Editorial cartoonists adapting their craft for the Web

Posted by Mica Swyers on July 3, 2007 at 2:25 PM

With publishers concerned about effects of the Internet on the print paper, editorial cartoonists are feeling the pressure of job cuts and the imperative to adapt to a new medium and a demanding clientele. “We want to be about getting better and adapting to a changing economy,” says Rob Rogers, president of The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

Cheap syndication has led many papers to make in-house cuts, so many cartoonists are adapting their craft to appeal to the Web-savvy crowd. Animated Web cartoons are popular with both editors and readers, but they are extremely time-consuming. Mark Fiore, a freelance Web cartoonist, spends two to three 17-hour days completing each cartoon and provides most of the voices himself. In addition, he adds that a cartoonist must adapt to the different organization of Web animation, which don’t follow the traditional pacing of editorial cartoons.

Nevertheless, the popularity of animated Web cartoons has brought interested cartoonists to Fiore for advice and training. “I encourage those guys to switch over. In an ideal world, we’d be able to do both,” he explains.

Although the realm of editorial cartooning may only be a small part of print journalism, artists like Fiore testify to the necessity of adapting in the online environment. “Things are going online,” declares Rogers, “Those who get in first will be remembered.”

Examples of animated Web cartoons can be found on MarkFiore.com.

Source: The National Journal