Stick figure

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Stick figure" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (March 2014) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

A stick figure (or stick man) is a very simple drawing of a human or other animal, in which the limbs (arms and legs) and torso are represented using straight lines. The head is most often represented by a circle, which can be filled or unfilled. Details such as hands, feet, and a neck may be present or absent, and the head is sometimes embellished with details such as facial features or hair. Simpler stick figures often display disproportionate physical features and ambiguous emotion.^[1]

The stick figure is a universally recognizable symbol—likely one of the most well-known in the world. Drawings of stick figures transcend language, location and demographic, and the stick figure's roots can be traced back to over 30,000 years ago. Stick figures are often drawn by children, and their simplicity and versatility have led to their use in infographics, signage, animations, storyboards, and many other kinds of visual media.

Following the advent of the World Wide Web, the stick figure saw prominent use in Flash animation.