A Clever Lexicon

Tim H. (animator, and sometimes cartoonist) who hears us on WPLN, writes…

Dear Says You!

As I was enjoying this week’s episode, I wanted to interrupt your team members for a definition clarification. The word was “Flewb: a cartoon drawing of water droplets.” It was stated that it was an animator’s word. It is not. It is a comic strip cartoonist’s work (a closely related but very different discipline). Cartoonist Mort Walker, creator of Beetle Bailey, Hi & Lois, and others came up with a clever lexicon of cartoonists words to describe the visual conventions of comic strips, like the symbols used for profanity (Grawlixes), or stars and tiny circles that circle a head indicating intoxication (Squeans). Not many cartoonists actually use the words. They were pretty much just for fun for Mr. Walker and his compatriots.

Thank you, and keep up the great work!