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  3. Cartoons in America The new family movie "Ice Age: The Meltdown" is written for laughs. But some people might also see it as

Cartoons in America The new family movie "Ice Age: The Meltdown" is written for laughs. But some people might also see it as

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问题                      Cartoons in America
    The new family movie "Ice Age: The Meltdown" is written for laughs. But some people might also see it as a serious message about the dangers of climate warming.
Ice Age: The Meltdown
    The film brings back the animated animals from the 2002 hit movie "Ice Age." The main characters are a wooly mammoth(猛犸)named Manny, a sloth(树獭)named Sid and a saber-toothed tiger(剑齿虎)named Diego.
    In the first movie, Manny, Sid and Diego faced the dangers of the coming prehistoric freeze. This time they are threatened by floods from the melting of the Ice Age.
    At first, the animals love the water. Later, when they discover the threat, they must warn everyone else and find a way to save their valley.
Walt Disney
    The world of cartooning has changed a lot since the days when Walt Disney drew his characters by hand. Animated cartoons are especially labor-intensive. Animators create a sense of movement through a progression of many images. Each image is a little different than the one before it. Today many animators, including the ones who made the "Ice Age" movies, get help from computers.
    But Walt Disney’s work still influences modern cartooning. He started his company in 1923. He had his first big success 5 years later. He combined animation with sound in the 1928 film "Steamboat Willie."
    "Steamboat Willie" was the first movie to star Mickey Mouse. Later came other famous Disney characters, including Donald Duck.
    Donald Duck is over 70 years old now, but you could never tell by looking at him. To animate something means to give it life. Animated characters can live forever -- or at least as long as they stay popular.
Comic Strips and Cartoons
    Another form of cartooning is the comic strip. Comic strips are a drawing or a series of drawings that present a situation or tell a little story. Comic strips are usually good for a laugh or at least a smile.
    American newspapers commonly publish a page or more of them each day. These are usually black- and-white drawings. Sunday funnies are often published in color.
    Readers of all ages enjoy the comics in the newspaper.
    On television, cartoons used to be thought of as mainly for children. But times have changed. For example, Cartoon Network says one-third of the people who watch its programs are over the age of 18. So it offers special late-night programming called "Adult Swim." These cartoons are meant to appeal to what it calls "a grown-up sense of humor and other adult sensibilities."
    One of the shows, "The Boondocks(荒野)," is based on a newspaper comic strip.
    "The Boondocks" is the story of Huey and Riley, two young African-American boys. They come from a rough part of Chicago, Illinois. Now they live with their grandfather in a mainly white community. The characters are known for their sharp observations about life there, and life in general. Huey speaks his mind like a revolutionary.
    "The Boondocks" often deals with issues of race and social justice. The strip is more political than most comic strips readers are used to. Some think it is great; others think it goes too far.
    "The Boondocks" appears in about 350 newspapers. Aaron McGruder is the cartoonist who created it. He has been taking a break from the print version since March, and does not plan to have new ones until October. "Every well needs refreshing," he says.        "Peanuts" is an example of a more traditional comic strip. Charles Schulz is the artist who created Charlie Brown and Snoopy the dog and all their friends. Charles Schulz died in 2000. But the cartoons he drew are still being repeated. The humor is timeless.
    Many readers also enjoy comics like "Garfield and Friends." Garfield is a fat cat who likes thinking of food and making fun of his owner.
    And some readers never miss "Dennis the Menace." This single-drawing cartoon is about a 5-year-old boy. Dennis is always causing trouble for his parents and a retired neighbor, Mister Wilson. But to his fans since the 1950s, Dennis is always likeable.
Editorial Cartoons
    Another form of cartooning is the editorial cartoon. These express the opinion of the artist or the artist’s publication.
    The 19th century cartoonist Thomas Nast drew for Harper’s Weekly and the humor magazine Puck. In his political cartoons he drew an elephant to represent Republicans and a donkey for Democrats. Today these animals are still used to represent the two major parties in America.
    In the 20th century, cartoonists like Peter Arno, James Thurber and Charles Addams drew for the New Yorker magazine. The New Yorker has a tradition of publishing cartoons as social commentary.
    Peter Arno liked to make fun of people of wealth and social position and self-importance. He drew his subjects with heavy lines.
    James Thurber’s cartoons pointed out human weaknesses. He drew his subjects with a light touch.
    James Thurber also wrote many humor books. He created the character of Walter Mitty. Walter Mitty is a mild little man who daydreams of doing exciting things.
    Cartoonist Charles Addams created the Addams Family. They looked like a scary family out of a horror movie. But Addams made funny situations from these strange characters. Somehow his artistry made normal people seem strange.
    Today, New Yorker cartoons are still known for their sharp humor. For example, a lawyer advises a man that the best defense in his situation is to lie.
    New Yorker cartoonists can find humor in almost any situation. A well-known cartoon that appeared in 1993 was drawn by Peter Steiner. Two dogs are at a computer. One says to the other, "On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog."
    One of America’s most influential political cartoonists worked at the Washington Post for 55 years. His name was Herbert Block. But readers knew him better as Herblock, the name he used to sign his work.
    During the 1950s, Herblock was known for his cartoons against Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy accused many people of being communists. Finally, the Senate condemned McCarthy for his actions.
    Over the years, Herblock won 3 Pulitzer prizes(普利策奖)and a Presidential Medal of Freedom. He continued drawing until shortly before his death in 2001, at the age of 91.
    Cartoons can make powerful statements about events. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was shot. That led cartoonist Bill Mauldin to draw another president who died that way. He drew the statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington. In the cartoon, President Lincoln is crying.
    Almost 40 years later, in 2001, cartoonists drew the Statue of Liberty crying in New York Harbor. That was after the September 11th attack on the nearby World Trade Center.
    Cartoons can make people sad. They can also make them angry. Last September a newspaper in Den- mark published cartoons that insulted Muslims. Other newspapers later republished these cartoons. Protests and deadly riots took place in a number of countries earlier this year. The cartoons and the reaction led to international debate about responsibility and freedom of speech.
    Cartoons can make us think, they can make us laugh, they can make us cry. Cartoons can make a difference in how we look at life.
Beginning by the hot cartoon movie "Ice Age: The Meltdown", the article introduces the world of cartoons in America.
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