Political Cartoon Contest
What is a Political Cartoon?
Political cartoon, also known as an “editorial cartoon”, is defined by the encyclopedia as “an illustration or comic strip containing a political or social message that usually relates to current events or personalities.”
These cartoons are generally found on the editorial page of newspapers. Although somewhat diverse, there is a certain style amongst most editorial/political cartoons. Traditional cartoons use visual metaphors and caricatures in a single picture to explain complicated political situations, thus summing up current event with a humorous or emotional picture. This traditional style is described as the “nasti” style named after Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist during the mid 19th century. The more modern style is called the “alti” style, as it is more text heavy and tells a linear story, usually in the form of a comic strip. The purpose of either is to communicate a message to the reader to make them think and view the matter through the artist’s perspective.
The earliest known political cartoons date back to the early 1700s. One of the most famous of the 18th century was Benjamin Franklin's "Join or Die" cartoon published in his Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754 during the French and Indian war. The cartoon was later reused during the Revolutionary War to encourage support of colonial efforts against Britain. Political cartoons continued to send messages to readers all through the 19th and 20th centuries, but became predominantly common during World War I and World War II, mainly as a way to promote the war efforts of the United States and other countries, including Canada and Great Britain.
Over the years different cartoonists have used certain metaphors and symbols repeatedly. Such include the use of Uncle Sam in a top hat to represent the United States, a beaver to represent Canada, a bear to represent Russia, a dragon to represent China, etc.
Grand Prize Winner
Anna
Age 12
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Honorable Mention
Kelsey
Age 17
Tampa, Florida
Honorable Mention
Jonathan
Age 17
Jamestown, North Dakota
Click here to view the winners from our 2007 political cartoon contest.