Cartooning: A Conduit for Female Empowerment

“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.”- Kofi Annan

As the world navigates the ins and out of The Fourth Industrial Revolution governments worldwide have a responsibility to ensure that their citizens are thoroughly engaged in decent work in order to have sustainable development. Unemployment among the youth population is most disturbing, especially for young females. As a result new career opportunities must be sought in order to provide employment for those seeking to join the labour force. There was a recent Washington Post article which was quite interesting. This particular news items was interesting for many reasons; one of which was the focus on gender and female empowerment, two issues which should be of concern to all of us. There are two national newspapers in Jamaica, The Gleaner and The Jamaica Observer. It is debatable that among the most popular sections of both newspapers are the cartoons. Our cartoonists are usually very in tuned to the heart beat of the society and their satirical commentary through the form of cartoons is worth the new edition. However, as far as I know we have never had a female cartoonist. What comes to your mind when you hear of the word cartoonist? The field of cartooning is rigidly male dominated and as such females who might have an interest in the field tend not to explore it. The story in the Washington Post was rather refreshing as well and allowed for the reader to explore to see the world of cartooning through the eyes, thoughts and experiences of cartoonist, Elizabeth Montague. In addition to being female Montague is also African American. She brings a whole new experience to this staunchly patriarchal space in which the voices of women are infrequently heard. The Washington Post interview stated that Montague is probably the first black female cartoonist to have her work published in the New Yorker. She states, “unfortunately, the standard for people of color is that we don’t get to tell our own stories,” she says. “I don’t take that for granted. I don’t take that lightly.” Being a cartoonist one has to have some background in graphic design and communications. It bares thought that the job of a cartoonist is to convey messages using cartoons. The field of cartooning is a difficult one and Montague agrees with this assumption.  Montague added, “there is so much rejection in the life of a cartoonist, sometimes I feel like the Grim Reaper. An online article defines a cartoonist as a visual artist who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is often created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising. Cartoonists may work in many formats, such as animation, booklets, comic strips, comic books, editorial cartoons, graphic novels, manuals, gag cartoons or video game packaging. In the interview, Montague revealed that in the last year she has seen four of her cartoons published in the magazine, the New Yorker which receives thousands of submissions each week and selects only 10 to 20 cartoons per issue. She estimates she alone has submitted more than 150. Many of us often have a misconception regarding the job of a cartoonist; many people think cartoonist just draw comic strips. However, one can indeed make a career from the field of cartooning. A number of institutions are now offering animation and this can form the platform for branching out into being a cartoonist.
Career Opportunities
There are numerous avenues to explore being a cartoonist, some of which are listed. There is the Gag cartoonist who draws simple single panel cartoons with or without punch lines. Most gag cartoonists work for magazines and newspapers but can also have great careers selling cartoons for newsletters, presentations and books. Many times the writing is harder than the cartooning in this field. There is also the Comic Strip cartoonist, these are probably the most famous cartoonists and are the most associated with a career in cartooning. Getting a comic strip in the funny pages today is like winning the lottery. A comic strip artist must not only know how to draw on some level but must be a great writer and storyteller. The best cartoonist in the world would not be able to sell one comic strip if it wasn’t well written. The Graphic cartoonist is one who creates cartoons, logos and mascots for marketing purposes. There is no need for writing skills but a creative eye and a knack for color can really help out in this field. The Cartoon illustrator creates very detailed images that rival photography and painting. These artists design movie posters, illustrate books and create works of art. There are also Animators who delve into a bit of a mix of everyone. They need good drawing skills, strong design ability, writing aptitude and for backgrounds they need illustration skills. Some animators are unskilled and use static cartoon images that are moved by hand rather than by drawing. The 3D Computer cartoonists create cartoons on the computer and use sophisticated programmes to help animate the characters. The ability to use a computer is a must. The Caricature artist uses their skills regarding the interpretation of a person’s face. Caricature artists take a person’s features and learn how to exaggerate them. These cartoonists can work in a studio or on the street. Some caricaturists can draw quick facial sketches in a matter of moments while others take hours after studying many photographs of the subject. The Editorial cartoonist combines their drawing and writing abilities into a single image. Most editorial cartoons are political and run in print. The Greeting card designer is skilled in conveying a feeling or grabs someone’s attention in just a split second. A card designer should have strong writing skills and a tough of illustration ability. The Comic Book illustrator takes the talent of being able to draw the human body. Comic book illustrators are very talented and have the skill to draw the human body in the best shape it can be. Writing skills are a plus in this career. Last but by no means least is the Internet cartoonist. Many unpublished cartoonists have started online comic strips and have had success. Most of their money comes through subscriptions, advertising and merchandise sales. As a cartoonist you cannot be all things to all people, as a result you must target a small niche to be successful in the field of cartooning. Undoubtedly, women are underrepresented in the field of cartooning, especially women of colour. We need to encourage more women to explore the field of cartooning as a viable career path. Without a doubt women bring a different perspective to the arena of cartooning. We need to encourage the major newspapers and other media outlets to make a concerted effort to diversify those who they employ in the field of cartooning. We need to encourage more women to use the platform of cartooning to voice their experiences, concerns and to tell their stories. Cartooning should be viewed as more than sketching images; cartooning should be seen as a conduit for female empowerment. In the words of Michelle Obama, no country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.

Wayne Campbell   is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.

waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
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