A cartoonist is an artist who specializes in drawing cartoons (see also comic books and strips, anime, manga). They traditionally use pencil to sketch out their drawings, then go over the sketches in black ink, using either brushes or metal nibbed pens. Large comic book publishers (such as Marvel or DC) almost always utilize teams of cartoonists, so that no one cartoonist can be said to be the sole artistic force behind the comic. Nevertheless, comics and cartoons which utilize such teams usually have character model sheets to keep the comic's look consistent.
Animation houses employ specialized cartoonists, called "inbetweeners", to draw the motions connecting the broad movements of a character.
Nine months after the attacks of 11 September, leading American political cartoonists say they are under intense pressure to conform to a patriotic stereotype and not criticize the actions of Mr Bush and his "war on terror".
Now cartoonists, often the most biting political commentators of all, say they are feeling the same pressures.
Many cartoonists say that for the first few days after the attacks, their natural reaction was to produce work that expressed little more than shock, outrage and anger.
A cartoonist traditionally sketches the picture out roughly in pencil first, before going over the sketches in fl ink, using either brushes or metal nibbed pens.
Cartoonists whose work is intended for online publication increasingly work in digital media.
When a consistent artistic style is wanted among different cartoonists (such as Archie Comics), character model sheets may be used as reference.