ANIMALS

Garden pests cartoon

Gardening cartoon. A bug’s guide to garden pests

A comic illustration showing a caterpillar or grub (a garden pest) looking at a gardening book or manual about garden pests. The pest shown in the book is a gardener with a canister of pesticide.
The cartoon is in the anthropomorphic tradition common in cartoons.

Cartoon reference number: a196

See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Garden birds cartoon

Cartoon featuring a bird box with a bird feeding station attached

A humorous illustration about how to encourage birds into the garden by providing nesting boxes and feeding areas such as bird tables.

A joke about encouraging wildlife into the garden.

Cartoon reference number: a195

See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Signs of spring in the garden cartoon – the first slug of spring

Garden cartoon. Signs of spring in the garden – the first slug of spring

Humorous illustration showing the first butterflies of spring and the first slugs of spring.

In the early months of the year gardeners are eagerly on the lookout for the first signs of spring.
They are pleased to see the first green shoots of spring, the first butterflies and the first swallows of summer. However the changing seasons also bring less welcome visitors such as, as shown in this cartoon, slugs and snails.

Draw: March 2009

Cartoon reference number: a185

See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Solar power cartoon – solar panels on an artificial sunflower

Solar energy cartoon -solar panels on an artificial sunflower

Showing a plant harnessing energy from the sun. The plant in the cartoon is artificial (a sunflower) and the energy it is obtaining is being used to drive a speaker which is producing the sound of birdsong.

A humorous illustration about alternative energy, sustainable energy, renewable energy sources, electricity generation.

Drawn: Aug 2011

Cartoon reference number: a184

See my book of gardening cartoons here.
A joke about slugs

A cartoon about slugs

A humorous illustration about how children learn about the world around them

Children in a garden discovering that slugs don’t have bones.
This is a slightly macabre and unsettling cartoon illustrating the way that kids come across information and facts about the world through play, outdoor activities and general curiosity. Some of these activities are in decline now due to the amount of time children spend in front of their computers.

Drawn: May 2004

Cartoon reference number: a183

See my book of gardening cartoons here.
Cartoon about floods following drought

Drought and floods cartoon.

Cat cartoon.

A cat taking refuge from a flood by sitting on a sign that warns of drought.
The cartoon was drawn as a reaction to the very wet weather and floods that followed a period of very dry weather here in the UK in April 2012.

The cartoon applies to any period of uncertain, changeable or unpredictable weather.

Cartoon reference number: a160
Art cartoons – birdwatching cartoons. Looking for birds in paintings in an art gallery

A birdwatching cartoon from my selection of art cartoons.
Showing birdwatchers spotting birds in landscape paintings in an art gallery

Birdwatching cartoon. Chris Madden cartoon.
Birdwatchers spotting birds in landscape paintings in an art gallery

A cartoon showing people in an art gallery looking for birds in landscape paintings. The people are birdwatchers kitted out in birdwatching gear, complete with binoculars.
A cartoon about animals and birds in art, twitchers, bird spotters, nature in art.

Cartoon drawn: 2011

Cartoon reference number: a151
Damien Hirst exhibition cartoon – vegan art gallery visitor

Damien Hirst cartoon. Can a vegan or vegetarian visit a Damien Hirst exhibition?

Cartoon originally created for the Damien Hirst exhibition at Tate Modern, London, 2012.

The caption of this cartoon reads:
“I’m not going in there – I’m a vegan.”
The joke in this cartoon is based on the fact that Damien Hirst’s work includes a lot of (real) dead animals, usually placed in glass cases (or vitrines) and often preserved in formaldehyde.
Hirst’s most famous work is a shark in formaldehyde. He has also used sheep and cows, some of them cut in half or into sections.
The cartoon poses the question – if a vegan or vegetarian visited a Damien First exhibition would it be against their moral or ethical principals?

