Deadly+Smoking+Visual+Analysis

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Adcock, Brian. "Deadly Smoking." Www.politicalcartoons.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2017. < @http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/b7e0db2d-ffde-4a45-8b83-b663e3c20c34.html >.

=Death By Smoking= For more than ten centuries, cigarettes have been claiming the lives of individuals day by day. Despite the extensive number of health ads, campaigns, and commercials created to steer human-kind away from the terrible habit, there still seems to be quite a number of people who are ignoring the warnings of the fatal effects that cigarettes may cause. In an effort to express the seriousness of the deaths caused by cigarettes, Brian Adcock, an award-winning cartoonist, crafted a poignant political cartoon, Deadly Smoking, in hopes of bringing smokers and potential smokers to their senses. The cartoon illustrates a large, chilling grim reaper lighting a typical smoker’s cigarette. The grim reaper in this image could be interpreted as “death” or a pathway to death for individuals who currently smoke cigarettes or are anticipating smoking cigarettes. This illustration’s skillful use of visual elements and rhetorical devices works to encourage practicing humans to realize the deadly effect that smoking cigarettes is having (or could possibly have) on their lives.

With the cartoon’s use of visual elements, it is instantly communicated to the target audience that death caused by cigarette smoking is a matter of extreme concern. The entire cartoon is composed with a black, white, and gray color scheme, which complements the deathly message that the image is intending to convey. These colors also contribute to the dark, cold tone that the illustration displays. The black, white, and gray colors are formed by strokes of lines throughout the image, which give the image an appearance similar to that of a Halloween decoration. Moreover, with an all-white background, the audience is actually able to direct their full attention to the way in which the cartoon was crafted. By avoiding the incorporation of lively colors and patterns, Adcock was better able to alert his audience of the despairing consequences of smoking cigarettes- despite the fictional appearance and characters of the illustration.

Although Adcock incorporated characters that can only be figments of the imagination (a grim reaper and a pocket-sized male) into his illustration, these artificial beings are no less effective at persuading a target audience than realistic characters would be. In fact, the fictional appearance of this drawing may be,in a way, more sufficient for reaching an audience of smokers. Since long ago, the grim reaper has always been a significant symbol of death. This cartoon manifests a large,demonic grim reaper with a scythe sharp and long enough to kill. His body is but a skeleton, his eyes are dark, hollow holes, and his structure is immense and similar to the trunk of a tree. The expression on the grim reaper’s face is that of malicious intent with a mixture of happiness as he lights a man’s cigarette. As he is lighting the cigarette, he appears to be satisfied with the realization that the male smoker is nearly oblivious to the fact that he is falling right into his death trap. Because the male is so miniscule compared to the grim reaper, the audience can automatically interpret the grim reaper’s dominance over the man. Also, because the man was crafted to look so typical and harmless, the grim reaper is even more empowered to give the cartoon the deadly perception that will persuade its audience.

An overall appeal to emotion is displayed by the entirety of this cartoon. When observing the grim reaper lighting a cigarette, the audience is prompted to begin to ask themselves if they are willing to allow smoking cigarettes to claim their lives. With the grim reaper being such a popular symbol of death, one cannot help but to understand the seriousness of the message in this cartoon. The illustration makes viewers realize that they are slowly giving their lives away with each cigarette that they smoke. Adcock uses these elements of pathos and ethos not only to make the audience feel guilty, but to also urge them to seize their self-destructive ways before it is too late.

Ultimately, Adcock effectively got his point across to his audience through the use of this cartoon. If humans continue to smoke cigarettes, they will only continue to see shorter days. The addicted man having his cigarette lighted by the grim reaper in the picture is no less than an adequate representation of what smoking cigarettes does to individuals. The overall composition of this illustration motivates its audience to think extensively before smoking, cease their smoking habit, and refuse to give death power over their lives. With illustrations like this one, smokers and potential smokers around the globe will think twice about the decision to choose a cigarette over their own life.

Citation:
Adcock, Brian. "Deadly Smoking." Www.politicalcartoons.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2017. <@http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/b7e0db2d-ffde-4a45-8b83-b663e3c20c34.html>.