Is it normal that most cartoon characters only have four fingers on each hand?

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10 Comments

I always wondered why the people who created the cartoon characters only give them four fingers on each hand. Anyone else notice this? It kinda redirects my attention from the plot, and I sometimes I end up going through most of the show wondering where the last finger is. Well, not really wondering where the last finger is, but wondering why they weren't created with a fifth finger on each hand. I know it sounds like a stupid post, but does anyone know of any cartoons where the characters have ten fingers?

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Based on 49 votes (40 yes)
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Comments ( 10 )
  • Thorolf
    7 years ago

    I noticed that too. It's weird.

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  • yesnomaybeso
    11 years ago

    as far as i'm concerned God has 10 fingers in The Simpsons

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  • [Old Memory]
    12 years ago

    It's cuz there lazy little fuckers!

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  • Brynne
    12 years ago

    It is easier to animate 4 fingers. You often see 5 fingers in anime because 4 fingers has a negative connotation in Japan (the Yakuza).

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  • squirrelgirl
    12 years ago

    I think it's because it's easier to animate.

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  • [Old Memory]
    12 years ago

    i think it might be the same concept as painting a room in a house. everything that is not painted looks shabby and old. If the hand was drawn anatomically correct the rest of the figure would look simple and incomplete

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  • dappled
    12 years ago

    It's because of the nature of cartoons. They are black outlines filled in with pink (or yellow in the case of The Simpsons). Human eyes spot contrast. If you see a human's hand in a film, you see a hand (with various graduating areas of light and dark, but still a hand), whereas in a cartoon you see the outline because it's strongly delineated. Three fingers at that scale better represents a human hand than an actual number of human fingers. Strange, but true.

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  • BoredGuy
    12 years ago

    It cause, saves a lot of time from drawing.

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  • randomjelly
    12 years ago

    I shit you not...2 days ago I had this exact thought.

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  • I_steal_free_bread
    12 years ago

    Its subliminal. Congratulations for noticing

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