Cartoonist - Definition and Overview

A cartoonist at work.

A cartoonist is an artist who specializes in drawing cartoons (see also comic books and strips, anime, manga). They traditionally use pencil to sketch out their drawings, then go over the sketches in black ink, using either brushes or metal nibbed pens. Large comic book publishers (such as Marvel or DC) almost always utilize teams of cartoonists, so that no one cartoonist can be said to be the sole artistic force behind the comic. Nevertheless, comics and cartoons which utilize such teams usually have character model sheets to keep the comic's look consistent.

Animation houses employ specialized cartoonists, called "inbetweeners", to draw the motions connecting the broad movements of a character.

See also

• List of cartoonists
• editorial cartoonist
• alternative comics
• mangaka