Chris Madden Cartoons

A searchable archive for licensing

Lemmings cartoon – the possible consequence of following an authority figure

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lemmings cliff follow leader cartoon

Lemmings cartoon – the possible consequence of following an authority figure

A cartoon showing lemmings jumping off a cliff

One of the lemmings is warning against following a leader – “Never trust an authority figure – and definitely don’t follow one.”
This isn’t a cartoon warning about all authority figures, or all forms of following – after all, we need a bit of respect in our society. It’s a cartoon about blind allegiance and where it can take you, especially when the person who is being followed has his head turned by power
Cartoon reference number: a536
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Altruism cartoon.

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mindless violence and mindless altruism cartoon

Altruism cartoon. Mindless violence and mindless altruism.
The evolution of altruism

A cartoon about the emergence of altruism in nature.

The cartoon shows prehistoric men or cave men fighting. Another prehistoric man is rushing to the scene of the violence to care for the wounded. Yet another caveman is wondering about the evolution of altruism as a personality trait.
Cartoon reference number: a535

Anti-vax cartoon

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vaccination cartoon anti-vax

Anti-vax cartoon

A cartoon about anti-vaxxers and anti-vax conspiracy theories.
Anti-vax conspiracy theories are common at the time of writing (2020).
This cartoon however was drawn in 2007 (I think) for a BBC science magazine for an article about vaccine scare hysteria created by media driven hysteria over health issues. I think that was traditional media in those days, not social media as it would be now.
The cartoon shows a doctor looking at a hyperdermic syringe and thinking “One of the side effects of this vaccine will be a hysterical reaction in the media.”

A joke about medicine, doctors, hypodermic syringes, vaccinations, anti-vax, anti-vaxxers, conspiracy theories.

Cartoon drawn: 2007

Cartoon reference number: a530
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Consumer society cartoon

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baby walker cartoon

Consumerism cartoon

A cartoon about child development and shopping.
This joke was inspired by seeing children’s toys such as brightly coloured radios with words printed on them such as “My First Radio”

A humorous idea about nature or nurture, social attitudes, capitalism and social conditioning.
The expression “Born to shop” comes to mind

Cartoon reference number: a473

Life as a game of chess – cartoon

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chess piece as hats - cartoon

Life as a game of chess – cartoon

Showing a chess board on which people are standing, with chess pieces on their heads like hats

A slightly surreal cartoon about chess. The concept is that life is a game of chess, and we are all players

It’s also about life strategies, competitiveness, power struggles, inter-human dynamics, interpersonal politics, sociology, game theory.

Cartoon reference number: a426

Quotation about pedants

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humorous quote about pedants

A humorous quotation about pedantry
“I’m not a pedant (in the strict definition of the term)
The quote is my own

A typography-based image showing a funny quote about pedants

The humour is in the fact that only a pedant would qualify their lack of pedantry as quoted here
Ref: a632

Thinking, Fast and Slow – a tortoise and hare Cartoon

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tortoise and hare thinking fast and slow cartoon

Thinking, Fast and Slow.
Tortoise and Hare Cartoon

A cartoon of the tortoise and hare from Aesop’s fables.
The hare is reading the book Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

Daniel Kahneman’s book, Thinking, Fast and Slow, is about the theory that the cognitive functions of the brain operate in two distinct systems, one that operates impulsively and on reflect and one that operates on a more thoughtful and considered level. Both are necessary for survival, with the impulsive system making the snap decisions that are needed to keep you out of trouble.
In my cartoon the tortoise (representing the fast, impulsive part of the brain) is sitting on the back of the tortoise, with the implication that it’s trying to be a bit less impulsive and a bit more thoughtful.

A cartoon about psychology, evolutionary psychology, the mind, fables.

Cartoon reference number: a344

How to communicate with men – talk balls

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communicate with men - cartoon

Cartoon: how to communicate with men – talk balls

A joke about male obsession with sport, especially sports that involve balls

A humorous comment aon the communication gap between men and women.
The cartoon is also a criticism of some women’s dismissive attitudes to male interests.

Thie cartoon deals with issues concerning gender differences, gender specific interests, hobbies, women’s view of men, feminist’s attitude to men, feminism, male stereotypes, stereotyping, sports fans

Cartoon reference number: a343

Questioning authority – illustration

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questioning authority cartoon

Questioning authority – cartoon.
A student questioning the authority of a lecturer

Cartoon showing a lecture on politics authority

A joke about authority, questioning, totalitarianism, anarchy, anarchism, authority figures

The joke is that the student is questioning the authority of a lecturer who is telling the audience to question authority.
This illustration first appeared in BBC Knowledge magazine.

