# Why are SD cartoons somewhat pornographic? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 25, 2013, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453 "2013-07-25T02:33:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453/21 "2013-07-26T17:03:16Z")
Cecil has a weird streak a mile wide. He seeks, Slug delivers. Hate the game, not the playa ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453/22 "2013-07-26T17:10:05Z")
Without checking the links in this thread, I’d say it’s pretty clear that Slug was influenced by the late-60s-to-early-70s “comix” style of “underground,” “alternative,” irreverent, sometimes-hippie-but-just-as-often-making-fun-of-hippies art movement most famously exemplified by R. (Robert) Crumb. An earlier and more safe-for-work, but related, style would be that of Mad Magazine and its imitators. These days, related styles are evident in some of the stenciled “graffiti” (public guerilla art) and also hip/gross sticker books sold in some artsy novelty stores. I’d call it more “edgy” than “pornographic,” though. The exaggerated body parts and bodily functions do evoke R. Crumb, and maybe you’re making an indirect association with some of Crumb’s more directly erotically charged work. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453/23 "2013-07-26T22:36:40Z")
From the FAQ: “Slug is a successful commercial artist. Among his clients are several prominent publishers of the textbooks supplied to impressionable American schoolchildren.” > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > From the FAQ linked to above:Assuming those illustrations aren’t quite so risque, I assume he has to get it out of his system somewhere. Maybe he illustrates textbooks used in medical schools. :eek: Or High School biology. :o ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453/24 "2013-07-26T22:52:55Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Without checking the links in this thread, I’d say it’s pretty clear that Slug was influenced by the late-60s-to-early-70s “comix” style of “underground,” “alternative,” irreverent, sometimes-hippie-but-just-as-often-making-fun-of-hippies art movement most famously exemplified by R. (Robert) Crumb. Or perhaps large quantities of psychoactive compounds. Or maybe as his FAQ page says: > [@](#): > > What accounts for Slug’s unique artistic sensibility? > We’re not sure. All we know is northwest Indiana has the world’s highest concentration of toxic waste. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453/25 "2013-07-27T01:37:56Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I don’t think the rest of us can really comprehend Slug. I don’t think the rest of us WANT to really comprehend Slug. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2013, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453/26 "2013-07-27T03:47:04Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I don’t think the rest of us can really comprehend Slug. I can. I like his work. It does seem a little unnecessarily sexual for the venue however. Funny about the links above, I assumed that Slug _was_ Elwood H. Smith. I’ve been a fan of his since the early 90’s ([book I owned](http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0932592945)). Now that I think about it, given the twisted nature of Slug, I think giving himself a pat on the back as Smith is something he might do. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2013, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453/27 "2013-07-30T22:19:19Z")
> [@White SIFL](#): > > I can. I like his work. It does seem a little **unnecessarily sexual** for the venue however. Funny about the links above, I assumed that Slug _was_ Elwood H. Smith. I’ve been a fan of his since the early 90’s ([book I owned](http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0932592945)). Now that I think about it, given the twisted nature of Slug, I think giving himself a pat on the back as Smith is something he might do. > [@](#): > > **unnecessarily sexual** 😕 Those words are English. I’m sure of it. But for the life of me, I can’t understand them combined in that fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453/28 "2013-08-01T22:55:36Z")
> [@Una\_Persson](#): > > … this isn’t a case of a “Cecil isn’t Ed wink wink” thing. Wait, what . . . what are you implying here?😕:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453/29 "2013-08-01T23:16:45Z")
> [@Alan\_Smithee](#): > > Wait, what . . . what are you implying here?😕:eek: Clearly, it’s a veiled reference to Cecil’s tell-tale eye tick. It makes it look like he’s winking all the time. Try to keep up. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453/30 "2013-08-01T23:32:12Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Slug’s pictures often emphasize boobs and buttocks, and the women are often scantily clad. The themes are often titillating. Thus the choice of the word “pornographic”. And yet he also makes the exposed bits misshapen and ugly, which also makes them somewhat anti-pornographic. Sort of “You want to see naughty bits and get excited? Ha! Try to get excited about _these_, sucker!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-sd-cartoons-somewhat-pornographic/664453.md?page=1)