Like other kinds of artists, editorial cartoonists use a variety of drawing styles and techniques. Some, such as Garry Trudeau, creator of the politically pointed comic strip Doonesbury, have a unique and immediately recognizable style.
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Following are some of the techniques that editorial cartoonists use to make their cartoons pack a strong punch. Click the technique to see a definition and an example.
| emotional appeal |
Images that trigger a strong emotional reaction such as anger, contempt, or pride.
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| caricature |
![Caricature of President Richard M. Nixon By Cowace2 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://s3.amazonaws.com/cms.accelerate-ed.com/image/3342bce4-b23d-46db-a0f2-5375af7e616a.jpg)
Comically exaggerated images of people such as politicians and other public figures.
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| stereotypes |
An oversimplified, often negative and dehumanizing idea about a group of people.
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| symbols |
Symbolic images such as blind Justice with scales, Uncle Sam, the Democratic donkey, and the Republican elephant.
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| allusions |
Allusions, or indirect references to people, events, and images, such as this allusion to the anti-suffragette movement.
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| demonizing |
Portraying a particular person or group as extremely evil and threatening.
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