The document provides an overview of political cartoons and their history and use. It discusses how caricatures exaggerate public figures and how the term "cartoon" originated from drawings used as studies for paintings. Political cartoons use symbols and visual shorthand to comment on current events and politicians in just a few seconds. Examples are given from cartoons on presidents Johnson, Reagan, and statues of liberty at different times. The challenges of political humor today are also discussed.

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Political Cartoons
by Alleen Pace Nilsen
and Don L. F. Nilsen

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Caricatures
• Caricatures are probably the oldest form of
pictorial humor, where caricare in Latin
means “to overload, or exaggerate.”
• The main stylistic devices here are distortion
and exaggeration, and the main subject,
famous people.

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The Word “Cartoon”
• The term Cartoon originally comes from the Italian
word ‘cartone’ and means a strong, heavy paper or
pasteboard. It denotes a full-size drawing made on
paper as a study for further drawings, such as a
painting or tapestry.
• Punch applied the term to satirical drawings by
publishing some parody drafts for frescoes (also
called cartoons) and making the term’s new meaning
permanent.

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• A cartoonist’s craft may force them to limit
their originality, because they have fewer than
10 seconds to grab the attention of viewers,
and, in fact, to tell whole stories.
• We will start with two classic cartoons by
David Levine for the New York Review of
Books. No words are needed, but readers had
to have cultural knowledge in order to “Catch
on.”

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• After President Lyndon Johnson had
gallbladder surgery he lifted his shirt to
show his scar to reporters at a news
conference. Levine’s drawing shows
that his real scar was in the shape of
Vietnam.
• President Reagan, who was famous for
cutting welfare is compared to Marie
Antoinette who after being told that the
people had no bread famously said,
“Let them eat cake.”

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• Cultural Icons can be either
–recognized visual symbols
–or familiar words that can be parodied.
• Cartoonists first have to help the
viewers into the mindset of the original,
• Then take them in a new direction.

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These words have come into English from
various cartoons:
POW! ZAP! WHAM! ZIP! ZOWIE!
Teddy Bear
Gerrymander
Yellow Journalism
McCarthyism (cf.Senator Simple J. Malarkey
in the Pogo Comic Strip)

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Obituary Cartoons
• Cartoonists hate doing them, because
they have to be respectful, no matter
what.
• But their audiences love them, because
they capture the essence of the person
who has died.

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For efficiency, cartoonists make use
of common visual symbols
• Pointing fingers or arrows
• The Trojan Horse
• Tombstones and the initials R.I.P.
• Skulls/The Grim Reaper

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• The three monkeys
• The Ghost of Christmas Past
• Superman
• Railroad tracks not matching up
• A 1973 Boston Globe Cartoon by Paul Szep showed
Vietnam as a maze.
• Reprinted in 1975 with added symbolism.

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Other Common Symbols include:
• Snakes
• Wolves
• Fantasy characters
• Baby buggies (because they hide
information)
• And new interpretations of familiar sayings
about big sticks (which a person should
carry as he speaks softly), and where the
buck stops.

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•Variations on the
Statue of Liberty show
how symbols can
change over time while
still retaining some of
the original meaning.

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• Statue of Liberty cartoons
while making many
different political points
still rely on images that in
most people’s minds are
“feminine.”

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• 1960: Doug MacPherson drew Fidel
Castro and Nikita Krushev having a
picnic on her head.
• 1971: Daniel Aguila drew her with
shortened robes under the cutline “Lib
and let lib!”
• 1980: Doug Marlett showed her
sweeping dirt under a rug designed as
a flag.

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• 1984: Signe Wilkinson showed her
going through a sewing factory
shouting “OK, you huddled masses, I
know you’re in here!”
• 2001: After 9/11, a tear falling from one
eye
• And two sad eyes reflecting the burning
Twin Towers

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• 2003: Expressing womanly impatience as she says
“Geez, two years and still no capture of Osame…or
Saddam…or Al Qaida…or WMD…or the Taliban, or
Justice or…” A side note read “In a city accustomed
to the New York Minute.”
• 2005: Nick Adams won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for
showing President Bush sitting on top of her crown
wearing earphones hooked to a satellite dish, which
had replaced the flame in her extended arm.

