Chris Madden Cartoons

A searchable archive for licensing

The commercialization of Gay Pride

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monetizing gay pride sponsorship - cartoon

Monetizing gay pride through sponsorship.

Over the years Gay Pride has moved from being a rights based protest movement to a commercial opportunity.

Gay Pride Month is now an extended corporate sponsorship event, complete with rainbow flag adorned merchandising.
Drawn: June 2019
Cartoon reference number: a948

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Commercial branding and political activism

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CND logo branding cartoon

Branding cartoon

This cartoon was drawn at a time when political and social causes were in decline and individualism and consumerism were on the ascendant. It shows a teenage girl (who is very concerned about fashion and branding) asking her mother (who in her youth was a social activist) which brand the CND logo represents, as the girl doesn’t recognise it as the symbol of a campaign group.

Now (2021) there is a resurgence in social and political activism, however some of the campaigns are deliberately adopted by commercial organisations to boost their profile in the social concern stakes. A typical example is the commercialisation of Gay Pride.
Drawn: 2003
Cartoon reference number: env0027a

The price of Covid-19 vaccine – Black Friday sales cartoon

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covid-19 vaccine black friday cartoon

Covid-19 vaccine Black Friday sales price cartoon.

A cartoon showing someone negotiating the price of Covid-19 vaccine, with the price specially reduced as a Black Friday deal.

The vaccines that are about to become available have been developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, Oxford/AstraZenica and Moderna.
Drawn: 23rd November 2020
Cartoon reference number: a869

Diversity cartoon – inclusion and employment policy

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workplace diversity inclusion cartoon

Diversity cartoon – inclusion in the workplace.

A cartoon about diversity and inclusion policy in employment and in recruitment.

The cartoon shows an interviewer in an organisation’s hr department interviewing a man. The interviewer is saying that her organisation promotes a policy of diversity and inclusion, however the policy doesn’t extend to the man being interviewed.
Diversity policies that are aimed at reducing discrimination tend to be targeted at race, gender and sexual orientation. This frequently puts white working class males at a disadvantage, partly because they do not belong to a recognised disadvantaged group under the UK government’s 2010 Equality Act and partly because they do not have enough points under the concept of intersectionality.
Drawn: 19th July 2020
Cartoon reference number: a821
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Fire prevention equipment factory on fire – cartoon about irony

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ironic fire in sprinkler factory cartoon

Cartoon of a sprinkler factory on fire

The cartoon shows an ironic situation in which a factory that manufactures fire prevention equipment is on fire.

I think that this cartoon was probably inspired by the observation that many fires in buildings are caused when the building is being renovated.
A cartoon about irony and health and safety (amongst other things).
Drawn: June 2018
Cartoon reference number: a776
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The art market – art as a financial investment cartoon

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Modern art market cartoon

A cartoon about the investment in art.

The cartoon shows an investor studying the art market and buying and selling works of art on the basis of their financial value rather than their artistic value.

The caption reads: Sell Abstract Expressionism. Buy Concrete Conceptualism.
I made up the genre of concrete conceptualism, it being an oxymoron.

Cartoon drawn: 2019

Cartoon reference number: art022
This cartoon features in my book of cartoons about art.
See the book here.
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Art gallery funding cartoon

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Art gallery financial model cartoon

Art gallery funding cartoon.

The cartoon shows an art gallery that uses advertising on its gallery walls to generate income.

The cartoon shows visitors to an art gallery saying “It’s the new financial model for the gallery – every fourth image is an advert.”

Cartoon drawn: 2019

Cartoon reference number: art020
This cartoon features in my book of cartoons about art.
See the book here.
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Scientific research funding

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Chemistry cartoon - scientific research funding

A cartoon about the funding of scientific research.

A cartoon about a clash between scientific research and the vested interests of the funder of the research.

It’s also a cartoon about alchemy and the quest to turn base metal into gold.
This is an example of my cartoon strip published in Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry, round 2014 – 2015.

