Cartoonists discuss satire’s fraught ecosystem

From the Society of Illustrators. 

As Americans go to the polls for the midterm elections in America’s 250th year, join us for a high-energy evening with political cartoonists and scholars to honor the freest speech: satire. 

On Thursday, October 8, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, hear award-winning cartoonists and illustrators Steve Brodner, Ann Telnaes, and Adam Zyglis discuss satire’s fraught ecosystem. 

Historian of early American culture and visual art Nan Wolverton from the American Antiquarian Society will chronicle satire’s central place in American political debate, Nicaraguan cartoonist and illustrator Pedro X. Molina will document threats to satire today, and free expression advocate Roslyn Mazer will review satire’s protection under the First Amendment.

Canadian and American cartoonists meet in Niagara Falls

From The Daily Cartoonist.

From left to right: Tim Dolighan, Clay Jones, Scott Johnston, John Auchter, Pierre Skilling, Wes Tyrell, Jeff McIntyre, Guy Badeaux, Scott Burns, Inna Sokolova, Nancy Beiman, Graeme Mackay, Michael de Adder anf Frank Mariani. (Not pictured are attendees Terry Mosher, Sue Dewar, Theo Moudakis and Christian Vachon)

The past weekend saw the Association of Canadian Cartoonists (ACC) gather on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls for their 2026 convention, described as a “popup mini congress.”

The dual Townsend Awards (The Townsies) – one for the best Francophone cartoon and one for the best Anglophone cartoon – were given out respectively to Guy Badeaux (Bado) and New Zealander Rod Emmerson.

Graeme Mackay wins Rex Babin Memorial Award

From The Graeme Gallery on Substack.

Over the weekend I found out that I took top prize for a prestigious award through the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. 

The Rex Babin Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Cartooning also recognizes work reflecting state and provincial themes. 

P.C. Vey 1955-2026

From Lambiek Comiclopedia.

Born in New York City on October 23, 1955, cartoonist Peter Christopher Vey died last Thursday

He sold his first cartoon to The New Yorker in 1993 and was a regular contributor since. 

His work has been published in Harvard Business Review, Barron's, National Lampoon, Playboy, Mad, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. 

He has had three collections of cat cartoons published by Penguin/Plume and has contributed to many books of cartoons on a variety of subjects.

He is survived by his wife Tina.

AAEC 2026 Convention

From the Daily Cartoonist.

Thirty odd members of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists met in Sacramento last weekend to discuss the state of the profession and the future of the association.

AAEC president Marc Murphy lead a discussion on whether the group should change its name to the Association of Political Artists as a way to attract younger members. 

Psychedelic pop artist Peter Max dies at 88

From the Associated Press.

Peter Max, whose colorful, psychedelic pop art expressed the optimism of the “flower power” movement of the 1960s and graced everything from postage stamps to a cruise ship, has died at 88, his son said in a written statement Wednesday.

Max died on Monday, the statement said. No cause was given, but he had been suffering from advanced dementia.

Andy Donato 1937-2026

With notes from The Toronto Sun.

Andy Donato inside his studio in 2015

It is with great sadness that I learned that long time Toronto Sun cartoonist Andy Donato has died at 89 while sustaining a head injury during a fall while playing a round at his beloved Hunt Club golf course

Donato was born on January 13, 1937, in Scarborough. 

His father, Luciano Donato, was an Italian immigrant who came to Toronto via New York in 1922, while his mother, Adelina Benedetti, was born in Canada.

Baltimore Sun passed off as an editorial cartoon an AI-generated image

From the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

The AAEC Board of Directors has written an open letter to the leadership of The Baltimore Sun after it created and posted an AI-generated image it passed off as an editorial cartoon. 

Cathy Wilcox bids a relunctant farewell

 

Cathy Wilcox is ending her run as cartoonist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, part of a wider tranche of redundancies at the newspaper group. 

It has been gratifying to see the high level of support and well-wishes the announcment of her retirement has precipitated. 

In addition to a final week of cartoons that made explicit her feelings about several important matters, on her way out she had a word to say on the encroachment of A.I. upon the profession.

Pissing matches

 

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw this Bill Brahall cartoon the other day. Here are a few matches:

Cartoonists fear for future of industry with rise of AI-generated illustrations

From Australian Broadcasting News.

The Herald Sun published this AI-generated image of Victorian Premier Ben Carroll

(Australian) cartoonists say they are worried about the future of their craft, as media companies continue to grapple with integrating artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their industry.

On Wednesday, the Herald Sun newspaper published an AI-generated illustration alongside an article about Victorian Premier Ben Carroll.

The illustration, which was clearly marked by the publisher as being AI generated, depicted Mr Carroll with a pirate's leg scraping barnacles off a ship decorated with former Labor premiers Jacinta Allan and Daniel Andrews.

Signe Wilkinson Donates Archive to University of Pennsylvania

 From Feridundemir.

Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Signe Wilkinson has donated a substantial collection of her political cartoons and working materials to the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication.

