What’s the difference between a cartoon and a caricature? I got an e-mail from Egyptian researcher Amera Soliman asking just this question. She’s working on a master’s degree in communication at Zagazig University.
Great question, if you consider how each word could be translated or mistranslated from one language to another. I figured she was looking at the Muhammad cartoons, but she’s not. She’s researching how Egyptian newspapers use visual images to tell the story of war.
This was my response:
Caricature: A likeness that captures a person’s physical traits and simultaneously exaggerates them for humorous (and sometimes mean-spirited) effect.
Cartoon: A visual art form consisting of hand or computer-drawn images, often (but not always) created for humorous effect.
A caricature is a powerful tool of the political cartoonist.
