2025 Guardian Year-in-Cartoons Retrospective Highlights Tragedy, Farce, and Hope
The Guardian's year-in-cartoons retrospective for 2025, featuring work by Ella Baron, Martin Rowson, Nicola Jennings, and Ben Jennings, encapsulates a year marked by tragedy, farce, and moments of hope. The caricatures prominently feature figures such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, who have dominated the satirical landscape despite the difficulties in depicting them. Notable cartoons include Martin Rowson's "Donald Trump and the American bond market" (12 April 2025) and Nicola Jennings' "What’s on the table for Trump and Putin" (17 February 2025).
Ella Baron highlights the fall of Prince Andrew as a rare achievement for justice and accountability during the year. Cartoonists expressed frustration with an unusually anonymous government throughout 2025; around 95% of the cabinet was unrecognizable, a phenomenon attributed to influences like Morgan McSweeney and prevailing cabinet secrecy.
Beyond individual figures, the cartoons explored broader political themes such as the rise of nationalism in mainstream politics, exemplified by Nicola Jennings' "The march of nationalism in mainstream politics" (6 September 2025), and Ben Jennings' portrayal of Keir Starmer's immigration stance (13 May 2025). The crises in Gaza and Ukraine were central to the year's work, including Ben Jennings' "Starvation in Gaza" (25 July 2025). While the Gaza ceasefire was noted as a fragile sign of hope, Zohran Mamdani's election win in New York was cited as a hopeful milestone.
The artists view satire as a means to expose the motivations of those in power, believing it shapes public perception even if it cannot topple governments. Overall, the 2025 cartoons reflect a tumultuous year, blending critique with moments of optimism.