23. A Recent New Yorker Cover
What is the intended meaning of
this cartoon?
Does it mean different things to
different people?
Is The New Yorker more
conservative or more liberal in its
leanings?
What about the cartoon?
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Today’s Cartoons: Where’s the Humor?
People are so frustrated with each other that really
funny cartoons are hard to find.
Today’s cartoons are mostly hostile and accusatory.
They illustrate the idea of the MICH theory—Moderate
Intergroup Conflict Humor—which says that people
have to be a little bothered by something to expend
the energy to make a joke. But if people are so
bothered that they are really angry, they want to
express their hostility in something more powerful
than a joke.

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ToughTalk between Male & Female Candidates
Polite sensitivities have been shelved, while
bold gender-based power plays have become
the norm.
Linguist Deborah Tannen relates the change to
lines blurring between public and private.
Communications Professor Kathleen Jamieson
says that tough language frames the attacker
as tougher than the person attacked.

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“Joking” is now coming through sexist insults that are
repeated by the late-night comedians.
Sarah Palin told Fox News that President Obama did not have the
“cojones” to get tough on illegal immigration.
In a debate between Nevada Senate candidates, Sharron Angle
zinged Harry Reid with “Man up, Harry Reid.”
Although Angle’s zinger got the most publicity, the phrase had
already been used by Missouri Democrat Robin Carnahan in a
Senate debate with Rep. Roy Blount.
Delaware Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell told a radio
interviewer that her primary opponent should “put his man
pants on”

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Linguist George Lakoff explained that the Republican worldview
emphasizes masculinity and strength,while Democrats
underscore the more feminine quality of empathy.
This is why, “If you’re a woman candidate who’s a conservative,
then you have to say you’re more masculine than the other
guy.”
However, there’s a double standard in this bold, new talk because
it doesn’t go over well for a man to tell a female candidate to be
more ladylike.
Colorado Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck faced
repercussions when he said that unlike his primary opponent
Jane Norton, “I do not wear high heels.”
In California, Governor candidate Jerry Brown apologized to
Republican Meg Whitman after an aide was recorded calling her
a whore.

