Report 2
Driving Cartoons

By:Kathy Teruya

Illustrations by: Roland Corpuz

Table of Contents

Introduction

Is laughter truly the best medicine? If so then why not use laughter as an instrument for learning? Millions of people religiously read the Sunday comics, we should use this to our advantage.

In this report I have searched through the Generational Curriculum for self-witnessing reports of past students. In these reports I looked for some behavior or emotion that could be expressed into an image. I then came up with an idea of how to retell the story in a humorous (I hope) cartoon.

The MAN: Roland Corpuz

I cannot tell a lie. I have a confession. The drawings are not mine. Not in a million years could I have come up with something that looks as good as the pictures you are about to see. Roland Corpuz, a friend of my mother did these wonderful cartoons. I did attempt to draw my own, but I can't see myself putting stick figures on the Internet. I gave him ridiculous looking stick men and look what he did with it! Absolutely amazing! So remember the name, Roland Corpuz, you saw it here first!

An Effective Way of Communicating

Using cartoons as a way of communicating driving skills, what a concept. Often, education and learning have negative connotations and strike dread into the eyes of children. These words, especially to kids become associated with studying, reading, and BORING! When this happens the interest and the impact of the knowledge you are trying to impart to these young minds becomes lost. To teach through humor using cartoons opens a world of opportunities. When learning becomes fun, it also becomes effective.

A Particular Advantage to Cartoons

Who doesn't love cartoons. All of those bright bold colors jumping out at you. You can easily spot the Sunday Comics amist all the gloomy black and white pages. These colors have a way of lightning my mood which increases my enjoyment in reading. I believe that in this heightened mood you become less defensive. If you are relaxing and laughing you also let your guard down.

I believe cartoons, including driving cartoons have a particular advantage over traditional teachings methods. Using a traditional method, lecturing for example, often comes out as a form of chastising. "Don't do this. Doing that is wrong." This method, I can say from experience, can easily go in one ear and out the other, not very conductive to learning. However, with educational cartoons you can laugh at the story being told but you will eventually recognize the behavior being portrayed. Hey, that's me! OK, the picture may be a slight stretch on reality, but basically you can see yourself doing this. On one hand, you laugh at the absurd behavior in the cartoon, then you begin to realize how stupid you look when it's your behavior. You reach a sort of revelation while laughing at yourself, how much cooler can learning get. All it takes is that one second when you see yourself from an objective point of view. This may never happen with the traditional style of learning.

My Driving Cartoons

Cartoon 1: It's not my fault

Click Here to View Cartoon 1

Cartoon 2: Tailgating Behavior

Click Here to View Cartoon 2

Cartoon 3: Parent Role Models

Click Here to View Cartoon 3

Cartoon 4: I Didn't See You

Click Here to View Cartoon 4

Cartoon 5: But He's Bigger

Click Here to View Cartoon 5

Establishing a Cartoon Web Database

I think the idea of establishing a cartoon web database has some merit. The Internet has such a large audience that designing a place for people to create their own driving cartoons and publishing it on the web seems like a great concept. This would provide a creative outlet for those who either want to promote good driving skills or their own image of good driving skills. This is a less aggressive form of venting some of their highway frustration. At least it would be better than venting on the roads.

Software and Procedures for Web Database

Now the problem becomes what type of software and procedures would be needed. Well, I am not what you would call a computer savvy person. In fact I didn't even know how to copy and past before this class. However, from what I have seen, and from the problems I personally have encountered with these cartoons I have come up with a few suggestions.

Create a type of clip art that contains pictures that may be used in driving cartoons. This would be for the people like me who can't draw more than stick men. For example, cars, wrecked cars, people, police officers, bent sign poles, word bubbles, things like that.

Perhaps you could also include a type of paint software. This way it becomes easy to add color to your cartoons. Of course this program would need capabilities such as cropping, rotating, flipping, and erasing errors.

Might I also suggest for those gifted people who draw their own cartoons but have no access to a scanner, to have a directory of locations in their area that may allow the use of their scanner. This is not necessary but it would be nice.

Naturally we would need someone who is constantly monitoring the site. There would need to be warnings such as no obscene or vulgar cartoons, since I would also like children to visit this interactive site. So the monitor would need to remove any cartoon like this.

This is just the start. I really have so much to learn about computers that I don't feel qualified to go into the technical aspects of setting up and interactive web site such as this. But, this is what I feel I would like to be included in the site.

Kids and Driving Cartoons

Who better than kids to make the driving cartoons for. Children are active members of our driving community, as passengers and pedestrians. I believe that education about save driving behaviors should begin early, now when they are fifteen about to get their license.

Children at an early age have wonderful memories, and can tell right from wrong. It is at that point that we need to intervene, instill good driving habits early. This is where I believe driving cartoons could be put to use. Kids love cartoons, make them fun and entertaining with a message. Perhaps you can make a character in a series of cartoons, call him Troy the Traffic Guy or something less cheesy. In any case I feel that driving cartoons are a innovative tool that should be used to shape our future drivers of America.

Driver's Ed Manuals

Now for the subject of having cartoons in the Driver's Ed Manuals. I think it would be a great idea. Driver's Manuals are informative why not make them more fun and interesting. Besides, they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so why not let it be a cartoon. These driving cartoons could be used to illustrate certain topics in driving. Perhaps it could point out the dangers of tailgating, or speeding, or cutting off a really big weight lifter. Again all it takes is that second of revalation to open our eyes. And since drivers must read the Manuel to prepare for the test anyway, this becomes a great opportunity for its exposure.

Conclusion

Well, I must say this was a fun paper to do. Well except for the problems I had with scanning it in, but I overcame that obstacle. I believe that driving cartoons is a great concept. It allows you to add a touch of humor to an otherwise serious subject. And it gives you an opportunity to see yourself from an objective point of view that may otherwise be denied by your beliefs.

Future Generations

To all you future generations who may be reading this. If you are trying to produce some driving cartoons, here are some suggestions.

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