original nepo baby.
Amy Kurzweil
Drawing in museums is a big part of how I've learned to draw. I find the manic intensity of uncultured tourists, flashing selfies and spewing coffee breath too close to priceless art they know nothing about, provides me with the sense of superiority necessary to really hone my craft. The issue with drawing in public is that people either want to take pictures of you, because they find you romantic and transcendentally attractive (drawing does that to a person) or they want to see what your drawing looks like. This happened to me recently at the Van Gogh exhibit at the Met last summer. I set myself the task of drawing Starry Night in 4 mins and then 1 min. Because even 4 mins is a stretch for how much time I want to spend that close to that many strangers, plus I like quick drawing challenges. A young woman asked to see my drawing, and I started to explain the 4 min and 1 min constraint, to account for how bad the drawings were – but to my surprise, she cooed over the drawings and told me they were beautiful. It must have been the effect of my drawing-induced transcendent attractiveness. (To see the drawings, swipe to the second photo here!)
Jason Chatfield
I studied Art History in high school and found it very boring. Then I went to the Louvré for the first time and realized I should really have paid more attention in Art History. I've been pretending I know things about fine art ever since. Which, coming full circle, makes me very boring.
Shameless Self Promotion
Hilary Campbell releases Cartoons by Hilary every Friday!
Amy Kurzweil’s graphic memoir, Artificial: A Love Story, was named a best book of 2023 by The New Yorker, NPR, and Kirkus!
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Sofia Warren's got an advice column! Read it here.
I agree 100% with your mother (about cartooning being high art...I don't know you well enough to comment authoritatively on the very handsome boy part...) and I love your parenthetical writing style (we are cut from the same prose cloth my friend!) Quick Q: how can I submit one or two of my strips based on high art?
Keep doin' that Voodoo that Yoodoo!