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

Cartoon reference number: a716

We didn’t do anything illegal – corporate morality

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We didn't do anything illegal

A cartoon about corporate morals and the moral corporate stance of stating that “We never did anything illegal” as a justification for using devious or evasive financial practices.

This cartoon is partly inspired by the news story about money laundering through Panama legal/financial firm Mossack Fonseca

A cartoon about corporate morality, the spirit of the law, money laundering leaks, tax evasion, tax avoidance, tax havens.
Cartoon reference number: a736

Profiting from climate change – cartoon

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profiteering from global warming cartoon

Climate change cartoon.
A businessman making his business diversify into boats due to increased flood risk.

As global warming results in more floods there will be a greater demand for boats.
The cartoon shows a businessman suggesting that his manufacturing company diversify into ship and boat building.

A cartoon showing manufacturing companies and businesses adapting to changing demands, and about the adaptability of capitalism.
Drawn: 2017
Cartoon reference number: a9687

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Ethical and unethical business practice cartoon

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business ethics cartoon

Cartoon about the morality or ethics of business practice, especially in a globalised capitalist economic system.

An image illustrating business ethics, globalisation, corporate greed, acquisitiveness, globalization.
Cartoon reference number: a682

Bankers’ salary and bonus cartoon

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banker's salaries and bonuses cartoon

Investment bankers’ bonuses and pay joke

Investment banking humour

Showing a banking job interview.

The interviewer is asking “What is it that attracts you to a career in investment banking?”
A cartoon about the bonus culture in banking and the ethics of banking

Cartoon drawn: 2013
Cartoon reference number: a312b

Bankers’ bonuses cartoon

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banking cartoon - bankers bonus

Cartoon about bankers’salaries

Illustrating the contempt felt by sections of the public for bankers and other workers in the financial sector who earn enormous salaries with even larger bonuses

The joke in the cartoon is the tautology or circularity in the justification by the banker of his high salary.

Ref: a667

Businesses profiting from climate change

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business opportunities created by climate change

Environment cartoon about profit from climate change

Showing business opportunities created by global warming.

The joke is based on the saying “It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good” (meaning that someone always benefits from any situation, including bad ones).
The cartoon is meant as a criticism of cynical profiteering from climate change – it’s not a criticism of pragmatic approaches to job creation as a result of climate change.

Ref: a648

Museum and art gallery merchandising cartoon – fridge magnets of exhibits

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museum merchandising cartoon - fridge magnets of artworks

Cartoon about art gallery and museum mechandising and funding.
Which works of art would look good on fridge magnets?

Cartoon showing artworks being considered for use in merchandising

Cartoon showing a meeting of staff responsible for acquiring artworks in an art gallery considering which works of art to buy, including evaluating the commercial, marketing and merchandising potential of the works of art under consideration.
The cartoon’s caption reads:
“It may indeed be a pivotially significant example of early 18th century Flemish art, but as head of merchandising I have to ask ‘What would it look like on a fridge magnet?’”
It is a cartoon about the commercialisation and commodification of artworks such as paintings and of museum artefacts. The cartoon illustrates the problem of funding art galleries and museums, and the increased reliance on museum gift shops and cafes.
Cartoon reference number: a152
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cartoon copyright matters

Bank computer malfunction cartoon

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bank computer malfunction cartoon

A joke about bank computer failures

A joke about the computer glitches that affect banking systems and other large organisations

The image shows a bank customer withdrawing money from a cashpoint (ATM) and tentacles coming out of the cashpoint to engulf her.
An onlooker is saying “Looks like another computer glitch!”
Cartoon about banking, I.T., Nat West, RBS computer glitch, banking computer systems.

