Cartoon Eulogy

I admit it: I never liked the Road Runner. When I was a kid, I felt sorry for Wile E. Coyote, the pathetic, would-be carnivore. The Road Runner was such a show-off. Not only was he impossibly fast, but somehow even gravity seemed to work in his favor. It just wasn't fair.  

I’m sorry if you don’t know what I'm talking about. It's a cartoon. An old cartoon.  

One nice thing about cartoon characters though, is that they never die. That coyote would fall off a cliff, and he’d crawl away dazed but breathing. Run him over with a steam roller, and he’d just walk around flat for a while. Blow him up with a roomful of TNT, and he’d get all black and smoky, but a few seconds later, he’d be good as new. 

It would be pretty sad if a cartoon character really did pass away, wouldn't it? But what if you were invited to give the eulogy at the funeral service (a speech given in someone’s honor at a funeral is called a eulogy)? That’s what you’ll be writing this week – the speech you’d read to all the fans and other cartoon characters at the funeral. 

This is all in good fun of course. Remember that a cartoon character can't really die. Be as clever and creative as you like. You may refer to the manner in which your cartoon friend has passed away, but don’t get graphic or gross — only include what would be appropriate at a funeral. The idea of a euology is to celebrate the life of the departed loved one, remember. Be nice. 

You may choose any cartoon character you’d like, but the list below might give you some ideas: 

  • Clifford

  • Batman

  • Spider Man

  • Wile E. Coyote

  • Paddington

  • Madeline

  • Bugs Bunny

  • Porky Pig

  • Mickey Mouse

  • Goofy

  • Phineas or Ferb

  • Gumball

  • Sponge Bob

How long should it be?  Don’t worry too much about length. Normally, this assignment is between two and four pages.  

What if I don’t do it right? Don’t worry about that either. There is no single right way to do this. You can’t do it wrong. Your writing coach is there to help and will suggest ways to improve your work. Do it the way you think best. You’ll have two chances to make changes before we’re through. 

Follow the formatting guidelines.