Hirst was a member of the YBAs or Young British Artists. Perhaps now he’s a member of the MABAs, or Middle Aged British Artists.
A cartoon about art, morals and ethics.
Created: 2012

Cartoon reference number: a147
Birdwatching cartoon – and misuse of English cartoon (should it be less or fewer?)

Birdwatching cartoon – and English usage cartoon

Birdwatching cartoon. Misuse of English cartoon.

A cartoon showing a father and son birdwatching. The father is correcting his son’s use of English – on seeing a lesser spotted woodpecker the son has mistakenly called it a fewer spotted woodpecker.
This isn’t just a cartoon about birdwatchers. It’s also a cartoon about linguistics and specifically English usage or misuse.
The mixing up of the words fewer and less is a common error.
Getting annoyed or irritated by the misuse of English, especially at the less/fewer level, is commonly seen as a sign of grumpy middle age.
The cartoon’s idea came to mind because of the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) Big Garden Birdwatch, an annual event in which people are encouraged to count the different garden birds that visit their gardens.

Cartoon reference number: a104
Cartoon – the web of life – and the spider of death

Cartoon about the web of life – and the spider of death.

Cartoon about the web of life & the spider of death.
The term “The Web of Life” is generally taken to imply something positive, about the interrelatedness of all living things. However, in nature, webs are generally dangerous things, constructed to ensnare prey. I like this dichotomy. In fact, rather than it pointing out the inappropriateness of the ‘web’ metaphor I think it gets it right, even if it does so inadvertently.

The cartoon is an attempt to overturn the rather anodyne and pseudo-spiritually reassuring notion of a benevolent web of life, replacing it with a more ambiguous and unsettling notion based on the same metaphor.
It’s partly about the notion of nature, red in tooth and claw.

Cartoon reference number: a100
Cartoon. A hat that looks like an animal head and a hat that looks like a human head

Cartoon: a hat that looks like an animal head and a hat that looks like a human head.

Cartoon showing a person wearing a hat that looks like an animal head and an animal wearing a hat that looks like a human head.

A cartoon about fashion, hats, head gear, head wear, anthropomorphism, cuddly animals.

Cartoon reference number: a073
Tree of life logo

Environmental illustration showing the tree of life being tended and watered by a person.

Artwork showing the tree of life being looked after by humans.
This is a positive image to encourage people to take care of the planet.
It’s a change from the environmental images which depict the human race destroying the environment.

An environmental cartoon about ecology, species interdependence, symbiosis, caring for the planet.
An image for earth day.

Cartoon reference number: a041
Cartoon – shooting the dove of peace

Cartoon showing the dove of peace being shot at by a military tank.

Artwork showing the dove of peace being attacked by the miltary.

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon showing military antagonism to anti-war movements.

Cartoon reference number: a040
The dove of peace with an egg shaped like the earth – symbolising world peace

Dove of peace illustration.

Artwork showing the dove of peace with an egg shaped like the earth in its nest.

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon related to the peace movement and the concept of world peace.

Cartoon reference number: a039
Dove of peace defecating on armaments

Dove of peace illustration.

Artwork showing the dove of peace crapping on a military tank.

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon related to the peace movement, campaigns against militarism and campaigns against the arms trade.
A possible peace campaign poster.

Cartoon reference number: a038
Peace movement dove of peace illustration

Dove of peace illustration.

Artwork showing the dove of peace carrying off a military tank (and being pursued by a soldier who wants his tank back).

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon related to the peace movement and campaigns against armaments and the arms trade – a possible peace campaign poster.

Cartoon reference number: a037
Differences between the sexes. Cartoon – a man noticing a car while a woman notices a cat

Gender differences cartoon. Cartoon – a man noticing a car while a woman notices a cat.

A cartoon showing a man being impressed by a high status car while a woman is more interested in the cat that is sitting on the car.

A cartoon about gender differences, feminism, gender roles, masculinity, male traits, female traits, genetic determinism, the blank slate.

