
Politics
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Che Guevara in V for Vendetta mask (Guy Fawkes mask)
Che Guevara with V for Vendetta mask
A parody of the famous Che Guevara poster, wearing a V for Vendetta mask.
The idea for the image is that Che Guevara and the Occupy movement were anti-capitalist, and both images – the famous photograph of Che Guevara and the V for Vendetta Guy Fawkes mask – are iconic images. So bringing the two iconic images together seems like a logical step.
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Margaret Thatcher caricature – Margaret Thatcher as the Queen of Hearts

Caricature – Margaret Thatcher as the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland
Based on the Alice illustrations of John Tenniel
Margaret Thatcher cartoon
This cartoon of Margaret Thatcher features many references to political issues that are associated with Mrs Thatcher and Thatcherism (such as the Falkland Islands, the police, armaments, nationalism, the attack on the welfare state)
A slightly different version of the cartoon was used as a book cover from Is There Anyone Here From Education? published by Pluto Press
Cartoon reference number: a490
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Cartoon. George Orwell’s Big Brother – thought police surveillance camera

Orwellian Big Brother thought police cartoon
Big Brother thought police cartoon showing surveillance cameras. One surveillance camera is monitoring a person while the other surveillance camera is monitoring the person’s thoughts. That camera is labelled ‘thought police‘.
A cartoon about freedom of thought, George Orwell’s 1984 dystopia, dystopian societies, oppression, oppressive regimes, thought crimes, liberty, tyranny.
Cartoon reference number: a083
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Freedom of speech cartoon – government approved free speech

Freedom of speech cartoon. Get your free speech here.
Cartoon about government approved free speech.
A cartoon about government sponsored free speech, or government sanctioned free speech.
Cartoon reference number: a082
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Cartoon. Scottish independence. The Battle of Bannockburn, 1314 and the Act of Union, 1707

A cartoon about the campaign for Scottish independence and the proposed referendum.
Cartoon. The Scottish National Party (SNP) are campaigning for Scottish independence, with a referendum on independence is being called for (in Scotland though not in England).
Cartoon showing the possible use by Scottish nationalists of patriotism by invoking the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, which was a crucial battle in Scotland’s struggle for independence from England at the time. Scotland later rejoined England in 1707 following the Act of Union. The union of England and Scotland transformed Scotland’s fortunes, ended Scotland’s marginalization due to its geographical location.
Cartoon reference number: a063
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Cartoon. Independence for Scotland referendum campaign

A cartoon about the campaign for Scottish independence.
Cartoon. The Scottish National Party (SNP) are campaigning for Scottish independence.
A referendum on independence is being called for.The cartoon shows the possible reaction of some english people to the referendum, as it is thought by some english people that the Scottish parliament is ungrateful for England’s contribution to Scottish prosperity (with some Scottish nationalists more eager to mention the highland clearances (in which Scottish landowners participated) than the beneficial effects of the union of Scotland and England which ended Scotland’s marginalization due to its geographical location.
Cartoon reference number: a062
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Cartoon. A possible drawback of ‘Follow the Leader’

Cartoon showing two people following each other, and as a result going round in circles.
A cartoon that is possibly about lack of leadership and possibly about lack of direction.
A cartoon about leadership, followers, leaders, following like sheep, insularity, conservatism, orthodoxy, narrow mindedness.
Cartoon reference number: a050
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Teamwork cartoon – together we can conquer the world – separately we are nothing

Cartoon showing a bow and arrow. The arrow is walking away from the bow. The bow is telling the arrow that separately they are nothing but together they can conquer the world.
The bow and arrow in this cartoon are a metaphor for teamwork. Neither member of the team can function to their full potential (or in this case, at all) without the other team member.
A cartoon about teams and teamwork, relationships, interdependence, teams, teamwork, symbiosis, management skills, facilitation, achieving potential.
Cartoon reference number: a004
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Egypt revolution cartoon – arab spring cartoon. Egypt elections

