Cartoons have long been a cherished form of expression, wielding a unique power to encapsulate complex ideas, critique society, and evoke laughter all at once. The minds behind these witty creations, cartoonists, possess a remarkable ability to distill the essence of a situation into a single frame, often accompanied by a punchy caption. Their work transcends language barriers, making cartoons a universally relatable medium that speaks volumes in just a few strokes of a pen or clicks of a mouse.
Whether they’re delivering astute political commentary, offering whimsical insights into everyday life, or simply tickling our funny bones with their imaginative characters, cartoonists play a vital role in shaping our cultural landscape. From the iconic works of Walt Disney to the sharp satire of artists like Matt Groening, the realm of cartoons is rich with diversity and creativity. Each cartoonist brings their own distinct style and perspective to the table, enriching our collective imagination with their visual narratives.
Below, you’ll find a curated collection of quotes by some of the most celebrated cartoonists in history. These snippets of wisdom, humor, and insight offer a glimpse into the minds of these talented artists, providing inspiration for both aspiring creators and avid fans alike. Feel free to explore, ponder, and perhaps even share these quotes, whether by copying them, pairing them with images, or embellishing them with stylish fonts.
When I was doing ‘Smile,’ I was looking back at pictures of myself and going, ‘Thank goodness I couldn’t do the sprayed-bangs thing! Everybody’s so embarrassed by that hairstyle now, but I was never cool enough to pull it off!’ Raina Telgemeier
I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages. Bill Mauldin
Political hypocrisy and racism make me hot under the collar. Walt Handelsman
I loved practical jokes. I loved being goofy on the playground, and I loved doing silly cartoons, but I was not this subversive little delinquent. I am an Eagle Scout, after all. Steve Breen
I don’t have to be careful, I’ve got a gun. Matt Groening
My responsibility is to present things in a way that is realistic and true to the multifaceted world I’ve known… This is how I think the world is, not how it should be. Adrian Tomine
The Bluebird of Happiness long absent from his life, Ned is visited by the Chicken of Depression. Gary Larson
Flattery is like chewing gum. Enjoy it but don’t swallow it. Hank Ketcham
It’s a hard thing to age a character because you can’t really suddenly give someone gray hair. Alison Bechdel
Going to hospital is rather like going to an alien planet. Quentin Blake
Let’s make some funny pictures. Tex Avery
That’s what keeps me going: dreaming, inventing, then hoping and dreaming some more in order to keep dreaming. Joseph Barbera
Maybe it’s stress or anger or adrenaline or disillusionment or a bullying nature or simple fear of getting killed themselves, but there is a problem if a cop cannot tell the difference between a menacing gangster and the far more common person they encounter whose life is a little frayed and messy. David Horsey
Thomas, my 15-year-old, is effectively my editor, I’ve always trusted his voice, more than anybody, on the strip for years. He has one of those ears that’s just tuned to the rhythm of humor, so if he says something’s not funny, my stomach just hurts because I know he’s right, and it’s already been drawn. Stephan Pastis
I think comfort, stability, and love are the things that really let me be happy. Deep down inside I’m a little boring, I guess. Jeffrey Brown
And uh, I’m glad that I still have my hands and my eyes to work with. Rube Goldberg
In pre-school, I was drawing dinosaurs – I was huge into dinosaurs. I wanted to be a paleontologist, not a cartoonist or a filmmaker or anything like that – just a paleontologist. So I would draw dinosaurs. Jhonen Vasquez
Graduation speeches force you to reflect. They are about consciousness. Nothing is better than consciousness. Bruce Eric Kaplan
You think about child abuse and you think of a father viciously attacking a daughter or a son, but in my family it was my mother. My mother, I would say, was a… very brutal disciplinarian. Lynn Johnston
A samurai should always be prepared for death – whether his own or someone else’s. Stan Sakai
Things are never quite as scary when you’ve got a best friend. Bill Watterson
I learned very early on in life that not everyone wants to hear every fact in the world, even if you want to tell them everything you’ve ever read. Randall Munroe
Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. Jim Davis