Cartoon reference number: a311

Team building cartoon – “There’s no ‘I’ in ‘team'”

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no i in team

Teamwork or management cartoon
There’s No ‘I’ in ‘team’

An illustration about group psychology and team dynamics.
It suggests that while a group or team may be important, it’s also important not to suppress the individual too much (as individuals are usually more creative than groups)

This cartoon is suitable for publications about motivation, or in presentations about group dynamics or by motivational speakers.
It’s also a image about questioning authority, questioning established viewpoints and about individualism
Date drawn: 2013
Cartoon reference number: a588

Fiscal cliff cartoon – the US economy attached to a falling dollar sign

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fiscal cliff - car and dollar sign - cartoon

Fiscal cliff cartoon
Cartoon of the US economy attached to a falling dollar sign

A political cartoon or editorial cartoon about the fiscal cliff that is threatening the US economy, possibly making the US economy fall into recession.
Cartoon showing a US dollar sign attached to a car’s tow bar, and dangling over a cliff edge (the fiscal cliff)

The car is being driven by Uncle Sam.
The cartoon shows the dollar sign dragging the car towards the edge of the cliff (as the falling dollar drags the US economy into recession).
The illustration is drawn in such a way that there’s a chance that the car might just about be able to turn things around and drag the dollar sign back up
Cartoon reference number: a485
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cartoon copyright matters

Fiscal cliff cartoon – road warning sign

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fiscal cliff warning road sign cartoon

Fiscal cliff cartoon
Falling rock warning road sign as fiscal cliff warning sign – cartoon

A cartoon about the fiscal cliff that is threatening the US economy, possibly making the US economy fall into recession.
The cartoon is of a US road warning sign based on a falling rock warning sign, with US dollar signs falling instead of rocks. A person is being hit by the dollar signs

Cartoon reference number: a484

Unethical business practices cartoon. Business ethics and tax evasion

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company motto - didn't do anything illegal - cartoon

Business ethics cartoon
Tax evasion cartoon

A cartoon about corporate ethics and ethical codes and ideology in business
Morally reprehensible business practices

A cartoon about morals and moral attitudes in businesses, corporations and companies.
This cartoon was drawn after several businesses and corporations tried to excuse their dubious practices with the reason that “We weren’t doing anything illegal” or “It was all within the law” – as though the only yardstick for restraining sharp or devious business practice was whether it was legal or not.
The instances involved include the tax avoidance schemes of the Starbucks coffee chain, in which Starbucks contrived to make a loss rather than a profit on its enterprise in the UK so that it paid no tax.
The other instance was the ‘Kate hoax” – the case of the telephone hoax or ‘prank’ perpetrated by two Australian radio presenters on the 2DayFM radio station, where they phoned the King Edward 7th hospital in London to fraudulently obtain and broadcast information about the the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton). The prank resulted in the suicide of one of the nurses who was caught out by the hoax, Jacintha Saldanha. In this case, while the two presenters may have mainly been guilty of youthful irresponsibility and the naive assumption that everything was just a bit of fun, the radio station’s parent company, Southern Cross Austereo, stated that the hoax wasn’t illegal, which, even if true, was reprehensible.
A cartoon about corporate greed, business ethos and ideology, and corporate mission statements

Cartoon reference number: a474

Globalisation cartoon – a company logo featuring the earth

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globalisation one world motto cartoon

Globalisation and corporate power cartoon

A company logo featuring the earth.
Many companies and corporations attempt to convey a green or environmentally friendly image by featuring images of the earth on their packaging, literature or promotional material
This cartoon shows a company that is using a globe on their corporate logo as a public relations exercise in projecting environmental awareness, while the globe also has the secondary meaning of the company’s global market domination

The company motto is being discussed. Should it be “One World” or “All ours”?

Cartoon reference number: a466

Global warming cartoons – global warming benefitting industry

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Environment cartoons

Environment cartoon – global warming and consumerism.

An environmental cartoon showing executives in a firm that manufactures refrigerators discussing global warming.
They are saying that the more the world warms up, the more people will want to buy fridges

An illustration of the truth behind the expression It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good, and the way that capitalism can benefit from adversity.
The point of this cartoon is that to some extent the creators of global warming will benefit from it.
Maybe they even sponsor climate change denial research!

Original version drawn: 1991

Cartoon reference number: a441