Yesterday, eighth grade students at Stella Schola Middle School, a choice school in Lake Washington School District, explored the world of political cartooning via lessons from Redmond Reporter cartoonist, Jeff Johnson.

Johnson told the students that he feels the main job of a political cartoonist is to “get people talking.”

When people see one of Johnson’s cartoons in the newspaper, they either agree with it or disagree with it and that starts conversations about important issues.

Students were inspired to express themselves as Johnson was teaching them.

“What is the most expressive part of the face?” he asked the students.

The consensus of the 14-year olds was that the most expressive part of the face was the eyes.

“Well, that’s what most people think,” he continued, “but it’s really the eyebrows.”

After showing students how the eyebrows could express emotion, Johnson encouraged students to try out what they were learning, and before long, students drew all kinds of characters.

Then students were asked to create a story with the cartoon.

“A cartoon is not just a funny picture, it must tell a story through the expression on the face of the character,” Johnson said.

After assigning the students various inanimate objects to make a character from, they were excited to have their work critiqued, eager to learn from the pro.

“It’s wonderful to have a professional from a local business in the classroom so that students can see how what they are learning in school can apply to a job later in life,” eighth grade teacher Brigitte Tennis said.

Students were introduced to political cartooning this year as they studied the cartoon of the Boston Massacre printed by Paul Revere way back in the American Revolution.

“You have to be smart and be up on your current events so that you can combine art and politics, otherwise your political cartoon won’t make any sense,” said student Jack Still.