Cartoon reference number: a030
Flying penguins cartoon. Penguins flying using balloons

Penguin cartoons. Penguins flying with the aid of balloons.

A cartoon showing penguins in flight.
Who said penguins were flightless birds?

A cartoon about overcoming adversity, overcoming physical restrictions or disabilities, ambition, ingenuity, enterprise.
This cartoon would probably make a very nice greetings card.

Original version drawn: 2001

Cartoon reference number: a026
Penguin cartoons. A penguin sunbathing on a tropical beach

Penguin cartoon. A penguin sunbathing on a tropical beach.

This cartoon isn’t a joke so much as just a slightly silly and humorous image of a penguin sunbathing on a subtropical beach.
The penguin is obviously on holiday.
The cartoon has no specific meaning. It’s just that a penguin on a tropical beach is somewhat incongruous, therefore funny.

Cartoon reference number: a023
Cartoon penguin with Mickey Mouse ears

Cartoon penguin with Mickey Mouse ears.

I’ve been drawing quite a few penguins recently, and they’ve started mutating.
This one means whatever you want it to mean.
I probably thought up the idea because Mickey Mouse is a very simple black and white shape, just like penguins.
I like its air or slight weirdness. An ambiguous mix of cute and unsettling.

Cartoon reference number: a022
Global warming cartoon. Penguins and polar bear march against shrinking polar ice caps

Global warming cartoon.

Global warming cartoon showing polar bear and penguins marching to protest against global warming and the shrinking ice caps.

One of the humorous points about this cartoon is that polar bears and penguins live at opposite poles (penguins in the Antarctic and polar bears in the Arctic), and thus never meet in normal circumstances (apart from in cartoons). In this cartoon the fact that they are in the same cartoon is meant to convey the notion of solidarity and of the whole world mobilising to fight climate change.
A cartoon about shrinking ice caps, shrinking polar caps, climate change, global warming.

Cartoon reference number: a021b

A longer version of this cartoon (with more penguins) can be found here, and a slightly different version here.
Global warming cartoon. A polar bear and penguins marching

Environmental cartoon. Global warming cartoon showing polar bear and penguins marching to protest against global warming and the shrinking ice caps.

One of the humorous points about this cartoon is that polar bears and penguins live at opposite poles (penguins in the Antarctic and polar bears in the Arctic), and thus never meet in normal circumstances (apart from in cartoons). In this cartoon the fact that they are in the same cartoon is meant to convey the notion of solidarity and of the whole world mobilising to fight climate change.
A cartoon about shrinking ice caps, shrinking polar caps, climate change, global warming.

Cartoon reference number: a021a

A narrower version of this cartoon (with fewer penguins) can be found here.
“Bad penguin” cartoon. A penguin dressed as a gangster

Penguin cartoons. Even bad penguins look cute.

A cartoon about anthropomorphism and penguins and the fact that penguins always look cute (which annoys some penguins who want to look tough).

This cartoon is funny because it has a penguin as a gangster or similar criminal type, which goes against penguins’ anthropomorphic character type of being cute and clown-like.
A secondary joke is that the gangster penguin is carrying a machine gun case that is shaped like a fish (rather than the usual violin case).
Original version drawn: 2001

Cartoon reference number: a020
Penguin cartoon. Penguins look like little people: people look like penguins

Penguin cartoons. It’s impossible not to look at a penguin and anthropomorphise it into a person. Do penguins do it back?

A cartoon about anthropomorphism and penguins.

The joke in this cartoon is that the roles of the penguins and the people are reversed. It is also funny because of the use of the work ‘cute’, partly because we don’t normally think of ordinary people as being cute – but penguins (which we think are cute) seem to think that we are cute too.
It’s a cartoon about anthropomorphism, projection, role reversal.
Original version drawn: 2001

Cartoon reference number: a019
Penguins cartoon. A penguin playing a guitar

Penguin cartoons. A penguin playing a guitar.

