Cartoons - An art form?

A valid query has been raised against one of my cartoons in the gallery so I thought I would put on my serious head and gather a few thoughts together on the subject. I must say at the outset that I do firmly believe that cartoons are an art form albeit, regrettably, a very poor relation. One thing that I have learnt from drawing them is to simplify the subject - a face, for example, can be shown in just a few lines which the brain will interpret. It's amazing how the brain works - after being prompted by another artist who tried it I can remember asking a class what a straight horizontal line represented and I had a chorus saying it was the horizon - simplifying the subject and knowing what to leave out is what many of us seek to achieve in our work . It is drawing cartoons which has been the most important factor in helping me to loosen up my work. As such I don't think they can be divorced from the more serious art forms which we see, for example, in the gallery. I would also add that others might find drawing them a big help in extending their work - I doodle away whilst watching the TV so finding the time isn't an issue. Putting the strapline to one side, they are drawn from the imagination and are undoubtedly works of creation - so they must surely fall under the art banner. Even if anyone is not convinced, the cartoons which I am currently posting are all about art so, I would submit m'lud, they are relevent to the site regardless of any other issues. It is a real shame that the two magazines do not seem able to embrace the idea of including relevant cartoons in their publications - not only because thay are an art form but also to bring a smile to the faces of their readers. Anyway if cartoons were good enough for Leonardo then they are good enough for me. Now to watch the tele with paper and pencil.