How did wordless cartoons communicate jokes through costume, setting, and situation?

In the context of 20th-century caricature and cartoon, the rise of the wordless cartoon represented an extreme exercise in artistic economy. By removing dialogue, artists were forced to convey their humor entirely through visual elements, shifting the focus from verbal puns or class-based wordplay to the comic situation itself.1

These cartoons communicated jokes through three primary channels:

• Costume: Clothing served as a vital shorthand for character and social status. Cartoonists used specific attire—such as pseudo-Edwardian nattiness or the distinct dress of various social classes—to instantly establish the identity and predicament of the figures depicted.1
• Setting: The environment provided the necessary context for the joke. Whether it was a desert island, a psychoanalyst’s office, or a gallery, the setting acted as a stage where the "predicament" could unfold without the need for explanation.1
• Situation: The core of the humor often relied on a "predicament" or a frustrating, ludicrous detail. By using "portraits with accessories," artists created scenes where the irony was self-evident. For example, a cartoon might depict a circus mother with three hands or a businessman struggling with complex charts, allowing the reader to grasp the joke through an imaginative effort rather than a written prompt.1

Ultimately, these wordless cartoons functioned as a sophisticated visual language, where the accumulation of frustrating or absurd details dissolved the tension of modern life through laughter.1