Tuesday Briefing: A Surreal Year in News Provides Our Cartoonists with Endless Inspiration | Politics
The Absurdity of Modern Politics: A Year in Cartoons
As 2025 unfolds, the political landscape in the United States and beyond has offered an abundance of material for editorial cartoonists. From the surreal events surrounding Jeff Bezos’s extravagant wedding to the ongoing ramifications of Donald Trump’s political resurgence, the task of capturing these moments has been both daunting and essential. This year has also seen the persistent violence in Gaza, the entrenched war in Ukraine, the threat of artificial intelligence to human creativity, and the alarming rise of far-right movements across Europe and America.
The Art of Satire in Political Discourse
Political cartoonists are tasked with distilling the chaos of the news cycle into accessible and impactful visuals. They prioritize the most telling moments of each day, seeking to convey both the absurdity and significance of contemporary issues.
We spoke with award-winning cartoonist Ben Jennings about his favorite works from the past year and the unique challenges of depicting a world increasingly defined by absurdity. In an era marked by massive shifts in public opinion and government policy, Jennings shares insights into how his art reflects the state of democracy in America.
A Year Defined by Contradictions
Cartoons have long been key players in political satire, a tradition rooted in the Enlightenment-era caricatures of figures like James Gillray. Jennings notes that today’s appetite for satire remains robust, particularly with figures like Donald Trump commanding headlines.
“The return of Trump 2.0 has been both a boon for cartoonists and a double-edged sword,” Jennings states. “His presidency has been so farcical that it often challenges satirists to appropriately capture reality. In essence, he embodies a satire of America amidst the chaos of late-stage capitalism.”
Here, we present Jennings’s twelve most powerful cartoons of the year, alongside reflections on the inspirations behind them.
Highlighting the Year’s Key Moments
- January: Martin Rowson’s depiction of a decade of free speech attacks, from the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack to Jeff Bezos’s acquisition of major media outlets.
- February: Ella Baron’s commentary on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
- March: Ben Jennings critiques the backlash against Tesla and Elon Musk’s drift toward the far-right.
- April: Jennings captures the relentless curiosity surrounding Trump’s headline-grabbing antics.
- May: Jennings juxtaposes the remembrance of VE Day with contemporary conflicts, emphasizing humanity’s failure to learn from history.
- June: Jennings illustrates Bezos’s extravagant wedding as a stark contrast to the discussions of wealth inequality.
- July: Jennings addresses humanitarian crises like starvation in Gaza, highlighting the difficulty of rendering such grave issues into satire.
- August: Madeline Horwath explores life under emerging AI technologies, reflecting growing public concerns about artificial intelligence.
- September: Pete Songi comments on the UK’s recognition of Palestine as an independent state.
- October: Jennings discusses Labour leader Keir Starmer’s anxieties regarding Nigel Farage amidst political upheaval.
- November: Ella Baron celebrates Zohran Mamdani’s New York City mayoral victory, emphasizing the importance of civic engagement in today’s politics.
- December: Jennings provides insight into Australia’s recent social media regulations, questioning the implications for younger generations.
