The title of this article might encourage the reader to look forward to some humorous drawings along the lines of Mickey Mouse or Charlie Brown. Sadly the abilities of this author fall woefully short of such a task. There is a much older use of the word ‘cartoon’ referring to the prototypes or trial drawings of masters such as Michelangelo in preparation for the finished work to follow. Again this raises the artistic expectations absurdly high. However this article does in fact have some associations with both of these meanings of the word. The aim is to provide tools which make it easy for lecturers to produce drawings to explain ideas and for students to explore data and concepts. In that sense students are introduced to sketches of the real thing. In addition the ability to animate drawings easily is a particular aim and raising a smile in the classroom or lab is certainly welcome. The word ‘cartoon’ therefore seemed particularly appropriate.
