Chris Madden Cartoons

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  • Only watched the news once a day – cartoon

    Only watch the news once a day cartoon

    Only watch the news once a day cartoon

    A cartoon from a series featuring a life coach and lifestyle advisor called Mrs Walton.
    In the cartoon she is advising someone that they shouldn’t follow the news all day long.

    Limiting how much time you spend following the news can be seen as a good thing partly because obsessively keeping up with every change in events is ultimately a waste of time which stops you doing other things and partly because the news is so depressing.
    Drawn: 2012
    Cartoon reference number: a905

  • Environmental approaches to domestic heating cartoon

    environmental domestic heating cartoon

    Environmental approaches to domestic heating cartoon.

    A cartoon about two alternative ways to keep warm in the winter.
    Either install (and run) an expensive central heating system or put on a few more clothes.
    This cartoon has relevance for the fuel crisis of 2022, when fuel prices and the price of gas and electricity rose hugely.

    Drawn: December 11th 2020
    Cartoon reference number: a882

  • Oil painting portrait ‘cut-to-fit’

    cut-down oil painting cartoon

    Cutting a painting to fit a space.

    A cartoon showing a large oil painting that has been cut down in size to fit into a room.

    The oil painting in the cartoon is a grand portrait, cut down so that only the head is mounted on the wall.
    Cartoon drawn: 2016
    Cartoon reference number: a928

  • Contemporary baby name cartoon

    modern baby's names cartoon

    A cartoon about modern baby names and old-fashioned baby names.

    A cartoon about the trend for unusual and non-traditional names for babies.

    The fashion for non-traditional names for babies may be a symptom of the current trend towards hyper individualism, which may mean that ‘ordinary’ names are viewed as being too conformist.
    The trend may also be linked to the rise of celebrity culture where such names are more commonplace
    Cartoon reference number: a732

  • Vinyl records – a fashionable music format for the 21st century.

    music formats - vinyl - hipsters

    A hipster explaining to his father that modern young people listen to music on vinyl – as though it’s a new format that older people wouldn’t understand.

    This cartoon is about the way that young people often feel superior to older people because older people aren’t necessarily up to date with technology.

    The cartoon is about the psychology of youth – about the way that young people often fail to appreciate the fact that their modern world was created by people who went before them.
    The fact that the music format being used is an old fashioned or retro format, while the young person in the cartoon still feels superior to the man who grew up with the technology, is part of the joke about youth setting itself up as superior to age.
    The young person in the cartoon is a hipster – a youth sub-culture of the 2010s.
    It’s a cartoon about the generation gap.
    Cartoon reference number: a728

  • Cartoon – an optimist (irritatingly ) looking on the bright side of everything

    Cartoon - an optimist looking on the bright side

    An optimist who insists on looking on the bright side of everything can be very irritating.

    A woman driven to murdering her husband because he is unrelentingly optimistic all of the time.

    A cartoon about optimism, personality traits, positivity, looking on the bright side.
    Cartoon drawn: 2002
    Cartoon reference number: a703

  • Men’s obsession with gadgets

    Cartoon - Men admiring a gadget in a workshop

    Men admiring a workshop gadget and wondering what it does

    A cartoon about some men’s obsession with gadgets.

    Original version published in a greetings card range by Paperlink
    Original version drawn: 1994
    Cartoon reference number: a702

  • Family relationships cartoon

    cartoon - a youth waiting for his mother at an airport

    Cartoon of a young man waiting for his mother at an airport arrivals gate.
    He is holding a notice saying “Mum”.

    A cartoon about child-parent relationships.

    Cartoon drawn: 2001
    Cartoon reference number: a696

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  • Cartoon about celebrities (and audiences) getting old.

    cartoon - celebrity looking old

    Cartoon of an elderly man commenting that a celebrity is looking old.

    .

    The man is remembering what the celebrity looked like when the man himself was younger, and is forgetting that he is the same age as the celebrity.

    The celebrity in the cartoon is Harrison Ford.
    A cartoon about aging, denial, youth.
    Cartoon reference number: h695
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  • Environmental clothes drying technology

    Environmental clothes drier cartoon

    Ecological clothes drier – cartoon

    Drying clothes on a washing line is the environment-friendly way to dry clothes

    Ref: a653

  • Garden cartoons – noisy neighbours cartoon

    Gardening cartoon - noisy neighbours cartoon

    Noisy neighbours cartoon

    Cartoon showing problem neighbours hanging a loudspeaker outdoors in a tree.
    A gardener is hanging a bird nesting box in a tree. The loudspeaker looks very similar to the nesting box, which is part of the joke

    A humorous observation about neihbors from hell, encouraging birds in the garden, inconsiderate neighbours
    Cartoon reference number: a578

    See my book of gardening cartoons here.

