A little reason to celebrate
National Cartoonists Day
Hobby ยท May 5
A day for the people who draw cartoons and comic strips, and for reading, sharing and trying your own hand at a few panels.
National Cartoonists Day falls on Wednesday, May 5, 2027. That is 190 days away.
Cartoonists tell stories with a few lines and a few words. A face made of two dots and a curve can look worried, smug or delighted, and a good cartoonist knows exactly which curve does which.
The work comes in many shapes. There are daily comic strips that run in newspapers, single-panel gag cartoons, editorial drawings, comic books, graphic novels and animated shows that start as sketches on paper. Much of it begins the same way, with pencil roughs, then ink, then lettering and sometimes color. Plenty of cartoonists now draw on tablets, but the steps are often similar.
What makes the form so readable is economy. A strip might have three or four panels to set up a moment and land it, so every gesture and speech balloon has to earn its space. Readers learn the shorthand without thinking about it: motion lines for speed, sweat drops for nerves, a little cloud of dust when someone leaves in a hurry.
People mark the day by reading old favorites, passing along a strip that made them laugh, or picking up a pen themselves. Drawing a simple character is a good test of how much thought goes into those few lines. Try making the same face look happy, then annoyed, by changing only the eyebrows.
Local libraries tend to have more comics than people expect, from collected newspaper strips to thick graphic novels, usually shelved in their own section near the back.
Ways to celebrate
- Reread a favorite comic strip collection or graphic novel.
- Draw a four-panel comic about something from your day.
- Share a cartoon that made you laugh with a friend.
- Browse the comics section at your local library.
- Write a note of thanks to a cartoonist whose work you follow.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, May 5 |
| 2027 | Wednesday, May 5 |
| 2028 | Friday, May 5 |
| 2029 | Saturday, May 5 |
| 2030 | Sunday, May 5 |
Also on May 5
Categories: Hobby days