28. The Pulitzer Prize
in Editorial Cartoons
Here are some political cartoons selected
from various winners of the Pulitzer Prize
in Political Cartooning.
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29. 1974 & 1977 Pulitzer Prize
Paul Szep
http://www.szep.com/
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30. 1975 Pulitzer Prize
Gary Trudeau
http://doonesbury.washingtonpost.com/
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31. 1976 Pulitzer Prize
Tony Auth
http://www.gocomics.com/tonyauth
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32. 1978 & 1985 Pulitzer Prize
Jeff MacNelly
http://www.shoecomics.com/macnelly-editorials.php
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33. 1979 Pulitzer Prize
Herbert Block
http://herblockexhibitions.org/
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34. 1980 Pulitzer Prize
Don Wright
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=don+wright+cartoons&qpvt=don+wright+cartoon
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35. 1981 Pulitzer Prize
Mike Peters
http://www.grimmy.com/editorials.php
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36. 1982 Pulitzer Prize
Ben Sargent
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=ben+sargent+cartoons&qpvt=ben+sargent+cartoons&qpvt=b
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37. 1983 Pulitzer Prize
Richard Locher
http://www.tcj.com/the-locher-legend/
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38. 1984 Pulitzer Prize
Paul Conrad
https://www.bing.com/search?q=paul+conrad+cartoons&form=PRUSEN&pc=SL5L&mkt=en-us&httpsm
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39. 1986 Pulitzer Prize
Jules Feiffer
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=jules+feiffer+cartoons&qpvt=jules+feiffer+cartoons&qpvt=jules+feiffer+cartoons
&qpvt=jules+feiffer+cartoons&FORM=IGRE
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40. 1987 Pulitzer Prize
Berkeley Breathed
http://www.berkeleybreathed.com/
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41. 1988 Pulitzer Prize
Doug Marlette
http://www.dougmarlette.com/early-years/
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42. 1989 Pulitzer Prize
Jack Higgins
http://projects.suntimes.com/koschman/galleries/jack-higgins-cartoons-3/
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43. 1990 Pulitzer Prize
Tim Toles
https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/tom-toles?clsrd
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44. 1991 Pulitzer Prize
Jim Borgman
http://zitscomics.com/
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45. 1992 Pulitzer Prize
Signe Wilkinson
http://www.cartoonistgroup.com/properties/signe/signetoons/index.htm
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46. 1993 Pulitzer Prize
Steve Benson
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=steve+benson+cartoons&qpvt=steve+benson+cartoons&qpvt=steve+benson+cartoons&qpv
t=steve+benson+cartoons&FORM=IGRE
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47. 1994 & 2008 Pulitzer Prize
Michael Ramirez
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=michael+ramirez+website&qpvt=michael+ramirez+website&qpvt=michael+ramirez+website
&qpvt=michael+ramirez+website&FORM=IGRE
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48. 1995 & 2006 Pulitzer Prize
Mike Luckovich
http://luckovich.blog.ajc.com/
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49. 1996 Pulitzer Prize
Jim Morin
http://www.jimmorin.com/
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50. 1997 & 2007 Pulitzer Prize
Walt Handelsman
http://www.walthandelsman.com/
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51. 1998 & 2009 Pulitzer Prize
Stephen Breen
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=stephen+breen+cartoons&qpvt=stephen+breen+cartoons&qpvt=stephen+breen+cartoons&q
pvt=stephen+breen+cartoons&FORM=IGRE
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52. 1999 & 2003 Pulitzer Prize
David Horsey
http://www.latimes.com/nation/
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53. 2000 Pulitzer Prize
Joel Pett
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=joel+pett+political+cartoons&qpvt=joel+pett+political+cartoons&qpvt=joel+pett+political+ca
rtoons&qpvt=joel+pett+political+cartoons&FORM=IGRE
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54. 2001 Pulitzer Prize
Ann Telnaes
http://www.anntelnaes.com/
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55. 2002 Pulitzer Prize
Clay Bennett
http://www.claybennett.com/pages2/latest_39.html
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56. 2004 Pulitzer Prize
Matt Davies
http://mattdaviescartoon.com/
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57. 2005 Pulitzer Prize
Nick anderson
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=nick+anderson+cartoonist&qpvt=nick+anderson+cartoonist&qpvt=nick+anderson+cartoonis
t&qpvt=nick+anderson+cartoonist&FORM=IGRE
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58. 2010 Pulitzer Prize
Mark Fiore
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=mark+fiore+cartoons&qpvt=mark+fiore+cartoons&qpvt=mark+fiore+cartoons&q
pvt=mark+fiore+cartoons&FORM=IGRE
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59. 2011 Pulitzer Prize
Mike Keefe
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=mike+keefe+cartoonist&qpvt=mike+keefe+cartoonist&qpvt=mike+keefe+cartoonist&qpvt=mi
ke+keefe+cartoonist&FORM=IGRE
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60. 2012 Pulitzer Prize
Matt Wuerker
http://www.politico.com/wuerker/
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61. 2013 Pulitzer Prize
Steve Sack
http://www.politicalcartoons.com/artist/Steve+Sack.html
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62. 2014 Pulitzer Prize
Kevin Siers
https://www.bing.com/images/search?
q=kevin+siers+website&qpvt=kevin+siers+website&qpvt=kevin+siers+website&qpv
t=kevin+siers+website&FORM=IGRE
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63. 2015 Pulitzer Prize
Adam Zyglis
https://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/eef96150-aa8d-4c3f-a885-
4b9736ea535d.html
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64. 2016 Pulitzer Prize
Jack Ohman
http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/jack-
ohman/article96538167.html
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65. In Conclusion,
tell us what you think about today’s political system.
New Yorker Cartoonists Therapy Session
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdts_HG7e2Y
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