2. How to Read a Political
Cartoon
 Political cartoons convey an opinion
about a topic
 They are a type of persuasive
communication
 Most political cartoons use humour for
serious purposes: to make points
about public figures, government
decisions, or news events

3. What symbols does the cartoon
use?
 Cartoons use symbols, such as
carefully chosen objects and people.
To stand for ideas

5. What situation does the cartoon
show?
 Cartoons set up situations and
exaggerate aspects of events to make
points about issues

7. What’s the message
 The message of the cartoon is the
main idea or point the artist is
communicating about an issue

11. Creating Political Cartoons
 Cartoons should use wit and humour
through exaggeration of people or
events, but not just for comic effect
 They should have a foundation in truth
and be based on facts
 Cartoons can be hand-drawn or
electronically designed

12. Creating Political Cartoons
 People are designed as caricatures
where human features are
exaggerated. People can also be
depicted as animals

13. Creating Political Cartoons
 Include symbols to help illustrate your
theme. For example, uncle Sam =
USA

14. Creating Political Cartoons
 Colour, shading and size of objects
can be used to emphasize a particular
point
 Include speech balloons, labels or
captions to help communicate your
ideas