Here are some cartoons from my own collection, illustrating various conceptions of language in popular culture:

1. An example of a popular conception of language and writing: the "discovery" of the Tikal civilization and its writing system, by Prince Valiant and his associates.

   

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3. An example of a New Yorker cartoon making fun of political correctness in the time of the ancient Egyptians.

   

4. The cartoon character "Charlie" watching television and hearing reports of language policy decisions.

   

5. An example of a political cartoon making light of the Oakland School Board and the Ebonics controversy.

   

6. A Beetle Bailey cartoon poking fun at the character Sarge and his "knowledge" of Italian.

   

7. Another cartoon with a character 'Pierre of the North' and an exaggerated 'French' accent:

   

8. The cartoon character "Ziggy" tries to use his French in a French Restaurant.
   

    

    

9. A character from the Piranha Club gets his comeuppance in a French (what else?) restaurant.

    

    

   Piranha Club guy in French Restaurant

    

10. Another Piranha Club cartoon where Ernie takes his mother-in-law to a French Restaurant, with unfortunate resolts.

     

    

11. A political cartoon satirizing George W. Bush's appeal to ethnic voters (especially of the Hispanic variety), which originally appeared in the Oregonian and was reprinted in the Seattle Times of July 23, 2000.

     

    

     

12. A cartoon making fun of Gringos in a Mexican restaurant. Note the mixed English/Spanish dialogue. (Is this making fun of the gringos or is it making fun of Mexico and Mexican food, etc.?) Source: New Yorker, 9/11/00).

    

     

13. A cartoon from Overboard that shows a number of things:

    • The ongoing problem the pirates have picking up women in bars; the usual scene shows women beating a hasty retreat when one of the inept pirates tries one of his pickup lines.

    • The inability of the stupid pirates to understand a `foreign' language adequately, so for once when the woman is actually interested, they misinterpret certain words and beat their own retreat.

    • Note the fake foreign language used by the woman; though it is mostly gibberish, it does contain some approximations of words from other known languages, such as bonoculo (for `beautiful eyes'), bonsprëeko (for "nice talk"?), beentoe (French bientôt `soon'?)

     

    

     

14. Cats and Dogs (Mutts ) discuss animal communication.

     

    Earl and Mooch! (Mutts) discuss `Dog Talk'