Does Anime=Cartoons in your opinion?

Western animation can be every bit as serious or as artistic as stuff from the East. Everyone just has trouble seeing it that way. But since Anime has more of that sort of thing people see it as different from Cartoons here even though its not completely the case.

I think part of the problem is with the english terms for animated shows and printed entertainment: Comic and cartoon.

 Spoiler

com·ic (kmk)
adj.
1. Characteristic of or having to do with comedy.
2. Of or relating to comic strips.
3. Amusing; humorous: a comic situation involving the family's pets.
n.
1. a. A comedian.
b. A person whose behavior elicits laughter.
2. a. comics Comic strips.
b. A comic book.
3. A source of humor in art or life.

 Spoiler

car·toon (kär-tn)
n.
1.
a. A drawing depicting a humorous situation, often accompanied by a caption.
b. A drawing representing current public figures or issues symbolically and often satirically: a political cartoon.
2. A preliminary sketch similar in size to the work, such as a fresco, that is to be copied from it.
3. An animated cartoon.
4. A comic strip.
5. A ridiculously oversimplified or stereotypical representation: criticized the actor's portrayal of Jefferson as a historically inaccurate cartoon.

Notice how both terms imply a humourous usage? That alone probably is a huge reason why people seem to believe there's a difference. i still know some people who think animation should only be used for funny stuff and superheroes to this day. Heck, cartoon alone seems to imply incompletion or oversimplified in addition to 'for the laughs'. Can you really take seriously anything defined by words like this?

American animation and graphic novels are decent, but we really do need some simpler names to replace cartoon/comic that don't cause the preconceived image of comedy.