A cartoon showing a penguin playing the guitar in a band. Another penguin is playing the drums.
The guitar playing penguin is thinking “Playing chords is really hard when you’ve only got flippers”.

This cartoon is partly funny because penguins look like humans but don’t look like the sort of humans who would be in a band playing guitar and drums.

Original version drawn: 2001

Cartoon reference number: a018
Penguin cartoons – a penguin up a tree in a tropical jungle, with a parrot

Penguin cartoon. Showing a penguin up a tree in a tropical jungle, with a parrot.

A cartoon showing a penguin perched on the branch of a tree in a tropical rain forest or jungle.
The penguin has just told a parrot about the existence of snow. The penguin was saying that it has forty different words for snow (similar to the eskimo or inuit claim to have many words for snow).
The parrot is surprised, as it doesn’t know what snow is, having never experienced it.

The penguin is probably a tourist on holiday from the cold Antarctic, visiting a hot tropical holiday destination.
One of the funny aspects of the cartoon is that the penguin is perched in a tree – which is incongruous as penguins can’t fly and most of them have never seen trees as there are no trees at the South Pole or in Antarctica.

Cartoon reference number: a017
Penguin cartoon – penguins at a fancy dress party in drag looking no different to normal

Penguin cartoons. Penguins at a fancy dress party, wearing drag.

A cartoon showing penguins wearing drag at a penguin fancy dress party – they look no different to normal, as male and female penguins look identical and indistinguishable from each other.
The problem for penguins as female impersonators, as there are no obvious (to humans) sexual identifiers or distinguishers between the sexes of penguins.

Original version drawn: 2001

Cartoon reference number: a016
Nonconformist penguin cartoon. One penguin standing out from the crowd

Penguin cartoons. A flock of penguins all the same – apart from one penguin which is a different colour.

A cartoon about uniformity of fashion or social conformity and conventionality. The colourful penguin is a rebel, nonconformist, individualistic penguin following the dictum ‘Dare to be different’.

A cartoon about conformity, uniformity, following the crowd, how to stand out from the crowd
The title of the cartoon is ‘One in a Million!’.

Original drawn: 2001

Cartoon reference number: a015
Penguin cartoons. A rebellious teenage penguin

Penguin cartoons. Penguin with rebellious teenage son who is a typical stroppy youth.

A cartoon showing adult penguins and an adolescent or teenage penguin. The teenager is going through a typical teenage rebel phase. A cartoon about stroppy youths. .

Original version drawn: 2001

Cartoon reference number: a014
Penguin cartoons. Hiking penguins

Penguin cartoons. Penguins planning a hiking expedition, trek or walk.

A cartoon showing penguins looking at a map to plan a recreational walk. Part of the joke is that the map is showing nothing but ice everywhere, because the terrain or landscape in which the penguins live is the same featureless ice everywhere. So it really doesn’t matter where the penguins go for their walk.
The cartoon makes reference to the long march carried out by emperor penguins, made famous by the film ‘March of the Penguins’.

A cartoon about Antarctica, the South Pole, rambling, the ramblers, orienteering.
Original version drawn: 2001

Cartoon reference number: a013

ANIMALS

Gardening cartoon. A bug’s guide to garden pests

A comic illustration showing a caterpillar or grub (a garden pest) looking at a gardening book or manual about garden pests. The pest shown in the book is a gardener with a canister of pesticide. The cartoon is in the anthropomorphic tradition common in cartoons.

Cartoon reference number: a196

See my book of gardening cartoons here.

Cartoon featuring a bird box with a bird feeding station attached

A humorous illustration about how to encourage birds into the garden by providing nesting boxes and feeding areas such as bird tables.

A joke about encouraging wildlife into the garden.

Cartoon reference number: a195

See my book of gardening cartoons here.

Garden cartoon. Signs of spring in the garden – the first slug of spring

Humorous illustration showing the first butterflies of spring and the first slugs of spring.

