Abstract
The thematic content and the functional value of cartoons are essentially expedient to achieve effective communication, especially in modern society. Cartooning is an art form which thrives on humour and satire. It is a popular mode of communication online and in the print media in Nigeria. The content of the cartoon message is a function of variables such as political, economic, education, socio-cultural, media and domestic matters. Functionally, cartoons are a means of criticizing undesirable behaviour pattern of individuals, groups and policies of the government, a source of entertainment and a diary of significant events. The formulation of the cartoon message is, therefore, a response to the needs of society. This study seeks to examine the influence of cartoon communication in the process of social revolution given the nature of volatility of today’s society. Findings revealed that cartoon could communicate best if the quality of social education is encouraged at formal and informal levels. It is also recommended that cartoon artists should maintain a balance between their contents and the reading audience to engage issues and policies in the most beneficial way. Keywords: Cartoon, Social revolution, Catalyst, Art genres. DOI : 10.7176/ADS/74-03 Publication date :June 30 th 2019
Highlights
Cartooning is a form of non-verbal communication which transcends the basic and essential content of any given message, owing to its persuasive and strong influence with a compelling appeal to the psychology of the targets (Alimi, 2004)
The cartoon artists intend to capture the feelings of a news item in the most accurate way to evoke an emotional reaction from the primary targets of such news item
The cartoonist rendering of the news item in visual form has set an agenda of discourse for the reading public to engage the government to ensure compliance to the stipulations of the constitution and discourage tendencies of using the Ahmed Yerima experience to force child marriage into our nationhood especially when it is coming from a distinguished lawmaker and a former governor who has fathered a girl like the “Egyptian minor victim”
Summary
Cartooning is a form of non-verbal communication which transcends the basic and essential content of any given message, owing to its persuasive and strong influence with a compelling appeal to the psychology of the targets (Alimi, 2004) This is further corroborated by Parkinson, (2011) who posits that visual language has the potential for increasing human bandwidth-the capacity to take in, comprehend and more efficiently synthesize a large amount of new information. The artist’s portrayal of the recession experience of the Nigerian state as a sinking van in the muddy waters of poor economic policies is a reflection of the creative thoughts of the cartoonist which revealed how the power of the pen and colours can offer clarity of issues to the segment of the public that can interpret visual language especially when cartoons are rendered in the most effective way. Its persuasive appeal can be very weak if the cartoonist is weak in the ability to render images effectively
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