In many ways, we all have extraordinary circumstances thrust upon us in life, and it’s up to us to do the best with them. Box Brown
A smile is happiness you’ll find right under your nose. Tom Wilson
It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. Berkeley Breathed
Defy your own group. Rebel against yourself. Cathy Guisewite
It’s a beautiful tale, and today is a beautiful day without any bugs. Hugo Pratt
Humor has historically been tied to the mores of the day. The Yellow Kid was predicated on what people thought was funny about the immigrant Irish. When you’re different in a society, you’re funny. Will Eisner
You can never underestimate the stupidity of the general public. Scott Adams
I grew up to have my father’s looks, my father’s speech patterns, my father’s posture, my father’s opinions, and my mother’s contempt for my father. Jules Feiffer
When I started out in the eighties, the idea of creating serious comics for adults was pretty laughable to most folks, and for the longest time it was hard to even explain what alternative comics or graphic novels were. Nobody seemed to understand or care. Not so, any longer. Seth
The person who is brutally honest enjoys the brutality quite as much as the honesty. Possibly more. Richard J. Needham
We don’t create a fantasy world to escape reality. We create it to be able to stay. Lynda Barry
In Palm Springs, they think homelessness is caused by bad divorce lawyers. Garry Trudeau
The best thing for my creative process is a deadline. Jeff MacNelly
I think of my drawing style like handwriting: it’s a mix of whatever handwriting you’re born with, plus bits and pieces you’ve pilfered from other people around you. Roz Chast
Business should never be allowed to justify mean, thug ugly deals for any reason. Ralph Steadman
We have met the enemy and he is us. Walt Kelly
Artists are just children who refuse to put down their crayons. Al Hirschfeld
My aunt had a season ticket for the Friday afternoon concerts, and I would go down for lessons. My lessons were Saturday morning. Robert Ripley
I wouldn’t change anything. I think that it’s important to let things happen, and stay ‘happened’. I think that’s all part of the learning curve, part of fate. I’m just glad that it happened. Mike Peters
Silk Road to Ruin has all the analysis and it’s structured very well. I rely on my notes more and I use direct quotes. But there’s nothing like writing about it right away. Ted Rall
Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. Charles M. Schulz
Gee, I am a complete Luddite when it comes to computers, I can barely log on! Jonathan Shapiro
Are we having fun yet? Bill Griffith
Comics is a great medium to get a lot of stories out. Sergio Aragones
A true friend is someone who is there for you when he’d rather be anywhere else. Len Wein
The places I’ve been, or passed through, or seen at a distance, have had as much an impact on my life as the people I’ve known. Bryan Lee O’Malley
Chaos does not mean total disorder. Chaos means a multiplicity of possibilities. Chaos is from the ancient Greek words that means a thing that is birthed from the void. And it was about that which is possible, not about disorder. Jok Church
Abstract art: a product of the untalented sold by the unprincipled to the utterly bewildered. Al Capp
You can exaggerate with puppets. You’re not trying to look like real people. The way the Muppets are designed is really appealing. Puppets are best if they’re exaggerated creatures. Caroll Spinney
I’m wide open to getting married, but actors are not easy people to date. You end up sharing that person with this other mistress that is their career. I very much like the traditional courtship method of making a date. That’s what they do in normal places, but Hollywood’s not normal. Seth MacFarlane
The line between angry young woman and grumpy old lady is very fine. Judy Horacek
Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present. Bil Keane
There were dragons to slay in the old days. Nixon was a good dragon. Pat Oliphant
Every village in Africa now has a cyber cafe. Patrick Chappatte
That’s the thing. in medicine, you’re used to saying there’s a problem within the person, and saying there’s a problem within the culture, that’s not a medical answer. Medicine has to look in one direction, so there’s only one type of answer that they can find. Chester Brown
Once a profound truth has been seen, it cannot be ‘unseen’. There’s no ‘going back’ to the person you were. Even if such a possibility did exist… why would you want to? Dave Sim
Love one another and you will be happy. It’s as simple and as difficult as that. Michael Leunig