The collection includes original drawings, published cartoons, sketches, notes and other materials from Wilkinson’s career. It will be housed in the Annenberg Library Archives, where it will be available for research and teaching. 

The elephants in the room

 

Winners of the 11th World Humor Awards

From World Humor Awards.

The Theme of this year's contest was "Kindness and Courtesy"

Pat Oliphant dead at 90

Photo by Greg Preston 

I woke up this morning to the news that legendary editorial cartoonists Pat Oliphant died yesterday. He was a giant of the profession who spawned countless imitators.

In lieu of personal memories, here is a selection of articles about him on this blog:

Patrick Oliphant, Master of 'a Dying Art'

"A Savage Art: The Life and Cartoons of Pat Oliphant"

Cartoonist Ann Telnaes on Pat Oliphant

Pat Oliphant Interviewed in "The Atlantic"

Pat Oliphant by Dave Coats in Go Comics

News from Patrick Oliphant in the Santa Fe New Mexican

UPDATES

"The Man on the Trunk of the Tree." by Jason Chatfield

Pat Oliphant, world-renowned political cartoonist dies at 90 obituary in the Santa Fe New Mexican

The quiet man with the loud drawings in The Comics Journal

Remembering Mike Constable

 

It is with great sadness that I learned that cartoonist Mike Constable lost, last Friday, his battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

In keeping with Mike’s preference for informality, and to celebrate him in a place where he spent a lot of time, a memorial get-together will be held, from 3-6 pm, this Sunday at Last Temptation, 12 Kensington Avenue, Toronto.

Here are a few remembrances about a dear friend.

Russian cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky shot dead in the street

From Cartooning for Peace.

Russian artist and cartoonist Semyon Skrepetsky, also known as Simon Skrepetski, was shot dead in the street on Monday June 15 in Biała Podlaska in eastern Poland, near the border with Belarus.

An exile in Poland since 2021, he used his drawings to criticize autocrats such as Putin, the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. 

Winners of the 2026 Doug Wright Awards

From the Doug Wright Awards website.

Here are the winners (in bold) of the 22nd annual Doug Wright Awards which were given out on Saturday June 6 at the Arts & Letters Club in Toronto.

Guy Billout Exhibition in New York

From the Philippe Labaune Gallery.

Regulations - The Atlantic Monthly Magazine, 1997

The Philippe Labaune Gallery is currently presenting Quiet Catastrophes, a comprehensive solo exhibition of the work of acclaimed illustrator Guy Billout.

The exhibition brings together original drawings and editorial works spanning Billout’s career, including a significant selection from his remarkably longstanding collaboration with The Atlantic Monthly. 

Toronto Comic Arts Festival 2026

From TCAF.

Considered to be amongst the premier comic arts festivals in the world, TCAF is an annual two day festival in downtown Toronto. 

Held since 2003, TCAF is unique for its scale and scope welcoming 28,000+ local and international visitors and over 315+ artists, and its continued focus on independent arts culture and accessibility remaining a free public and non-commercial arts and cultural festival.

TCAF 2026 will be held from June 6-7, 2026 at our new location Toronto Metropolitan University's Mattamy Athletic Centre, with additional programming in the surrounding neighbourhood. 

Libraries and Education Day and Word Balloon Academy are scheduled for Friday June 5. 

Corax 1933-2026

From Syria Cartoon.

Predrag Koraksić Corax was probably the most famous political cartoonist in the former Yugoslavia. 

He was born in 1933 in the village of Gornja Gorevnica near Čačak, and lost his partisan father to the Chetniks during World War II. 

He finished high school in Zemun and studied architecture in Belgrade. 

In October 2004, he was awarded the French Legion of Honor, and he is the recipient of other awards, including the one called New Optimism (2017).

Norwegian Daily Faces Backlash Over Modi Cartoon

From News 18.

Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten faced massive backlash after it published a racist cartoon depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a snake charmer with a fuel-station filling pipe as the snake. 

The image was used for an opinion article titled “A sneaky and slightly annoying man".

Dave Brown loses "Independent" post

 

British cartoonist Dave Brown was laid off, due to budget cuts, after 30 years at The Independent.

Editorial cartoons about the erosion of freedoms displayed in Geneva

Every two years in Geneva, two cartoonists receive an international prize recognizing their commitment and courage.

This year, the winners are Safaa Odah from Palestine and Jimmy “Spire” Ssentongo from Uganda.

Throughout the month of May, their work, along with a selection of topical cartoons, is on display on Quai Wilson.

The 2026 edition is dedicated to three current topics as interpreted by cartoonists from around the world: new empires, the impact of artificial intelligence, and freedoms under attack.

On the Line

Anthony Feinstein in The Globe & Mail.

Strongmen have an extraordinarily thin skin when it comes to laughing at themselves.

It is a striking that these men with enormous power, vast armies, lethal weapons, and apparently limitless self-confidence fear the simple cartoon. 

Is it because they know instinctively that Mark Twain was correct when he had one of his characters observe, “Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand”? 

