A Short History of Political Cartoons

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Illustrations are an important aspect of my work. One of the more fascinating aspects of illustration is the political cartoon.

Benjamin Franklin made the very first political cartoon ever. He ran in his paper during the War of Independence (the “so called” American Revolution) against England:

Since that first political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin, political cartoons became more and more popular until they attained the mainstay they are today. Political cartoons can say things that communicate better than paragraphs of prose and witty anecdotes.

They are also satirical so they can illustrate a message that in the written word form may cause a lawsuit. In fact, there were a few that did land a few artists and media people in the courts.

Here is one of my favorites from the 1930s that summed up the feeling for FDR’s NRA price controls (which were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court) and his “New Deal” –

Political cartoons not only poke fun at political figures, they can also inspire. Here is an example from the master illustrator James Montgomery Flagg –

James Montgomery Flagg

American Illustrator / Political Cartoonist

Flagg’s illustrations were famous for how they inspired America –

Today, we have our own artists who say things and express feelings better than any syndicated columnist or television pundit –

There is some serious study on the subject of the political cartoon. They are and will be popular into the future of the media.

 

Here is an interesting lecture by Martin Rowson, a particularly venomous British cartoonist. This is from a conference for the The Royal Society of the Encouragement of Arts:

WARNING – this lecture doesn’t pull any punches and has content that will offend – but it’s quite educational on the subject of the political cartoon and its effects.

 

And for the finale’ – here is a political cartoonist at work:

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