Cartoon Analysis
Calvin and Hobbes is a syndicated daily comic strip that was written and illustrated by American cartoonist Bill Watterson, and syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. This cartoon is one of my favorites because I always fell that it treat with the general problems in life by using comedy.
Thesis: There are clear words used by both characters and I choose this cartoon because the problem this cartoon deals with apply to many students who don’t start doing homework until the last minute. This comic uses the body (kinesics), and simple words (paralanguage) to explain problem that must people, especially students understand by using the participation process as described in Comm2 page 4. The artist show that most people have the problem that they won’t work on their tasks until they feel the panic of the last moment.
This is illustrated by the body position of the little boy, Calvin. He show his frustration when his hands are outstretched and his mouth is open in the second slide of the cartoon. His procrastination is shown when he continues to play in the sandbox instead of taking action. The cartoon uses a little boy to relay a message that older people will understand. It is kind of ironic because Calvin is clearly a little boy, but doesn’t speak like a little boy. “You can’t just turn creativity off like a faucet” isn’t the kind of speech that comes out of my 6 year old niece when she is sitting and playing in a sandbox. But the message is understood and delivered clearly to the audience so that it is not ambiguous. Simple words, visual images and non-verbal behavior as described in Comm2 page 4. In summary, the simplicity of characters and the use of body language used in this cartoon allowed this comic to deliver a clear message to the audience by using clear simple words to accomplish his view point for the