Cartoon about the uprising in Egypt which heralded the arab spring. However, is the arab spring now turning sour?
In this cartoon the revolution in Egypt is symbolised by an Egyptian pyramid turned upside down (to symbolise the turning upside down of the political order by the revolution). The pyramid is balanced on its point, which is very unstable. This symbolises the instability inherent in the aftermath of revolutions in general. Will the structure of Egyptian society stay intact or will it topple over into an undesirable state?
This cartoon was drawn at the time of the initial uprising in Tahrir Square, Cairo, which saw the overthrow of President Mubarak.
Now (December 2012) the situation looks precarious again due to the declaration by President Mursi extending his powers and making the Muslim Brotherhood more powerful (using the reason that this is necessary in order to curb the power of the remaining members of the previous regime).Ref egy271 -
Euro debt crisis cartoon. A balloon in the form of the euro coin

An editorial cartoon responding to the eurozone debt crisis in the period around 2010. A cartoon showing the euro coin as a balloon plunging downwards.
The balloon, being made of metal – like the euro coin – is too heavy to fly, and thus it is plunging downwards.The idea behind the illustration is that the design of the European currency, the euro, is fundamentally flawed as it didn’t take into account fundamental issues of financial structures within the European community (the eurozone) or politics. This is symbolised by the fact that the balloon is incapable of flying.
The flat euro coin has to be transformed into a sphere for it to become a balloon. The ambiguity of the flat form of the coin and the spherical form of the balloon is a deliberate aspect of the cartoon.
Drawn: 2010Cartoon reference number: eur13
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Cartoon about the euro debt crisis

An editorial illustration about the eurozone debt crisis. A cartoon showing the euro slipping down a slope.
A cartoon showing the euro symbol on a slope (representing a downward graph).
A cartoon about the eurozone debt crisis, the debt in the euro zone.
Cartoon drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: eur331
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Euro crisis cartoon. The euro symbol represented by dinosaur bones

A cartoon or illustration about the eurozone debt crisis that occurred around 2010.
A cartoon showing the euro symbol as dinosaur bones – implying that the euro may be about to become extinct at some point in the future.
A cartoon about the eurozone debt crisis, the debt in the euro zone.
Drawn: 2010Cartoon reference number: eur531
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Euro debt crisis timebomb

An editorial illustration about the euro zone debt crisis. A cartoon showing the euro as a ‘cartoon’ timebomb.
The cartoon includes a fuse to the bomb, with the spark on the fuse as a star (one of the stars in the eurozone symbol that represent the countries within the eurozone).
The implication is that one of the countries in the euro-zone will somehow detonate the bomb (or escalate the euro crisis).A cartoon about the debt in the eurozone and the euro debt crisis.
Cartoon drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: eur411
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Euro debt crisis cartoon

Euro cartoon
An editorial illustration or cartoon about the euro crisisIllustration in the form of a silhouette style image depicting the euro symbol being carried over a rickety bridge. The bridge may or may not collapse, and it’s unclear where it is leading anyway
An editorial cartoon or illustration dealing with the eurozone crisis, the future of the euro, the euro debt crisis, the European community financial crisis
Cartoon drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: euro17
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Euro crisis cartoon – European currency depicted on a disabled sign

European debt crisis cartoon
An illustration showing the symbol for the European currency, the euro, as the wheelchair on the disabled access sign.
The wheelchair is about to go down a flight of steps that resembles a financial graphThe illustration is about the European community financial crisis, euro crisis, eurozone crisis, the future of the euro, the euro debt crisis
Cartoon drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: euro15
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Euro debt crisis financial cartoon – the euro as the weakest link in a chain

Euro crisis editorial cartoon
Illustration showing the euro currency symbol as the weakest link in a chain
If the euro symbol breaks the chain (symbolising the European community will fall apart.
At the time of drawing, the weakest link was Greece, but the Italian economy was showing signs of unsustainable interest rates creating a debt crisis in Italy
An illustration about the EU debt crisis, European cohesion, European unity, monetary policy, finance, financial interdependence between the nations of Europe.
Drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: euro91
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Finance cartoon: Greece and the euro crisis

Editorial illustration – Greece and the euro crisis, 2011
Finance cartoon – the EU debt crisis in 2011
The Greek effect on the euro
The European currency, the euro, is depicted as a balloon, with Greece, in the form of an ancient Greek archer, firing an arrow at the balloon
A cartoon about the financial crisis in the eurozone in 2011, the future of the euro, political crisis in Europe, cohesion of the European community.
Drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: euro002
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Editorial cartoon. The euro crisis – the euro walking off a cliff

