Editorial cartooning for dummies: creating a good cartoon is about idea and execution, inspiration, and mechanics.

Every four years it's the same thing. Our colleagues in the media have exhausted the election-year horse racing narrative and embark on the exercise of covering the coverage.

Eventually someone gets the brilliant idea, "Hey, how 'bout those wacky cartoonists? How do they view the election?" Desperate to be taken seriously and, since everyone knows how a big-time interview (particularly on TV) leads to true respect, we cartoonists jump at the chance to respond to probing questions with boilerplate such as, "Oh, yeah, there's so much material out there it's really fun doing editorial cartoons these days."

Meanwhile, a cartoon flashes across the screen, showing the two candidates heaping equal amounts of mud at each other. Anchor laughs uproariously. End of interview.

Congratulations. You are part of the punditocracy!

Much of the discussion in editorial cartooning circles, when not specifically about the steady decline in the number of newspaper jobs for editorial cartoonists, seems to revolve around cartoons that appear in Newsweek and other widely distributed publications. The notion that cartoons reprinted in these forums represent the best work drives cartoonists crazy (or rather it drives those cartoonists not reprinted in the big forums crazy).

This hasn't stopped these same cartoonists from lightening up their work to make it more appealing to mass consumption. It's like the getting-on-TV thing. In a field that is becoming increasingly corporate and risk-averse, cartoonists, like other journalists, recognize that broad exposure through reprints, syndication, and awards and stuff can sometimes insure a career.

I've argued before that the system of rewards and what defines success in this field is becoming increasingly perverse. Editorial cartoonists can do better and we know it. Editors and publishers should know it too.

Cartooning 101

Editorial cartoons are a walking SAT exam. Creating a good cartoon is really about two things: idea and execution. Just as there are verbal and math portions of the SAT (or better even, right and left sides of the brain), the cartoonist must have both idea and execution, inspiration and mechanics working, for the cartoon to be successful.

Now think of an editorial cartoon as a mathematical equation. Let's say that the "problem," when solved, will successfully express a point of view regarding a current issue in a way that will illuminate and entertain.

The cartoonist tries to find a solution, working within a paradigm of accepted truths and agreements. Those truths are what the readers know of the issue at hand, and theoretical associations they have with that issue based on their understanding of the world around them. The goal is to connect this understanding with the point that is to be made. To do this the cartoonist applies various known theories and formulas (i.e., approaches and techniques), adjusting for the variables existing within the problem.

There's nothing wrong with that Newsweek cartoon. It's just that it's nothing more than the addition and subtraction of editorial cartoon mathematics. "Two plus two equals four" is a perfectly valid equation. When it gets down to it, though, "two plus two equals four" doesn't say much.

Saying something

The secrets to creating better editorial cartoons are not unlike those for creating better editorials or news stories. I believe that expanding the range of subject matter is one way to creating cartoons that truly "say something" and have spoken frequently about the value of state and local cartoons. This year (with so much interest in the presidential election) has proved to be the exception to my theory that readers tend to be more responsive and more affected by local cartoons, but I can still argue why cartoonists should be drawing more local stuff. Again, it's simple mathematics. Having more topics from which to choose allows more opportunities to come up with better ideas and thus to do the best work on a given day. Broadening the range of subject matter doesn't have to mean more local cartoons, just more issues.

I've always admired the cartoonists who are continually willing to tackle social issues not generally covered by the political press. Following a wider range of issues can lead to more creative thinking (formulas) for making the point and fresher, more interesting cartoons.

Admittedly, working for a newspaper in the capital of California, I'm in an extremely topic-rich environment. Having, literally, a comic book figure as governor has been a dream come true.

During California's recall election I found myself having a strange need to catch up on old Terminator movies and draw cartoons showing things blowing up in them. Indeed, the Schwarzenegger administration has become quite the muse for me. (Think about those two words together for a second: Schwarzenegger administration. It still Mils me!)

This remarkable situation seemed to call for something special, and, with much encouragement (prodding) from my editor, David Holwerk, "Caleeforneeya" was born. Just like with a good news or editorial series, "Caleeforneeya" would be an ongoing feature, allowing me to establish a narrative that could adapt as California politics evolved under this unusual administration. The best part was that I had a trove of material. Movie metaphors, ordinarily so boring, seemed to fit perfectly.

"Caleeforneeya" (if you've ever heard Arnold pronounce the name of the state that elected him, you understand the source of the title) owes much to comic book art. Crafting an episode is like cross-training different brain muscles for me. The creative pressures associated with producing this feature are different from the daily cartoon. It seems to work better in color, for example. So it has to go on the cover of our Sunday section, which dictates a slightly different shape than usual.

"Caleeforneeya" is still a work in progress, but the bottom line is that it provides me with yet another trick up my sleeve and as a result, I'm not compelled to follow the national headline du jour. That way, when I am drawing on a national subject, you can be pretty sure I have something to say.

Line as language

Another shortcut to creative thinking starts with recognizing the fact that editorial cartooning is a visual medium. (I know: "Duh!") If you look at the true masters of the craft, you'll see a language to their lines that is entirely their own, an attitude that reveals itself through the execution of the drawing.

It's as if the artist is having an unspoken dialogue with the reader who picks up on this intuitively. More importantly, execution can lead to idea. The mechanics employed to design, compose, and draft the elements of the cartoon always contribute to its drama and impact, but sometimes those techniques wonderfully stumble on something unique.

The accidental spill or the process of laying down a line triggers something that makes the light bulb come on. Experimentation with different drawing tools and approaches can yield pleasant surprises. We talk a lot about cliche cartoons and how they're BAD, but through a willingness to have fun with the drawing, the cartoonist can stumble on a cliche and stand it on its head. The reader does a double take.

Ta-da? A cliche no more!

Rex Babin is the editorial cartoonist for The Sacramento Bee. His work is distributed by King Features Syndicate. E-mail [e-mail]