Chris Madden Cartoons

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Covid-19 vaccination cartoon – several arrive at once

December 8, 2020 by chrismadden

covid-19 vaccine cartoon illustration

Covid-19 vaccine illustration.

A cartoon showing three Covid-19 coronavirus vaccine syringes arriving at the same time (just like buses).

The vaccines have been developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZenica and Moderna.
A cartoon about the pandemic caused by the covid-19 virus.
Drawn: 23rd November 2020
Cartoon reference number: a866

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Filed Under: Health, Medical, SCIENCE Tagged With: coronavirus, covid-19

Covid-19 vaccine illustration

November 20, 2020 by chrismadden

covid-19 vaccine cartoon illustration

Covid-19 vaccine illustration.

A cartoon or illustration showing the Covid-19 coronavirus being attacked by syringes of vaccines.

The illustration is drawn in a style to suggest that the Covid-19 virus is an alien form and the syringes of vaccine are rockets, planes or missiles that are attacking the virus.
A cartoon about the pandemic caused by the covid-19 virus.

Drawn: 20th November 2020
Cartoon reference number: a864

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Filed Under: Covid-19, Health, Medical, SCIENCE Tagged With: coronavirus, covid-19

Bioplastics cartoon

September 17, 2020 by chrismadden

bioplastic packaging cartoon - bioplastic pea pods

Bioplastics cartoon

In this cartoon the cellulose of the pea pod has been modified to form plastic packaging.
Plastics produced from plants are known as bioplastics.

Bioplastics are in some ways a good substitute for plastics produced from oil, however they may have a downside in that if they were extensively used vast amounts of agricultural land may have to be set aside for the production of plastics instead of food.
Original version drawn: 1999
Cartoon reference: env116b

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Filed Under: ENVIRONMENT, Genetics cartoons, Other environment cartoons, SCIENCE

Galileo cartoon

September 5, 2020 by chrismadden

Galileo cartoon

Galileo cartoon.

The cartoon shows Galileo describing the discoveries that he has made about astronomy using his telescope to the pope.

Original version: 1996
This version: Sept 2020
Cartoon reference number: rel014b

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Filed Under: Astronomy, Moon cartoons, Religion/Spirituality, SCIENCE Tagged With: Galileo

An artist’s vision cartoon

December 20, 2019 by chrismadden

Artist painting the moon cartoon

Cartoon about artistic vision

A cartoon showing an artist creating a painting of something that is not actually visible with the unaided eye.

The cartoon shows one artist painting a landscape while another artist does a painting of the moon, which is a tiny detail in the landscape.
A cartoon about art, the moon, eyesight, vision, insight.
Original version drawn: 1998
This version drawn: 2019
Cartoon reference number: art009
This cartoon features in my book of cartoons about art.
See the book here.

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Filed Under: ART, Astronomy Tagged With: moon

Living organic material in contemporary art – cartoon

December 19, 2019 by chrismadden

contemporary art cartoon genetic sculpture

Cartoon of sculptures created using organic material.

The concept behind this cartoon is that there is a way of incorporating living genetic material or dna into contemporary artworks so that the material manifests itself in some bizarre and unsettling way.

Cartoon drawn: 2019
Cartoon reference number: art044
This cartoon features in my book of cartoons about art.
See the book here.

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Filed Under: ART, dna, Genetics cartoons, Modern art, Philosophy Cartoons

Anti-enlightenment cartoon – the Endarkenment

September 29, 2019 by chrismadden

Anti-enlightenment cartoon – the endarkenment

From the Enlightenment to the Endarkenment – cartoon.

When I drew this cartoon I was very pleased when the term “The Endarkenment” came into my head as an original thought. I looked it up later and found that it’s been thought of before, to describe the same phenomenon.
I use it as a term for the current trend towards anti-rational thought, which includes anti-scientific, anti-historical and anti-establishment thought (I like to think I’m a bit anti-establishment myself, but definitely not anti-scientific or anti-historical).

The statue that is being toppled in the Endarkenment frame of the cartoon is based on the current phenomenon of the iconoclastic toppling of statues of establishment figures who are possibly linked to the slave trade (Many of them are, but the action is largely motivated by emotion, with little regard for historical context).

Drawn: September 2020
Cartoon reference number: a851

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Filed Under: Philosophy Cartoons, Politics, SCIENCE, Social issues Tagged With: Galileo, iconoclastic, woke

Culture wars cartoon – race and science in universities

September 29, 2019 by chrismadden

culture wars cartoon universities race and science

Culture wars cartoon – race and science in universities.

