Easter Eggs
Easter eggs are visual treats that a cartoonist inserts into his background. This might be a little gag such as a cleverly worded headline in a newspaper being read by an incidental character in the background. Or it might be a surprising visual element such as a cat chasing a dog in the distance.
Easter eggs are wonderful elements to add into a composition as a treat for the attentive reader. However, they should not be attempted without a solid foundation in the principles of composition. Poorly composed Easter eggs can become distracting.
The undisputed king of the Easter egg is Dan Piraro. In his syndicated cartoon panel, Bizarro, he will hide any number of the following images: An inverted bird, a crown, an eyeball, “K2,” a slice of pie, an alien in a spaceship, a bunny, a shoe, an arrow, and a fish tail. Check out his Web site:
Easter eggs are a great addition to a comic but should not distract from the composition. In this example, the Easter eggs are labels and newspaper clippings using hair puns.
Don't be fooled by the simplified nature of cartoon drawing and the lighthearted nature of cartoon writing. Cartooning is a sophisticated and complex method of communication. Only when you become proficient at essentials such as composition will you learn to exploit your work to its fullest potential.
