The Caricature B-Side

In the world of creative expression, things get exaggerated and shit gets dramatic — it’d be boring to watch all of life’s monotony replicated in the art we engage with. Whether in literature, music or film, artists create characters — figures with hyperbolic qualities — to serve their narrative and to act as a gateway into a more thematic and purposeful world.

But sometimes, the artists go too far. Their depiction of their world, ideas or thoughts gets too exaggerated. Characters become caricatures.

It’s this process of extreme distortion that interests the writers below. Together, they’ve delved deeper into why certain caricatures exist, what they mean and how they affect us.

I hope you enjoy their pieces as much as I do!

Daily Arts Writer Ben Luu can be reached at benllv@umich.edu.

An illustration of an evolution diagram style drawing of a realistically drawn woman transitioning into a caricature of herself.
When TV shows lose themselves
An illustration of an evolution diagram style drawing of a realistically drawn woman transitioning into a caricature of herself.
The (exactly) two characters of Ali Hazelwood
An illustration of a cartoon rainbow snake in the shape of the male symbol biting a mouse in black and white.
Predators and Prey: The Homosexual “Threat”
An illustration of Gi-hun, a father character from the show Squid Game, with piles of cash falling behind him.
Rich Dad, Poor Father
An illustration of a caricature style drawing of Future and Lil Tecca holding a giant bottle of multicolored pills.
When did drugs become a personality?