Cartoon reference number: a185

See my book of gardening cartoons here.

Solar energy cartoon -solar panels on an artificial sunflower

Showing a plant harnessing energy from the sun. The plant in the cartoon is artificial (a sunflower) and the energy it is obtaining is being used to drive a speaker which is producing the sound of birdsong.

A humorous illustration about alternative energy, sustainable energy, renewable energy sources, electricity generation. Drawn: Aug 2011

Cartoon reference number: a184

See my book of gardening cartoons here.

A cartoon about slugs

A humorous illustration about how children learn about the world around them

Cartoon reference number: a183

See my book of gardening cartoons here.

Drought and floods cartoon.

Cat cartoon.

A cat taking refuge from a flood by sitting on a sign that warns of drought. The cartoon was drawn as a reaction to the very wet weather and floods that followed a period of very dry weather here in the UK in April 2012.

The cartoon applies to any period of uncertain, changeable or unpredictable weather.

Cartoon reference number: a160

A birdwatching cartoon from my selection of art cartoons. Showing birdwatchers spotting birds in landscape paintings in an art gallery

Birdwatching cartoon. Chris Madden cartoon. Birdwatchers spotting birds in landscape paintings in an art gallery

A cartoon showing people in an art gallery looking for birds in landscape paintings. The people are birdwatchers kitted out in birdwatching gear, complete with binoculars. A cartoon about animals and birds in art, twitchers, bird spotters, nature in art.

Cartoon drawn: 2011

Cartoon reference number: a151

Damien Hirst cartoon. Can a vegan or vegetarian visit a Damien Hirst exhibition?

Cartoon originally created for the Damien Hirst exhibition at Tate Modern, London, 2012.

Cartoon reference number: a147

Birdwatching cartoon – and English usage cartoon

Birdwatching cartoon. Misuse of English cartoon.

Cartoon reference number: a104

Cartoon about the web of life – and the spider of death.

The cartoon is an attempt to overturn the rather anodyne and pseudo-spiritually reassuring notion of a benevolent web of life, replacing it with a more ambiguous and unsettling notion based on the same metaphor. It’s partly about the notion of nature, red in tooth and claw.

Cartoon reference number: a100

Cartoon: a hat that looks like an animal head and a hat that looks like a human head.

Cartoon showing a person wearing a hat that looks like an animal head and an animal wearing a hat that looks like a human head.

A cartoon about fashion, hats, head gear, head wear, anthropomorphism, cuddly animals.

Cartoon reference number: a073

Environmental illustration showing the tree of life being tended and watered by a person.

Artwork showing the tree of life being looked after by humans. This is a positive image to encourage people to take care of the planet. It’s a change from the environmental images which depict the human race destroying the environment.

An environmental cartoon about ecology, species interdependence, symbiosis, caring for the planet. An image for earth day.

Cartoon reference number: a041

Cartoon showing the dove of peace being shot at by a military tank.

Artwork showing the dove of peace being attacked by the miltary.

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove. A cartoon showing military antagonism to anti-war movements.

Cartoon reference number: a040

Dove of peace illustration.

Artwork showing the dove of peace with an egg shaped like the earth in its nest.

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove. A cartoon related to the peace movement and the concept of world peace.

Cartoon reference number: a039

Dove of peace illustration.

Artwork showing the dove of peace crapping on a military tank.

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove. A cartoon related to the peace movement, campaigns against militarism and campaigns against the arms trade. A possible peace campaign poster.

Cartoon reference number: a038

Dove of peace illustration.

Artwork showing the dove of peace carrying off a military tank (and being pursued by a soldier who wants his tank back).

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove. A cartoon related to the peace movement and campaigns against armaments and the arms trade – a possible peace campaign poster.

Cartoon reference number: a037

Gender differences cartoon. Cartoon – a man noticing a car while a woman notices a cat.

