Low-level hum in the background

Although it was later reconsidered, the kneejerk decision by ABC America to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show became a flashpoint in the ongoing debate around free speech and the limits of satire. And if a flagship TV program can be threatened to be shelved indefinitely, what hope is there for the world of political cartooning?

‘Comedians and editorial cartoonists are from the same family,’ notes Ann Telnaes. They are all satirists. Over the past few months, I’ve been interviewing political cartoonists from a range of countries and career stages to gauge the future of cartooning. Many believe their artform will withstand growing editorial pressures, the rise of AI, and reduced avenues for young creatives to hone their craft. But they warn that cartooning depends on democracy itself enduring, and that new forms are needed to reach younger audiences. 

Reflecting on the resilience of his medium, British editorial cartoonist and writer Martin Rowson says, ‘They may try to suppress political cartooning, which they’re very successful at doing, but it will find another route… There’ll always be somebody else to do it… Laughter is an evolutionary survival mechanism.’

This sentiment is echoed by Chinese-Australian cartoonist, artist, and right activist Badiucao (known internationally by this pseudonym to protect his identity), who sees satire evolving rather than disappearing: ‘I wouldn’t really cry for the dying of cartooning itself… The desire to create political satire will always be alive, and online tools are helping ordinary people keep it booming.’

Yet the profession faces tangible challenges. Editorial illustrations, historically a training space for young cartoonists, are under AI threat. Morten Morland – the Norwegian UK-based cartoonist – anticipates ‘a counter-movement to the AI-ness of everything… While cartooning would probably be one of the later ones to go, illustration jobs – the bread-and-butter jobs in visual – are properly at risk.’ New generation British cartoonist Ella Baron agrees: ‘Fewer entry-level illustration jobs mean fewer young cartoonists learning the craft and developing their style.’ Ella also points to AI’s limits in producing a truly nuanced work: ‘Because I draw digitally, I’m always worried about people thinking it’s AI-made. I occasionally do use AI to generate references for complicated objects or specific angles, but that will never make it into the actual drawing. AI can’t replicate the control, accuracy, and specificity cartoonists need.’

It is not enough to compose accurate political commentary deciphered only by news junkies. As Ella observes, reaching Gen Z requires speaking to their concerns: ‘Cartoons work well on social media, but we need to tackle issues younger audiences care about, like climate, gender… bigger topics, not just Westminster gossip.’ The new generation of cartoonists like Ella are increasingly moving beyond traditional political coverage – experimenting, for example, with the graphic reportage forms facilitated by NGOs – to tackle global issues, humanitarian crises, and broader social debates.  

The practice and dissemination of political cartooning must always be understood in the context of the political ideologies and regimes influencing audiences. Badiucao believes the survival of political cartooning is inseparable from the perseverance of healthy democracy. ‘The real threat is the retreat of democracy as a mainstream narrative globally,’ he says. ‘Political cartooning, the dissent, the media depend on civil freedoms to hold government powers to account.’

Despite pressures, the cartoonists agree that the core impulse of satire remains strong. As Martin Rowson captures vividly, ‘the end of cartooning will come when we have universal peace and happiness. And then somebody’s going to come along and produce a cartoon complaining about the deafening noise of the angels’ wings beating.’

References:  

Stelter, B., Wagmelster, E., Reilly, L. (2025). ABC yanks Jimmy Kimmel’s show ‘indefinitely’ after threat from Trump’s FCC chair. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/17/media/jimmy-kimmel-charlie-kirk-trump-fcc-brendan-carr 
 
Telnaes, A. (2025). Censoring the satirists. Substack. https://open.substack.com/pub/anntelnaes/p/censoring-the-satirists?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web 
 
Baron, E. (2023). Graphic reportage. https://www.ellabaron.com/graphicreportage