The Guardian Highlights the Most Influential Political Cartoons of 2025
The Guardian's First Edition newsletter has listed the 12 most powerful political cartoons of 2025, showcasing works by notable artists including Ben Jennings, Martin Rowson, Ella Baron, Madeline Horwath, Pete Songi, and Zohran Mamdani.
Key themes throughout the year’s cartoons have addressed major global and political issues such as Donald Trump’s return to power, threats posed by AI to creativity, violence in Gaza, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and a resurgence of far-right movements in Europe and the US.
January featured Martin Rowson’s cartoon reflecting on a decade of attacks on free speech, setting the tone for politically charged artwork throughout the year. Ben Jennings was particularly prominent, contributing seven cartoons, including depictions of Elon Musk and Tesla's prominence in March and Donald Trump’s headline dominance in April.
In May, the VE Day 80th anniversary was commemorated in cartoon form, while June’s work humorously depicted Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding in Venice. July’s content poignantly portrayed starvation in Gaza, shifting to August’s representation of life under AI overlords.
September’s cartoon marked the UK's recognition of Palestine as an independent state. October focused on Keir Starmer’s anxieties regarding Nigel Farage, and in November, Zohran Mamdani celebrated his victory as New York City’s mayor. December highlighted Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s.
Ben Jennings also revealed plans to publish a book compiling his cartoons from the past decade, anticipated for release in late 2026.
