While the Trump era has provided endless opportunities for journalists to come up with fresh ways to report on domestic and international affairs, I think the real treasure trove of creative golden nuggets has been laid at the feet of political cartoonists.
In an era when truth is often elusive and fantasy thrives, cartoons seem to represent the most effective means of contextualizing the outrageous behavior taking place in Washington, D.C. and it’s always-on 24-hour cycle of institutional destruction.
Signe Wilkinson – Washington Post Writers Group and Cartoonist Group
Michael de Adder – Counterpoint
Michael de Adder – The Gleaner
Christopher Weyant – Boston Globe
Joel Pett – Lexington Herald Leader
RJ Matson – caglecartoons.com CQ and Roll Call
Steve Sack – Minneapolis Star Tribune
KAL – The Economist
Lalo Alcaraz – Andrews McMeel Syndication
Matt Davies – Newsday and Andrews McMeel Syndication
M. Wuerker- POLITICO and Andrew McMeel Syndication
Special thanks to POLITICO for providing many of the cartoons.
Header Image: Marshall Gansey 2019 – creators.com
peace~henry
My quest blog 
Every cartoon is spot on, Henry! Images can say so much more in an instant and capture the absurdity of a given situation, like the cartoon by Signe Wilkinson of the Washington Post Writers Group and Cartoonist Group. My favorite is the one by KAL in The Economist.
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Hi Rosaliene! Yes, there is a great deal of absurdity to be captured and illustrated these days. I’m a big fan of Signe Wilkinson’s work. She is a Pulitizer Prize winner and one of the few female political cartoonists who’s work is widely syndicated. Kevin Kallaugher’s (KAL) work is brilliant as well. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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I had no idea she’s a Pulitzer Prize winner. Kudos to her!
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Some great cartoons here. Unfortunately the trend seems to be that newspapers are dropping cartoons and cartoonists. In some cases it’s about economics but in others it represents a fear of anything that is too controversial. Over the summer the New York Times announced it was dropping all political cartoons from its international addition. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette fired a widely admired cartoonist for his anti-Trump works. Personally I think the only way to not get ground down by Trump is to have a good laugh at his expense now and again.
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That’s really sad news Ken, but I can understand that it’s advertising revenue that pays salaries for journalists, etc. The news business has (and still is) going through major changes due to competition from the net. I agree that the only way to maintain a degree of sanity at the moment is to have an occasional laugh at the irony of our current situation and talented political cartoonists do that in a way that memes never will.
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Thanks @hitandrun1964
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Love all f them. Thank you. Re blogging it to pass it on.
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Thanks for passing them on!
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They are so right on the spot! At least they make us laugh at a terrible situation..
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Hi Jane! A sense of humor is the best defense while we work to rid ourselves of this administration.
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Trump provides an endless amount of material for satire. We need to laugh now and then because what he is doing is extremely disturbing. Sooner or later, though, we’ll have to get very serious about stopping him. The longer he stays in office, the more of a threat he poses to our democracy, our freedoms, and our well-being. People laughed at Hitler too… until their apathy and cowardice unleashed his destructive reign of power.
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Let’s hope, pray and work toward making sure Trump is soundly defeated in 2020. The lives of many Earthlings depend on it!
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This blog post is spot on, Henry.
My vampire novel which is actually geopolitical satire meets mythological beings and supernatural creatures is having a field day since Trump took office.
It’s now become a novel which writes itself with every breaking news story.
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I’m glad the daily headlines are being put to good use Dracul. 🙂 The old adage ‘stranger than fiction’ comes to mind.
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The cartoons speak volumes of truth.
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Yeah, the bit of truth that still exists. Thanks Jim!
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Henry, great idea for a post. I’ve always admired cartoonists’ abilities to capture complex ideas and events in one frame. I enjoy Politico’s weekly wrap ups of the best cartoons. I have to wonder however, what will happen to the art as more and more print media outlets disappear? ~ James
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Hi James,
As Ken mentioned in the comments above, many cartoonists are losing their jobs due to the continuing changes in the way readers/viewers get their news–the economics of the news business–as well as due to publishers seeking to shy away from controversy. It’s sad news, I’m afraid. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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These cartoons are more powerful than any article I’ve ever read. I especially like the Nancy Pelosi one, since it perfectly illustrates the state of the Democratic party.
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The power of art indeed, Josh. As for the Democratic party, divided they will be much less likely to defeat the fool currently taking up space in the Oval Office.
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Brilliant! At this point in the administration laughing is preferable to crying. Because once I start crying, I’m not sure I could stop…
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My feelings exactly @Rivergirl
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Nice collection of apt cartoons. Some folks apparently think: “OK, well, maybe Trump’s a monster, but at least he’s *our* monster. https://petersironwood.com/2019/09/19/essays-on-america-at-least-hes-our-monster/
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Hi Peter,
I suppose every club needs a mascot through which they can channel their feelings. Enjoyed reading your chilling monster essay!
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