Culture wars are raging in universities and academic institutions across the western world. They are raging elsewhere too, but the culture wars in, say, the Islamic world, are different to the ones in the west.
The west’s culture wars often circle around subjects such as race and gender and identity politics that exist within the ‘woke’ analysis of culture.

At the time of drawing this cartoon the subject of race is very much to the fore, with movements such as BLM (Black Lives Matter) having a very high profile.
In academia many subjects in the social sciences are currently analysed through the perspective of critical race theory (CRT).
This cartoon illustrates a tendency to apply critical race theory to subjects where it has no relevance or where its relevance is overstated.
Drawn: September 2020
Cartoon reference number: a849

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Filed Under: Education, Philosophy Cartoons, Politics, SCIENCE, Social issues, Sociology Tagged With: race, woke

Truth drugs – a cartoon from Chemistry World magazine

February 21, 2016 by chrismadden

chemistry cartoon - truth drug

A cartoon about the potential use of truth drugs by repressive political regimes.

In the cartoon the truth drugs are not designed to make people tell the truth, but to make them believe in lies.

An example from my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Here are more of my chemistry cartoons from Chemistry World magazine.

A cartoon about espionage, spying, subversion, secret police, state repression.

Ref a723

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Filed Under: SCIENCE

Personality profiling for job applicants – cartoon from Chemistry World

February 21, 2016 by chrismadden

chemistry cartoon - rorschach test

A cartoon about the use of personality profiling in job interviews.

The use of Rorscharch tests for assessing people’s personalities.

The interviewee is interpreting an X-ray crystallography image that resembles a spider
An example from my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Here are more of my chemistry cartoons from Chemistry World magazine.

A cartoon about espionage, spying, subversion, secret police, state repression.

Ref a722

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Filed Under: Insects - creepy crawlies, Other science cartoons, SCIENCE

Super moons are not as super as the media make out

November 16, 2015 by chrismadden

Cartoon about the media coverage of supermoons

Cartoon about the media’s distortion of the visual impact of a super moon

Super moons were unheard of in the media until the last few years. Now every time the moon gets close to the earth in its orbit the press is full of it, with misleading photographs to make the moon look huge and spectacular (taken with telephoto lenses so that the moon looks large compared to objects such as people or buildings in the distance).

Cartoon reference number: a755


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Filed Under: Astronomy, Moon cartoons, SCIENCE

Reach for the stars – cartoon

August 23, 2015 by chrismadden

cartoon - studying the stars with a telescope

A cartoon showing an astronomer reaching for the stars by reaching up inside an astronomical telescope.
The astronomer’s hand is appearing out or the top of the telescope as though it is grasping for the stars.

An illustration concerning people’s urge to discover more about the universe through scientific exploration.

A cartoon about scientific exploration, inquiring minds, curiosity, curiousity, reaching for the stats.

Ref a698

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Filed Under: Astronomy, Philosophy Cartoons, SCIENCE

Man’s relationship with cars

June 24, 2015 by chrismadden

car as a protective shell - cartoon

Cartoon – a car as a protective shell or carapace.

.

An image illustrating the psychology of motoring and the human relationship with cars
A cartoon about cars, car use, traffic, psychology.

Original version drawn: 1990

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Filed Under: Evolution, Sociology, Transport

Genetically modified pigs will fly.

June 24, 2015 by chrismadden

pigs will fly gmo cartoon

A cartoon showing a genetically modified pig flying.

A cartoon about gmo food and genetics.
The cartoon strip shows people talking about ‘scare stories’ about ‘Frankenstein food’, with the final frame of the strip showing a flying pig.

A cartoon about gmo, genetically modified organisms, pigs will fly.

Original version created: 2008

Ref a695

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Filed Under: ANIMALS, ENVIRONMENT, Genetics cartoons, SCIENCE

Will increased gmo food yields cause human population increase?

June 9, 2015 by chrismadden

gmo food cartoon

A cartoon dealing with the issue of genetically modified crops increasing crop yield to feed more people

The cartoon shows scientists considering the consequences of increasing food yields and the possible resulting population increase.

A cartoon about gmo, genetically modified organisms, human population increase.