Cartoon reference number: a332

You’re never alone when you’ve got a phone – cartoon

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You're never alone when you've got a phone - cartoon

Mobile phone cartoon. Cell phone cartoon.
You’re never alone when you’ve got a phone – cartoon

A cartoon showing a person sitting alone with a mobile phone on the table.

The cartoon is an observation about people who place their phones on the table when they are on their own, to signal to other people that they have friends
A cartoon about mobile phones, cell phones,social media,loneliness,solitary people,communication.

Cartoon reference number: a324
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Cartoon showing a procession of people following each other in a circle

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cartoon following each other in circle

Cartoon showing a procession of people following each other in a circle.

A cartoon that is possibly about lack of leadership and lack of direction within groups, or on a larger social scale possibly about inward looking insular societies, restrictive religious, social or cultural traditions that stifle thought and progress.

A cartoon about leadership, followers, leaders, following like sheep, insularity, conservatism, orthodoxy, narrow mindedness.

Cartoon reference number: a051
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Cartoon. A possible drawback of ‘Follow the Leader’

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following-each-other-in-circles-cartoon

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 about statistics, statistical probability and statistical bias

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statistics cartoon - probability

Cartoon about statistics, statistical probability, statistical bias and unreliable statistical surveys.

A cartoon showing a person collecting statistics but deliberately ignoring a statistic that doesn’t fit with his preconceived bias as to what the results should be.

A cartoon about unreliable statistical analysis, including such things as self-selecting groups, observer bias, prejudice.
A cartoon about statistical data collection and biased analysis.
Cartoon reference number: a035
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Health and safety gone mad – cartoon

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Health and safety gone mad

Cartoon – health and safety gone mad
Health and safety guidelines

A cartoon showing an officious inspector making a judgement on a health and safety issue. A child wrapped in cottonwool to protect it from danger – but the cottonwool itself is judged to contravene health and safety guidelines because it is a choke hazard

A cartoon about the over-zealous implementation of petty rules concerning health and safety regulations

Cartoon drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: saf31
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Vegetarianism cartoon: meat eating partners of vegetarians

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Vegetarian cartoon: partners of vegetarians support group meeting

Meat eating partners of vegetarians cartoon
Vegetarianism cartoon

The cartoon shows an gathering of people who’s partners are vegetarians and vegans, but who are not vegetarian or vegan themselves, and who thus crave meat (which they either aren’t allowed to, or don’t like to, eat in the presence of their partners)

A cartoon about the way that people modify their behaviour in the presence of other people, especially to accommodate the other people’s social, ethical and cultural principles or mores.
A cartoon about food, ethics, meat eating, carnivorous or omnivorous diets, annual dinners, support groups, support networks

Drawn: February 2001
Cartoon reference number: veg251
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Old age cartoon. Old age v youth culture cartoon

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Old age cartoon. Old woman with walking stick stabs youth

Old age cartoon

The cartoon shows an old woman walking slowly towards a seat in a park.
It then shows a youth walking pasrt her quickly and sitting in the seat that she was heading for. The final frame shows the youth lying stabbed by the old woman’s walking stick – a punishment for his lack of consideration, selfishness and assumption of self-entitlement.
The final frame of the cartoon overturns the roles played by people in the previous frames (That’s the joke – I’m obviously not advocating that old people resort to acts of violence)

A cartoon about power, dominance hierarchies, male dominance, age discrimination, youth culture, violence, aggression, retribution, justice, respect, law and order, stereotypes, manners

Drawn: 2001
Cartoon reference number: age001
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Human dynamics cartoon – the dynamics of male dominance

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short man and tall man cartoon

Social status cartoon
The dynamics of male hierarchical status
How males judge their position in the pecking order

The cartoon shows a tall man and a short man, with the taller man assuming dominance and superiority over the shorter man.
However, as a further sign of masculinity the men have antlers, the size of which displays their status and power. The shorter man has much larger antlers than the taller man. So which man is the dominant alpha male?

