首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
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
admin
2013-05-19
60
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.
A famous character, who always daydreams of doing exciting things, created by James Thurber, is named ______.
选项
答案
Walter Mitty
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/oXg7777K
0
大学英语四级
相关试题推荐
OneCity,TwoVisionsExpertsdifferinmethod,butagreethatpeoplemakeacityprosper.Whatshouldbethenexts
Thisofficial____________(抵制住金钱的诱惑)andisloyaltobothhispeopleandcountry.
Amongalltheanimals,theapeismostlikehumanbeings.Bothpeopleandapeshavethesimilarbrainstructure,thesimilarner
Claysuggestsgoingthroughthein-boxessystematicallyandthoroughlyeverymorning,andlessoftenifnecessary.Accordingto
GPSTheGlobalPositioningSystemisaspace-basedtriangulationsystemusingsatellitesandcomputerstomeasurepositions
Inamomentofpersonalcrisis,howmuchhelpcanyouexpectfromaNewYorktaxidriver?Ibeganstudyingthisquestionandfou
Ofthemillionsofinventions,whataretheeightgreatest?I’vedrawnupalist.Andthere’sonethingIknowaboutthisli
Tasteissuchasubjectivematterthatwedon’tusuallyconductpreferencetestsforfood.Themostyoucansayaboutanyone’sp
______(他不愿意接受母亲的建议)annoyedher.
Infamily,sheshowedherspecialfavortowardtheyoungestson,________________(这使得其他几个孩子嫉妒).
随机试题
上颌窦癌向后侵犯可导致
苓桂术甘汤与五苓散组成中均含有的药物是
判断有机磷农药中毒程度最可靠的指标是
下列()不属于房地产产品目标客户需求定位法的步骤。
中国期货业协会、期货交易所依法对期货公司实行()。
在项目建议书批准阶段或之前,各银行可以对符合贷款条件的项目出具贷款意向书,一般没有权限限制。()
设计制作幻灯片母版的菜单是()。
按照利率的决定方式可将利率划分为()。
InternationalHeraldTribune
“雄关漫道真如铁,而今迈步从头越。”经过70多年的持续努力,中国特色社会主义站在新的起跑线上。当今世界正经历百年未有之大变局,不同社会制度、发展模式的竞争较量更为尖锐复杂;中华民族伟大复兴到了关键阶段,建设社会主义现代化强国的任务更为艰巨繁重。未来30年,
最新回复
(
0
)