The AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has been rumoured to cause blood clots (with little evidence).
The cartoon shows someone (an anti-vaxxer) reacting to this.
First published in the Spectator, March 2021.
QAnon is a far-right conspiracy theory grouping that is currently gaining followers, possibly due to the influence of the US presidency of Donald Trump.
Followers of QAnon believe in a wide number of far-fetched conspiracy theories, which seem to be growing all the time.
Hence the punchline of this cartoon: “Join the Q!”
The cartoon shows a person holding a placard stating “Truth lies in following the evidence”.
Another person holds the same placard with the lower part ripped off, so that the part that he holds reads “Truth lies”.
In recent years (the early 2020s) the concept of finding “your own truth” has become fashionable.
A cartoon about conspiracy theories truth, facts, fake news.
A road sign with multiple roads leading to conspiracy theories.
One road leads to truth, but the road is closed.
The cartoon is about the current proliferation of (and acceptance of) conspiracy theories, as we now seem to live in a post-truth fake news world.
The climate of conspiracy theories is a sign of the times, hence the sign and the title of the cartoon, Sign of the Times.
Cartoon about the pandemic of conspiracy theories about the covid-19 pandemic.
The conspiracy theories about the origin of the covid-19 coronavirus include it being created in a Chinese lab, being released by Bill Gates so that he can control the world, and that it is caused by G5 signals from phone masts.
A cartoon about conspiracy theories, gullibility, psychological delusion, going viral.
Covid-19 coronavirus cartoon – a myth about how it started.
A cartoon about the myth that the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic started because the virus was released from a lab in China.
The person in the cartoon is saying “Here’s a REALLY worrying virus-myth statistic – an incredible 75% of the population don’t believe it started in a lab!”
The point of the cartoon is that people who believe that the virus started in a lab are just as certain that they are right as the people who believe that it wasn’t. The believers in the theory think that they are clear-sighted enough to see round the official obfuscation about the matter.
A cartoon about conspiracy theories, gullibility, psychological delusion.
Truth and facts being ignored in favour of emotional or prejudiced viewpoints.
The concept of ignoring the facts when reaching a decision about something, and letting the heart rather than the head rule, seems to be a phenomenon that’s on the rise. It has recently been labelled ‘post truth’.
In the cartoon I’ve linked it to the phenomenon of conspiracy theories, which are frequently used as a way of justifying irrational or unproven ideas.
The rise of post truth tendencies is said to be linked to people’s increasing use of social media via phones and electronic media and the tendency for internet algorithms to send people only information that they already agree with – however the tendency has always been there in the way that people purchase newspapers that agree with their political and other views.
It may also be linked to the current mistrust of experts.
Conspiracy theory cartoon
A conspiracy theorist saying that conspiracy theories are actually a smokescreen for the incredible truth
The cartoon shows conspiracy theorists bending the evidence to fit their own theory, thus ensuring that they will never have to concede that they are deluded
A cartoon about delusion, cranks, conspiracies, area 51, false, fake, gullibility, gullible, hoax, implausible, ludicrous, plots, secret knowledge, moon landing hoax