  • Cookery cartoon

    Cookery cartoon - recipe book for beginners

    Cookery cartoon – a recipe book for beginners

    A cartoon showing a person reading a recipe book to find out how to prepare baked beans

    A cartoon about how to cook convenience food and about how people don’t know how to cook
    Cartoon reference number: a569

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  • Recycling cartoon. Woman putting man in recycling bin

    man in recycling bin cartoon

    Recycling waste cartoon
    Woman putting man in recycling bin

    A cartoon showing a woman thinking of putting her partner or husband into the recycling waste. He is standing idly thinking of sport while she is busy doing the household chores (in this case doing the recycling by visiting the local recycling centre).

    As well as being about recycling and sustainability the cartoon is about gender differences, couple incompatibility, partner resentment

    Cartoon reference number: a456

  • Going viral – a cartoon about popular culture and YouTube videos

    youtube viewing cartoon

    A cartoon about the most popular YouTube videos and the inanity of popular culture.
    “Gangnam Style” tops YouTube viewing figures

    A comic comment on popular culture in the internet age

    This cartoon was inspired by the fact that the song and video “Gangnam Style” was the most popular YouTube video today.

    I’ve got nothing against “Gangnam Style” (in fact I quite like it), but it’s a shame that the most popular areas of popular culture are usually the most inane/mildly amusing/superficial.
    The man in this image is implying that he’d like to see something a bit more intelligent topping the internet viewing figures.
    The cartoon is about internet trending, going viral, cultural inanity, popular culture.

    Cartoon reference number: a428

  • How to stop a baby crying – give it the phone

    baby comforter phone cartoon

    Cartoon showing how to stop a baby crying – give it the phone

    A comment on the hypnotic fascination with phones of young people.
    The cartoon is also about the way that children are socialised into dependence on technology and gadgets.
    The baby is ignoring the soft toys that are dangling in the baby buggy and is focussing completely on a cell phone (mobile phone).

    Cartoon reference number: a357

  • Dieting cartoons. Woman weighing herself on bathroom scales

    diet book cartoon

    Dieting cartoon. Woman weighing herself on scales while holding a diet book

    A cartoon about diets, dieting,weight loss,obesity,health,bathroom scales

    Cartoon reference number: a356
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  • Garden vegetable glut – gardening and cookery cartoon

    Courgette glut - gardening and cookery cartoon

    Vegetable gardening cartoon
    Cookery cartoon

    Cartoon of a gardener harvesting courgettes from his garden and bringing them into the kitchen

    In the kitchen the gardener’s wife is looking at recipes for courgettes and is saying “It’s amazing how many recipes you can find with courgettes in them when you have to”

    This is a joke about the problem of gluts of seasonal vegetables and fruit.
    Home grown courgettes are a particularly good example of glut-prone vegetables.

    Cartoon reference number: a259

    See my book of gardening cartoons here.
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  • Garden design cartoon – down to earth vegetable garden or ostentatious designer garden?

    garden design and seed catalogue - cartoon

    Gardening and garden design cartoon. Ordering garden seeds from a seed catalogue

    Cartoon about garden design and planning

    Cartoon showing a man trying to decide what type of garden to create – a vegetable garden or a garden in the form of a sub-tropical paradise retreat

    Part of the humour in the cartoon is that the man who is contemplating designing or planning a new garden is a stereotypical old age pensioner – a type of person who probably wouldn’t be interested in creating an aspirational garden design such as a designer garden. He’d normally prefer a traditional vegetable garden or allotment garden in which he could potter round rather than a high status garden that would (hopefully) impress his friends.
    The cartoon is meant to imply that an ostentatious high status garden design is more vulgar than an ‘honest’ vegetable plot.
    This is a cartoon about cultural types, social class, cultural stereotypes.

    Cartoon reference number: a236

    See my book of gardening cartoons here.
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  • Children won’t go outside to play in the garden

    children watching tv in garden - cartoon

    Gardening and gardens cartoon. The only way to get children to go outside into the garden is to put a television there

    A joke about the problem of getting children away from the television and their computers.
    The horror of the idea of ‘outdoor television’ – especially for kids

    A comic illustration about child development, children’s games and activities, children won’t play outside anymore, physical exercise for children.
    Cartoon reference number: a228

    See my book of gardening cartoons here.

  • Golf cartoon and garden cartoon. Using a golf bag to carry gardening tools

    golf bag full of garden tools - joke

    A joke about gardening and golf. Using a golf bag to carry gardening tools.

    Showing a man using a golf bag to carry his garden tools rather than to carry his golf clubs.

    A cartoon about men’s hobbies and pass-times, golfing, golf caddies, golf carts, combining hobbies
    Cartoon reference number: a205

    See my book of gardening cartoons here.

  • Using power tools in the garden – you may need ear protectors

    ear protectors in the garden - joke

    Gardening and gardens cartoon. Using power tools in the garden – use ear protectors

    Showing a gardener about to use some power tools in his garden.
    He’s asking his partner (who’s relaxing on the lawn) is she’s seen his ear protectors.