Hitler’s fury at being lampooned by the cartoons of David Low pales, however, when compared to the violence unleashed more than half a century later by 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. 

Telnaes: Democracy Under Siege Makes Its U.S. Debut May 1st

From The Daily Cartoonist.

For four days, beginning May 1, 2026, Ann Telnaes and Friends are making the Laura Dix documentary Democracy Under Siege available in the United States.

26th World Press Freedom International Editorial Cartoon Competition (Results)

First Prize: Darko Drljevic, Montenegro

The jury, composed of five members of World Press Freedom Canada met on April 8 to select the winners of the 26th World Press Freedom International Editorial Cartoon Competition.

The theme, this year, was "Times are tough".

Michael de Adder wins National Newspaper Award 2025

Michael de Adder of the Globe and Mail is a second time winner in the Illustrated Commentary category at the 77th edition of the National Newspaper Awards.

Julie Rocheleau designs the 2026 MCAF poster

From the MCAF Facebook page.

To illustrate the theme of its next edition, Alive!, and mark its 15th anniversary, the FBDM chose a prominent figure from the Montreal comic book scene and a regular participant in the Festival.

After working as a freelancer in animation studios, Julie Rocheleau turned to comics in the early 2010s, with notable and award-winning collaborations in Canada, Europe and the United States. 

She is notably the co-author of 𝘎𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘦-𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘣 and 𝘓𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦. This queen of illustration in Quebec likes to play with representations of fauna and flora. Her posters, with their dynamic compositions, are always elegant and sensitive, with a unique punk touch.

She was therefore the obvious choice to illustrate the poster for this year's edition.

Chinese dissident on trial

From The Guardian.

Miss Mao

Chinese dissident artist Gao Zhen, known for making satirical sculptures of China’s former leader Mao Zedong, has been tried over accusations of “defaming national heroes and martyrs”.

Gao, 69, who was detained in 2024 during a visit to China from the US, faces a maximum three-year prison sentence.

KAL wins his 6th Overseas Press Club Award

Kevin (KAL) Kallaugher is the winner of the 2026 Overseas Press Club Award for editorial cartooning. 

This is the sixth time KAL since 1998 that KAL has won the award. KAL’s winning portfolio spans cartoons published in The Economist, The Baltimore Sun, and his Substack, KAL Draws the Line.

"His work is pointed yet funny," stated the judges, "balancing sophisticated hard-hitting satire with belly laughs, the true mark of a great editorial cartoonist."

You can see cartoons from his winning portfolio by clicking here to go to his Substack. 

Drawing the Line: An Evening with Political Cartoonists

From Media and Democracy Project.

Since before the founding of the country, there have been political cartoons, often mocking the powerful with sharp humor, capturing the absurdity of the moment, shaping public opinion, and even exposing corruption. 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and in today’s fast paced digital world an image can be shared in the blink of an eye, changing hearts and minds.

With censorship and threats on the rise for the press, including political cartoonists, join us for this special evening with three award-winning political cartoonists who will take us behind the scenes on how they distill the news into a single image and the role that political satire plays in defending democracy.

Jack Ohman wins 2026 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning

From the Herblock Foundation.

Jack Ohman was announced as the winner of the 2026 Herblock Prize for editorial cartooning. 

Pedro X. Molina was named as this year’s finalist.

“Under Pressure”: Report on the Situation of Threatened Press Cartoonists Worldwide (2023–2025)

From Cartooning for Peace.

Niels Bo Bojesen (Denmark)

The new report on the situation of threatened press cartoonists around the world will be released on March 2, 2026. 

It is the result of a joint effort by Cartooning for Peace, Cartoonists Rights and their partners: Freedom Cartoonists Foundation, FORHUM, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression – Columbia University, and Reporters Without Borders.

26th World Press Freedom Canada International Editorial Cartoon Competition

 

The theme of the 26th International Editorial Cartoon Competition is:

Times are tough

Inflation is skyrocketing while wages remain stagnant, artificial intelligence threatens entire sectors of the economy and home ownership is out of reach for younger generations.
The imposition of tariffs and the erratic behavior of the American president fuels uncertainty worldwide.
What was previously alarming becomes normal while we wait for the next scandal, the next court ruling or the next election to turn the tide.

Scott Adams 1957-2026

From AP News.

Scott Adams, whose popular comic strip “Dilbert” captured the frustration of beleaguered, white-collar cubicle workers and satirized the ridiculousness of modern office culture until he was abruptly dropped from syndication in 2023 for racist remarks, has died. He was 68.

His first ex-wife, Shelly Miles, announced the death Tuesday on a livestream posted on Adams’ social media accounts. “He’s not with us right anymore,” she said. 

Canadian cartoonists land The New Yorker 2026 calendar cover

From The Vancouver Sun.

Vancouver cartoonists Ian Boothby and Pia Guerra have landed a rare distinction: Their work appears on the cover of The New Yorker’s 2026 calendar.

“I was about to buy the calendar online and suddenly realized our cartoon was on the cover,” said Guerra. “It had been out since June, and we had no idea.”