ABSTRACT
C o m i c art brings together aspects of farce, irony, and satire, applying them to socia l , po l i t i ca l , or re l ig ious themes. A m o n g various manifestations of comic art known from time immemorial , caricature, cartoon, and comic strip stand out as the most popular in the nineteenth and twendeth centuries. Caricature commonly exaggerates conspicuous features of a wel l -known figure. Its artist expects the reader to be familiar with the object of his ridicule. Cartoon, on the other hand, is based on good comprehension of the subject matter; it often represents in a nutshell an editorial opinion or commentary on political and social issues. Comic strip, as a serial form of comic art, combines elements of caricature, cartoon, as wel l as drama, and storytelling. C o m i c strip commonly includes speech "bal loons"—rounded partitions which enclose projecdons of characters' thoughts.1