    The joke is that gardening is meant to be a relaxing hobby or pass-time, but the man is going to make a lot of noise, thus ruining the tranquility for others

    A cartoon about insensitivity, lack of consideration for others, noise levels, noisy neighbours, noise abatement society, intrusive noise.
    The joke is also about male status and prestige (the need to be seen using powerful tools rather than lower status implements such as sweeping brushes and brooms).

    Cartoon reference number: a203

    See my book of gardening cartoons here.

  • Winter is the dormant season for plants – and people

    gardening cartoon - winter is dormant period

    A cartoon about gardening and male behaviour.
    Winter is the dormant period for plants – and for people

    This could also be a joke about a stereotypical lazy man

    A cartoon about laziness, seasonal activity, the seasons in the garden, the rhythms of nature, lethargy, stereotypical gender roles, cliches of masculine behaviour, seasonal behaviour.
    Cartoon reference number: a193

    See my book of gardening cartoons here.

  • Water play isn’t only for children – cartoon

    Water play cartoon

    Water play joke

    A man in his garden watering plants with a hose pipe (or with a watering can).

    His wife is commenting to a friend that it’s important for him to have at least 20 minutes of water play per day. The joke in the cartoon is that water play is normally associated with children and child development, and not with adults, although adults benefit from such activity too.
    A cartoon about play, child development, leisure activities, watering gardens, irrigation, hobbies, male shed culture.

    Drawn: July 2003

    Cartoon reference number: a189

    See my book of gardening cartoons here.

  • Sundial cartoon

    cartoon - sundial with children too young to tell the time

    A sundial with young children who are too young to tell the time

    The reason why the children can’t tell the time is because they are too short to see the top of the sundial

    A sundial in a garden as a decorative feature.
    A cartoon about child development, learning to tell the time, clocks.

    Drawn: Aug 2009

    Cartoon reference number: a187

    See my book of gardening cartoons here.

  • Gardening or DIY cartoon – about the fascination of old newspapers

    joke about the fascination of old newspapers

    DIY or gardening humour – about the way that old newspapers become interesting

    A joke about the way that when you lay out pages of old newspaper as part of a diy project (such as to save the floor from paint splashes when decorating) or gardening project, the stories in the newspaper can become a distraction and become compulsively readable, distracting you from the job at hand

    A humorous illustration about procrastination, displacement activity, displacement activities, yesterday’s news.

    Drawn: Feb 2004

    Cartoon reference number: a178

  • A gardener who is more interested in the tools than the garden – cartoon

    Gardener who is more interested in the tools than the garden - humour

    Garden humour. A gardener who is more interested in the garden tools than in the garden

    A cartoon about the way that it’s possible for the technology or tools relating to a hobby to become more important than the results of the hobby itself (Photography is another good example, where men become obsessed with their cameras rather than their photographs).

    A joke about the psychology of hobbies, leisure activities, passtimes, pass-times, men’s interests.
    It’s also about the way that some men will only use equipment that has a certain muscular masculinity – as here, a noisy power tool rather than a brush or rake.

    Drawn: Nov 2011

    Cartoon reference number: a177

  • Gardening and model railway cartoon combined

    model railway in the garden joke

    Gardening humour. A model railway in the garden

    Showing a man combining his two hobbies – gardening and model railways

    A cartoon about hobbies, leisure activities, passtimes, pass-times, men’s interests.

    Drawn: July 2011

    Cartoon reference number: a175

  • Garden design cartoon. Using jigsaw shaped paving stones on the driveway to the garage

    jigsaw shaped paving stones on drive cartoon

    Garden cartoon. Using jigsaw shaped paving stones on the drive to the garage

    Cartoon showing a man constructing a drive in his garden, with flagstones shaped like interlocking pieces from a jigsaw.

    The man has just finished constructing the driveway – to find that one of the pieces of the jigsaw is missing.
    This is a joke about the cliche that there’s always one piece of a jigsaw that’s missing.

    Drawn: Nov 2006

    Cartoon reference number: a173
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  • Gardening cartoon – garden or outdoor lighting cartoon

    cartoon - on dark evenings use standard lamp in garden

    cartoon – someone using a standard lamp in the garden on dark winter evenings

    Cartoon about garden and outdoor lighting.

    Cartoon showing someone illuminating their garden on dark winter evenings by using an indoor standard lamp outside on a patio.

    Drawn: Nov 2011

    Cartoon reference number: a167
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  • Christmas cartoon – a Christmas present for a gardener

    thoughtful christmas present cartoon

    Christmas gardening cartoon

    Cartoon – a gardening Christmas present

    Cartoon showing a man giving his wife a Christmas present. The gift is something that he wants himself, and that he intends to use.

    Cartoon reference number: a165
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