Original version created: 2012

Ref a677

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Filed Under: ENVIRONMENT, Genetics cartoons, Other environment cartoons

From stone age to phone age

August 22, 2014 by chrismadden

Stone age man/phone age man cartoon

Cartoon about the evolution of technology

A stone age man using stones and a modern man using a phone

Part of the idea behind the cartoon is that people haven’t changed much, despite the advanced of technology
Ref: a651

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Filed Under: Computers and phones, Evolution

Genetics cartoons – a big hand for genetic manipulation

August 1, 2014 by chrismadden

genetic modification cartoon

Genetics cartoon
Genetically modified humans – who can fly

A cartoon about the idea that genetic modification can be used to alter human beings

The genetically modified people in the cartoon have had their dna altered to give them gigantic hands (maybe by altering a gene that is responsible for gigantism). Their huge hands are being used as wings to give them the power of flight.
Cartoon reference:a669

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Filed Under: Genetics cartoons, SCIENCE

Chemistry cartoons – graphene

July 29, 2014 by chrismadden

chemistry cartoon - graphene

Chemistry cartoons.
A joke about graphene.

Chemistry humour – my chemistry comic strip in Chemistry World magazine.

This cartoon is about the form of carbon known as graphene – sheets of carbon that are a single atom thick. The humour lies in the fact that it isn’t possible to create a version of an element that is thinner than a single atom of the element, so the chemist in the cartoon is trying to achieve the impossible (in the pursuit of professional prestige?).

Ref: a668

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Filed Under: SCIENCE

Genetics cartoons

May 28, 2014 by chrismadden

genetics cartoons

Genetics cartoon

This is a cartoon about genetics that I designed, to illustrate the concept of life balancing on a strand of dna, like a tightrope walker.
My cartoons on genetics have been published in magazines such as Nature and Chemistry World (the magazine of the “Royal Society of Chemistry).

Click here to see more of my genetics cartoons.

Filed Under: dna, Genetics cartoons, SCIENCE

Prehistoric early bird catches the worm

April 14, 2014 by chrismadden

prehistoric bird cartoon

Cartoon about the saying “The early bird catches the worm”

The joke is that the ‘early bird’ is literally an early bird in evolutionary terms, such as an archaeopteryx.

A cartoon about evolution, prehistoric creatures.

sayings and proverbs

Ref: a620

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Filed Under: ANIMALS, Birds, Evolution

Cartoon – the medicalisation of personality disorders (and of normal personality traits)

April 4, 2014 by chrismadden

medicalisation of deviant behaviour cartoon

Medicalisation of deviant behaviour cartoon
The nature v nurture debate on human personality
Neurological origins of behavioural traits

A cartoon about the tendency to invoke medical reasons for deviant personality traits, for abnormal personality traits or even for normal aspects of personality.
It shows one aspect of the nature v nurture debate

An illustration about the medicalization of behaviour. This may include behavioural syndromes ranging from psychopathic tendencies and deviance to conditions such as hyperactivity, ADHD (attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder), rebelliousness or non-conformity.
In this cartoon I’ve invented a medical condition that is being used by a parent to justify her child’s aberrant or antisocial behavior

The cartoon reflects the tendency to claim, for instance, that particular parts of dna are responsible for criminal behaviour – thus removing responsibility from the person and placing it on the dna
The image is not meant to imply that there is no neurological basis for behaviour, just that it can sometimes be used as an excuse for bad behaviour
The subject of neurological origins for criminal behaviour is dealt with in the book The Anatomy of Violence by Adrian Raine

The cartoon was first published in Prospect magazine in May 2013

Ref a591

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Filed Under: Children, Genetics cartoons, Health, Medical, Social issues, Therapy

A quote about science: SCIENCE LIES… at the heart of our search for truth

October 18, 2013 by chrismadden

anti-science quote subverted

A science quote about the truth of the scientific purpose.
A riposte to anti-science

Quote playing with the fact that some people misrepresent science as telling lies about the nature of things

The quote is my own
A typography-based image
This quote is a riposte to the claim by anti-scientific sections of society that science peddles lies and untruths (often at the behest of big business, drug companies, governments and other interested parties). Such critics of science are often unaware of the scientific method.

Ref: a631

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Filed Under: Other science cartoons, Philosophy Cartoons, SCIENCE

God doesn’t play dice with the universe – cartoon

September 26, 2013 by chrismadden

God doesn't play dice with the universe

God doesn’t play dice with the universe – he prefers card games

A cartoon based on Einstein’s quote “God doesn’t play dice with the universe”. In the cartoon God is playing a game of cards instead

This image has been used on the cover of a pack of playing cards that was used as a gift for physics students

Ref a625

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Filed Under: Philosophy Cartoons, Religion/Spirituality, SCIENCE

Thinking cap – a cartoon about cognition

May 14, 2013 by chrismadden

thinking cap illustration

Cognition cartoon

A cartoon showing a person putting on a ‘thinking cap’.
The thinking cap resembles a brain.