A cartoon about power, testosterone, men, masculinity, gender signifiers, management, superiority, leadership, alpha males, business, businessmen, businessman, power displays, size matters, office politics, dilemmas, dominance hierarchies, male dominance in work situations, evolutionary psychology

Cartoon reference: male22
Drawn: 2011

Blind date cartoon – trying to impress a date

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Dating cartoon. A man and woman out for a meal. He says he wants to dedicate his life to making the world a better place. She thinks - Damn, he's flawed

Dating cartoon
Blind date cartoon

A man and woman out for a meal. He says he wants to dedicate his life to making the world a better place for all humanity. She thinks “Damn, he’s flawed”
A man trying to impress a woman with his concern for the world. It backfires

A cartoon about virtue signalling, ethics, morals, expectations, personality, motivation, concern, selfishness, charity, charitableness, caring, uncaringness, trying to impress someone.
Drawn: 2009
Cartoon reference number: fla710

Childcare cartoon – grandparents doing childminding

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Grandparents childminding cartoon. Zimmer frame with pushchair seat attached

Child care cartoons
Grandparent childminding cartoon
Zimmer frame cartoon

A grandmother looking after a baby while the parents pursue other activities.
The grandmother is using a walking frame that also acts as a baby carrier.

A cartoon commenting on the way that in the early twenty-first century young professional couples are very reliant on childminding duties carried out by grandparents.
The fact that in the cartoon the parents are pursuing leisure activities implies that these particular parents are taking the grandparents for granted. This is meant to illustrate the ‘have it all’ self-fulfilment ethos of the age.
A cartoon about grandparents, extended families, family, old age, generations.
Drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: zim710
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Cartoon. An authority figure sitting on a pedestal

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Cartoon. An authority figure sitting on a pedestal behind a desk.

Management cartoon. A boss-type figure sitting on a pedestal behid a desk, hoping that no one will notice that he is ineffectual because he can’t reach his desk (precisely because he is sitting on a pedestal). He looks very much alone.

 

A cartoon about authority, elitism, dictatorship, imperiousness, ineffective, inefficient, management, class, status.

Cartoon drawn: 2011
Cartoon reference number: bus91
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Guru cartoon – a guru as an authority figure

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Cartoon about gurus as authority figures

Guru cartoon
Gurus as authority figures

A cartoon about suspicion of authority.

The cartoon is also related to the tendency towards distrust of experts prevalent in the late 2010s and 2020s (although I personally don’t view gurus as experts!).
It is a cartoon about independent thinking, individualism, gullibility, followers, following authority, suspicion, identifying charlatans, charlatanism, wisdom, wise men, spiritual teachings, false authority, trust, persuasion, anti-authoritarianism.
Cartoon reference number: gur171
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Language cartoon: the evolution of spelling

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young people talking in text message language cartoon, with text message spelling - txting

Language use cartoon – the evolution of spelling
Cartoon showing young people talking in text message language

The cartoon about the evolution and development of spelling, showing young people in conversation, with the spelling in the abbreviated form of text messages or sms messages. Two older people nearby are saying that they don’t understand a word young people are saying anymore.

A cartoon about progress, evolution of language, corruption of language, texting, sms messaging, c u l8er, linguistics, generation gap, generational differences, intergenerational cultural shifts.
Cartoon reference number: tec003
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Cartoon about the psychology of motoring. Cartoon of a man and his relationship with his car

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Man and his car as a protective carapace

Cartoon about the psychology of motoring.

Slightly surreal illustration of a man and his car – which acts as a protective shell or carapace

In a car a person is insulated from, and isolated from, the outside world, with the car giving a sense of protection, wellbeing and power to the driver.
The car driver may feel a strong sense of invulnerability when driving the car
Cartoon reference number: env044

The nature of competition

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People creating the lines on a race track - racing against each other themselves

A cartoon about competitiveness in sport or about human nature. Or both.

It’s essentially a cartoon about the nature of competitiveness and how it’s an innate component of the human psyche or personality.

The cartoon depicts people drawing the white lines of an athletics track, and spontaneously racing against each other in the process.
Cartoon drawn: 2009
Cartoon reference number:spt002
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Cartoon. Reality television programme showing infinite regression of person watching reality television

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Cartoon about reality tv. Showing regression of realities in the screen

Cartoon about reality tv.

Showing regression of realities in the television screen. The reality on the screen is the mundane reality of the person watching the programme.

Part of the joke is that if reality television was really about reality it would indeed be a form of infinite regression of the mundane. Reality tv as we know it is very contrived to make it more interesting than day=to-day reality.
Cartoon reference number: z002
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