AMPLIFICATION THROUGH SIMPLIFICATION

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AMPLIFICATION THROUGH SIMPLIFICATION

• Rhetoric Invades the Funny Pages
• Alec R. Hosterman

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Why study comics and cartoons? Because And
because they are uniquely rhetorical. (Trust me.
Yes, Im serious.)
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In the land of editorial cartoons, any topic is
fair game. Art becomes commentary, and the
cartoon becomes ones witty visual opinion.
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However, a cartoon that talks to issues and
people of the day is all but out-of-date in a few
days, several weeks at the most.
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• So this started me thinking
• Why do editorial cartoons cause us to
• talk about them around the proverbial
• Monday morning water cooler?
• Rhetorically speaking, what makes
• them significant, persuasive artifacts?

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• Research Questions
• Are editorial cartoons a form of rhetoric?
• If so, what makes editorial cartoons rhetorically
  significant?
• Finally, what impact do editorial cartoons have
  on audiences and public discourse?

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Cartoons are an amalgam of images (symbols),
captions (written words), and social commentary
(spoken and unspoken words).
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Cartoons allow us to understand a message in a
simple visual form and in an easily accessible
medium. ie television, book, newspaper, web
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Regardless of medium, one factor is common to all
cartoons simplification - people, objects,
events, or places But what of their
rhetorical persona?
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Rhetoric is _____________________ (Audience
participation activity.) Alecs Definition A
co-constructed reality wherein participants use
symbols to communicate meaning in order to create
common ground - co-constructed (originator,
audience) - symbols (words, images, etc.) -
communicate (transmission) - meaning (implied or
explicated) - common ground (shared
interpretation)
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So how do editorial cartoons wield rhetorical
power? In part, they - use kairos - employ
identification - act as
rhetorical
reflectors
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Kairos Greeks saw it as the
right time, opportunity, occasion or
season - Crowley and Hawhee Fitness for the
occasion - Bizzell and Herzberg Editorial
cartoons both react to, and create, kairotic
moments
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Identification Identification via general
characters and characteristics (mannerisms) We
see ourselves in them, thus they are us
(McCloud) - visual - verbal Message
acceptance
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Rhetorical Reflectors Editorial cartoons force
us to look into the mirror of social reality and
make a lot of other
people including editors
uncomfortable - Lamb Create
reality Past experiences
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To answer my final research question, we must
enter the Way-Back Machine and travel through
history.
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Benjamin Franklin
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Thomas Nast vs. Boss Tweed
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Death of President John F. Kennedy
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Prophet Mohammed in Jyllands-Posten
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• Today, weve seen that editorial
• cartoons are
• a form of rhetoric
• have rhetorical power
• contribute to social discourse

So what?
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Miss Anything? Fear not! This PowerPoint and
the full paper are available for download
at www.alechosterman.com/ttu (located under
Papers and Projects) Questions?
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References Bizzell, P., Herzberg, B. (2001).
The rhetorical tradition Readings from classical
times to the present. (3rd ed.). Boston
Bedford/St. Martins. Crowley, S., Hawhee, D.
(2004). Ancient rhetorics for contemporary
students. (3rd ed.). New York Pearson
Longman. Lamb, C. (2004). Drawn to extremes
The use and abuse of editorial cartoons. New
York Columbia University. McCloud, S. (1993).
Understanding comics The invisible art. New
York HarperPerennial.
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AMPLIFICATION THROUGH SIMPLIFICATION

• Rhetoric Invades the Funny Pages
• Alec R. Hosterman
• Texas Tech University
• alec.hosterman_at_ttu.edu
• But wait! Theres one more cartoon
• that relates to our situation.

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Dr. Carter, may I be excused? My brain is full.