An image about thought processes, thinking, the nature of consciousness, cognition, studying, problem solving – illustrating the saying “Put on your thinking cap”

Original version drawn: 2011

Cartoon reference number: a609

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Filed Under: Education, Other science cartoons, Philosophy Cartoons, SCIENCE

Altruism cartoon

May 14, 2013 by chrismadden

altruism cartoon

Altruism cartoon

An illustration depicting altruistic behavior

The cartoon shows a person spanning a chasm or abyss, acting as a bridge with other people walking across.
The benefits of altruism are sometimes debated in evolutionary terms, sometimes arguing that altruism evolved because the good of the group is more important than the good of the individual. Altruism may also be seen as a form of display, where the altruistic individual is displaying his or her positive qualities to others, thus improving social status.
The illustration could also be interpreted as depicting exploitation, depending on context
Ref a616

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Filed Under: MORE, Other science cartoons, Philosophy Cartoons

Neurological or genetic causes of criminality – cartoon

May 13, 2013 by chrismadden

neurological or genetic causes of criminality - cartoon

Medicalisation of deviant behaviour cartoon
Neurological origins of behavioural traits
Neurocriminology and its implications

A cartoon about the possibility that criminal behaviour or deviant behaviour may sometimes (or often) have its roots in a person’s biology.
The idea that personality may be determined by biology is one aspect of the nature v nurture debate, and has implications for the concept of free will

An illustration about the medicalization of behaviour. This may include behavioural syndromes ranging from psychopathic tendencies and deviance to conditions such as hyperactivity, ADHD (attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder), rebelliousness or non-conformity.

The cartoon illustrates the tendency of criminal lawyers to sometimes claim, for instance, that particular parts of dna or neurological makeup are responsible for criminal behaviour – thus removing responsibility from the person and placing it on the person’s dna or neurology.

The subject of neurological origins for criminal behaviour is dealt with in the book The Anatomy of Violence by Adrian Raine

The cartoon was first published in Philosophy Now magazine

Ref a607

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Filed Under: dna, Genetics cartoons, Medical, Philosophy Cartoons, SCIENCE, Sociology

Genetic modification cartoon – the wonders of science

April 24, 2013 by chrismadden

genetics cartoon

Genetics cartoons

A cartoon about genetic engineering or genetic manipulation

The illustration shows the results of scientists modifying the genes that are responsible for hand size.
In nature, birds evolved wings from hands – this cartoon shows humans bypassing evolution to achieve the same ends

Cartoon reference number: a558


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Filed Under: Evolution, Genetics cartoons, SCIENCE

Professor Brian Cox cartoon – we are stardust

March 8, 2013 by chrismadden

professor brian cox cartoon we are stardust

Professor Brian Cox cartoon
We are made of stardust

A humorous comment about the fact that all of the elements apart from hydrogen and helium were created inside stars – so everything is made of stardust

The joke here is that when the tv astronomer Professor Brian Cox says that everything is made of stardust he really lays it on thick in a way that many people, especially women, find very attractive. So here the woman is actually saying that she finds Brian Cox attractive, and it even affects her attitude to slugs

See my book on the nature of the universe
Ref a586

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Filed Under: Animals (wild or pets), Astronomy, Insects - creepy crawlies, Other science cartoons, Philosophy Cartoons, Religion/Spirituality, SCIENCE

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck caricature as giraffe

March 4, 2013 by chrismadden

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck caricature as giraffe

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck caricature as giraffe

A caricature of Lamarck, who is associated with the theory of evolution through the inheritance of acquired characteristics or Lamarckism

Lamarck’s head has been given a giraffe’s body, in reference to the famous caricature of Charles Darwin as an ape (a version of which can be found on this site). The giraffe is based on a woodcut of a giraffe by wood engraver Thomas Bewick
Cartoon reference number: a570


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Filed Under: Evolution, SCIENCE

Cartoon – creatures from earth that look like aliens

March 3, 2013 by chrismadden

earth creatures that look like aliens

From my selection of science fiction cartoons
Creatures from earth that look like aliens from another planet

A cartoon showing that life on earth is as weird as extraterrestrial life

This cartoon was drawn many years ago, but is relevant today due to the BBC series Alien Nation, about the bizarre and otherworldly appearance of insects. Fish look pretty weird too don’t you think?

Cartoon reference number: a560


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Filed Under: ANIMALS, Animals (wild or pets), Evolution, Insects - creepy crawlies, Science Fiction

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