Financial cartoon
Euro crisis cartoonA cartoon showing the european currency, the euro, as a person with the euro sign as a head, walking off the edge of a cliff
An illustration about the financial crisis in the eurozone, the future of the euro, political crisis in Europe, the European community, the euro on the brink of collapse, financial markets in free-fall
Cartoon drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: euro001
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Capitalism profiting from anti-capitalism protests – cartoon
Capitalism cashing in on anti-capitalism protests
The adaptable nature of capitalism – cartoon
Cartoon about anti-capitalism protest camps, such as the one at St Paul’s cathedral.
A cartoon showing an alternative campsite for the anti-capitalism protestors being set up by businessmen (possibly in anticipation of the anti-capitalism protestors being evicted from their original protest campsite).
One of the businessmen is saying “That’s the great thing about capitalism – it’s so adaptable.”
One of the advantages of capitalism is that it is adaptable to circumstances and can react to new opportunities (which planned centralised economies such as socialism are less adept at)
Cartoon reference number: cap123
A black and white version of this cartoon was published in Private Eye magazine, December 2011.
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Participatory democracy cartoon – the worst political system apart from all the rest
The drawback of participatory democracy – cartoon.
The cartoon illustrates the fact that in a pure democracy if a tiny majority of voters want anything they can get it, such as a law stating that any particular group needn’t pay tax. In the cartoon the 51% of the population have voted for the resolution that the 51% of the population who are taller than the rest needn’t pay any taxes. The 51% who are taller are the 51% who voted for the resolution.
A famous quote about democracy was made by Winston Churchill (in a speech in the House of Commons on November 11th 1947): “Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
Notice that he included the phrase “it has been said”, implying that someone else said this before him, although the phrase is often attributed to Churchill.
Drawn: Oct 2011
Cartoon reference number: democ2
democ2
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Repressive government cctv surveillance cartoon

Surveillance cartoon
Repressive government cartoonA government or state CCTV surveillance camera (as a symbol of a repressive state) being photographed by a citizen with a digital camera or a camera-phone.
An illustration of the way that digital technology allows ordinary people to record events (such as demonstrations, uprisings, riots etc) and disseminate the footage across the world’s news media as a way of undermining the power of repressive and secretive statesA cartoon about repression, government news censorship, state control, dictatorships, tyrannies, state oppression, state sponsored secret police, police states, resistance, citizen journalism, journalists
Cartoon drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: cctv25
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Cartoon. Yesterday’s news – the transitory nature of current affairs

Cartoon. Yesterday’s news. The transitory nature of news.
A cartoon showing someone watching the news on television, saying that he’d forgotten that a major news event had happened only a short time earlier (the revolution in Egypt as part of the so called Arab Spring).Cartoon about the fleeting attention span that any news story can command in a world saturated with news events.
A cartoon about the speed with which news stories fall into the dustbin of history as the world’s news media move from one story to the next, often giving a story saturation coverage and then moving on. Today’s earth shattering news is tomorrow’s chip paper, as the saying goes.
Cartoon drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: news22
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China boycott cartoon

Boycott China cartoon
Cartoon about Chinese exploitation of low paid factory workersThis cartoon was drawn in 2008, but is now relevant (in 2021) due to increasing Chinese repression and the repression of the Uyghurs (Uighurs) amongst others. It shows a political activist writing a message on a protest banner that reads “Boycott Chinese products now!” The protestor discovers that the marker pen that the message is being written with was made in China
An illustration about political irony, compromise, protest movements, anti-consumerism protest, boycotting repressive regimes, free trade, international trade
Drawn: 2008
Cartoon reference number: boy101
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Scottish independence referendum cartoon

Independence for Scotland cartoon
Scottish independence referendum cartoon
The English perspective on Scottish independence
A cartoon about the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) demand for a referendum on Scottish independence from England
Cartoon about a possible English attitude to Scottish independence
Cartoon reference number: a062
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Domino effect cartoon

Domino effect cartoon
An illustration of the domino effect
A domino at the back of a line of dominos trips up.
Part of this joke is that the domino that falls is tripping over a sign saying “Queue Here”.
So the fact that the dominos have been lined up in an orderly queue is also the reason that they are going to fall.
A cartoon about self-fulfilling dynamics, inevitability, cascading effect, knock on effects.
This cartoon was first published in Prospect magazine.
Original version drawn: Sept 2005
Cartoon reference number: dom710
Freedom of speech cartoon. A man making a speech standing on a ball and chain



