Consider these other norms. Real people are often in conflict with their character oppo-
site. However, some people seek out others that complement their strongest traits. Usually,
people are a combination of two or more types.
Classic Comedy Character Types
From its beginnings comedy has often been based on a character type. It’s a stereotype in
that it’s an exaggerated model we recognize and understand. This kind of character is valu-
able in comedy shorts like cartoons because we already know that character and what to
expect. It saves time. We don’t have to set up a new character for the audience, but we can
go immediately into the story and the gags. We laugh when the character does the funny
thing that we have come to expect, and we laugh when he does something off-the-wall that
we don’t expect. Inflexible types are great for comedy. These character types have a comic
defect. You can set up a character type and bounce the world off him, using conflict and con-
trast. Think of Homer Simpson, Donald Duck, and the Grinch.
Comedy stemming from character allows for sustained humor, and it’s remembered long
after the gags and the situations. A good gag builds characterization, and characterization
builds gags.
Classic Roman comedy types are still used in cartoons:
- The Blockhead—We’re smarter than he. He’s defeated before he even begins.
Fred Flintstone (The Flintstones) - The Nave—The kid who’s always in trouble.
Bart Simpson (The Simpsons)
Other typical comedy types include the following:
- The Fish Out of Water—The misfit. (Try developing a whole series around this type!)
Shrek (Shrek) - The Naïve—Forever innocent.
Winnie the Pooh (Winnie the Pooh) - The Conniver—Not innocent, but reallyguilty.
Wile E. Coyote (Road Runner) - The Zany—Wild and crazy.
Aladdin (Disney’sAladdin) - The Poor Soul—The underdog. This character works best today when he’s a
child or an animal. Be careful about adult characters that appear to be victims.
If the adult is a victim, then he must constantly be struggling to get out of that
situation for us to identify with him. Also, this kind of character must retain his cool
60 Animation Writing and Development