Visual pun

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A visual pun is a pun involving an image or images (in addition to or instead of language), often based on a rebus.

Visual puns in which the image is at odds with the inscription are common in cartoons such as Lost Consonants or The Far Side as well as in Dutch gable stones. For instance, a gable stone in the village of Batenburg puns on the words baten (‘to profit’) and burg (‘castle’) by depicting silver coins becoming gold in a castle.

European heraldry contains the technique of canting arms, which can be considered punning.

In heraldry

Visual puns on the bearer's name are used extensively as forms of heraldic expression, they are called

• 
  USAF

  squadron emblem shows a kicking donkey (ass) with slogan "Kickin' Ass"
• 
  The coat of arms (a

  field

  ” in Dutch.
• 
  All is Vanity (1892) by

  vanity

  )
• 
  Bowes-Lyon

  : bows and lions.
• 
  A lamppost (foreground) and Toronto's CN Tower (in distance)
• 
  A computer mouse caught in a mousetrap typically used for live mice
• 
  Washington crossing the Delaware

See also

• Japanese rebus monogram
• Slapstick

Further reading

• Christian Hempelmann and Andrea C. Samson. “Visual Puns and Verbal Puns: Descriptive Analogy or False Analogy?” In: Diana Popa and Salvatore Attardo (Eds.), “New Approaches to the Linguistics of Humor.” Galati: Dunarea de Jos. 2007. 180-196.
• Heller, Steven (12 April 2012). "The Object Poster, the Visual Pun, and 3 Other Ideas That Changed Design". The Atlantic. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
• Shnidman, Ronen (8 February 2012). "Dror Karta's Play With Visual Pun". Algemeiner Journal. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
• Mendoza, Manuel (28 January 2017). "Bridgman|Packer creates visual puns, evokes sensuous mystery by blending dance with video imagery". Dallas News. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
• Mufson, Beckett (21 December 2015). "Korean Artist Makes Visual Puns from Pop Culture | Monday Insta Illustrator". Creators. Vice Media LLC. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
• Wilson, P.F. (25 January 2016). "Can you guess Matthew Broussard's visual puns?". City Pages. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
• Boyd, Chris (18 January 2018). "La Vie Dans Une Marionette: visual puns, no strings attached". The Australian. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
• Abed, Farough (March 1994). "Visual Puns as Interactive Illustrations: Their Effects on Recognition Memory". Metaphor and Symbolic Activity. 9 (1): 45–60.
  doi:10.1207/s15327868ms0901_3
  .

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