A cartoon showing a man being impressed by a high status car while a woman is more interested in the cat that is sitting on the car.

A cartoon about gender differences, feminism, gender roles, masculinity, male traits, female traits, genetic determinism, the blank slate.

Cartoon reference number: a030

Penguin cartoons. Penguins flying with the aid of balloons.

A cartoon showing penguins in flight. Who said penguins were flightless birds?

A cartoon about overcoming adversity, overcoming physical restrictions or disabilities, ambition, ingenuity, enterprise. This cartoon would probably make a very nice greetings card.

Original version drawn: 2001

Cartoon reference number: a026

Penguin cartoon. A penguin sunbathing on a tropical beach.

This cartoon isn’t a joke so much as just a slightly silly and humorous image of a penguin sunbathing on a subtropical beach. The penguin is obviously on holiday. The cartoon has no specific meaning. It’s just that a penguin on a tropical beach is somewhat incongruous, therefore funny.

Cartoon reference number: a023

Cartoon penguin with Mickey Mouse ears.

Cartoon reference number: a022

A comic illustration showing a caterpillar or grub (a garden pest) looking at a gardening book or manual about garden pests. The pest shown in the book is a gardener with a canister of pesticide.
The cartoon is in the anthropomorphic tradition common in cartoons.

A humorous illustration about alternative energy, sustainable energy, renewable energy sources, electricity generation.

Drawn: Aug 2011

A cat taking refuge from a flood by sitting on a sign that warns of drought.
The cartoon was drawn as a reaction to the very wet weather and floods that followed a period of very dry weather here in the UK in April 2012.

A birdwatching cartoon from my selection of art cartoons.
Showing birdwatchers spotting birds in landscape paintings in an art gallery

Birdwatching cartoon. Chris Madden cartoon.
Birdwatchers spotting birds in landscape paintings in an art gallery

A cartoon showing people in an art gallery looking for birds in landscape paintings. The people are birdwatchers kitted out in birdwatching gear, complete with binoculars.
A cartoon about animals and birds in art, twitchers, bird spotters, nature in art.

The cartoon is an attempt to overturn the rather anodyne and pseudo-spiritually reassuring notion of a benevolent web of life, replacing it with a more ambiguous and unsettling notion based on the same metaphor.
It’s partly about the notion of nature, red in tooth and claw.

Artwork showing the tree of life being looked after by humans.
This is a positive image to encourage people to take care of the planet.
It’s a change from the environmental images which depict the human race destroying the environment.

An environmental cartoon about ecology, species interdependence, symbiosis, caring for the planet.
An image for earth day.

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon showing military antagonism to anti-war movements.

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon related to the peace movement and the concept of world peace.

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon related to the peace movement, campaigns against militarism and campaigns against the arms trade.
A possible peace campaign poster.

An anti-war illustration showing a peace dove.
A cartoon related to the peace movement and campaigns against armaments and the arms trade – a possible peace campaign poster.

A cartoon showing penguins in flight.
Who said penguins were flightless birds?

A cartoon about overcoming adversity, overcoming physical restrictions or disabilities, ambition, ingenuity, enterprise.
This cartoon would probably make a very nice greetings card.

This cartoon isn’t a joke so much as just a slightly silly and humorous image of a penguin sunbathing on a subtropical beach.
The penguin is obviously on holiday.
The cartoon has no specific meaning. It’s just that a penguin on a tropical beach is somewhat incongruous, therefore funny.

A cartoon showing a penguin playing the guitar in a band. Another penguin is playing the drums.
The guitar playing penguin is thinking “Playing chords is really hard when you’ve only got flippers”.

This cartoon is partly funny because penguins look like humans but don’t look like the sort of humans who would be in a band playing guitar and drums.

Original version drawn: 2001

A cartoon about conformity, uniformity, following the crowd, how to stand out from the crowd
The title of the cartoon is ‘One in a Million!’.

Original drawn: 2001