What Future for the British Political Cartoon?

Abstract

The political cartoon became a settled part of the British daily press early in the twentieth century. The cartoon is an editorial in pictures, working with a traditional armoury of images and often including caricature and humour. Cartoonists typically enjoy high status and long tenure. Using the resources of the University of Kent Cartoon Centre database, this article analyses the depiction of party leaders in the 1997 general election and categorises the dominant images employed. The future of this cartoon tradition is explored in the light of changes in the size and design of newspapers and the development of television. Increasingly cartoonists thrive in the broadsheet papers more than the tabloids. The impact of a changing political culture is illustrated by Steve Bell's underpants motif in cartoons of John Major, and by tracing the growth of uninhibited cartoon treatment of royalty. The cartoon's unique ability to convey the unsayable through graphic images ensures that it will continue to flourish.