The Art Of Politics – January – Lies, Damn, Lies… Well, What Do You Expect?

Well, it’s a new year but it’s still full of the usual chaos, Covid, corruption, and complete crapness of the world’s political leaders. Here at Comicon we’re great believers in the power of the image to tell the tale. Which is why The Art Of Politics shows you what the greatest political cartoonists have been shining a light on this month…

Oh hell… where to start? It’s been one of those months. Although, these days it feels like every month is one of those months. So, to start off, a few comics people doing something for the change of year…

Perfect from Andi Watson about his hopes for 2022…

How about this from Mike Mignola?

And then from Chris Riddell –

More Covid? Oh Yes. Of course there was more Covid…

What variant are we up to now?

Peter Kuper –

And all the while, as Omicron raged, hospitals filled up… Ben Jennings on that…

 

And we had the whole farce of Novak Djokovic’s Australian adventure… the one where the unvaccinated tennis star tried to get into the country which has had such strict rules about such things from the start of the pandemic. Turns out that Djokovic tried to get in on the basis that he had Covid before the tennis tournament – and then went to a charity thing knowing he had it. Another case of someone with power thinking they’re way way above the rules (The Guardian for more).

Lorna Miller on that one…

Brian Adcock –

Peter Brookes –

 

And then there was the Party/Not a Party Thing – Boris, Boris, Boris, Liar, Liar, Liar…

Surely you know the story by now, in the middle of Covid lockdown, when the entire country was doing what it was told and isolating, keeping away from others, including families not seeing loved ones, not being able to hold the hands of those dying… and what was Downing Street doing? Well, Downing Street was having drinks parties, birthday parties, any kinds of parties they could.

And through it all, ever since it all started to come out, Boris Johnson has been doing his best Boris Johnson thing, avoid, ignore, lie, and absolutely don’t take the blame. For shame.

Chris Riddell just absolutely nailing why it’s such an important thing –

Martin Rowson – on Bozza’s birthday party

Ben Jennings on the same –

Steve Bell on the ridiculous idea of Downing Street mounting ‘Operation Big Dog’ to get Bozza out from the trouble –

Martin Rowson – It even turned out that the parties went on the night before the Queen sat alone for the funeral of Prince Phillip

Henny Beaumont on partying at No 10 while others suffered

Chris Riddell –

Peter Schrank –

David Ziggy Greene –

Morten Morland –

Brian Adcock with the great tagline, ‘Fatally wounded ego monkey Boris Johnson.’

Distraction anyone? Auntie BEEB under threat?

In the midst of the Party-gate, the Conservative Party got behind their leader in the whole ‘Operation Big Dog’ thing. One of the key moves, designed to appeal to the party faithful, was Nadine Dorres’ announcement in parliament that the BBC licence fee would be capped for the next few years. Of course, prior to this, she’d already been doing the media rounds to announce, unofficially as yet, that the fee would be scrapped.

Now, for those outside Britain, the BBC is a media institution, funded through the licence fee by the taxpayer. If you own a TV, you pay the licence fee. And, despite its faults, the BBC is still one of the crowning highlights of Britain, possibly second only to the NHS.

As for Nadine Dorres, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport of the United Kingdom, she’s famous for appearing on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here eating ostrich anus.

Brian Adcock on this particular distraction –

Exactly what an innocent man would do, right?

Prince Andrew, man who can’t sweat (allegedly) – which is good, because you imagine he would be doing quite a bit of it right now following the conviction for sex-trafficking of Ghislane Maxwell. Throughout last year and into this, his legal team were putting every possible obstacle in the way of a trial where the Prince would be called.

Morten Morland –

Meanwhile, in a move that reportedly had Andrew crying, he was stripped of all his military titles by the Queen…

Dave Brown (after Gainsborough) on that one…

Internationally… oh dear…

Well, as Britain was concerned with the lies and revelations around party-gate, the rest of the world was rather more concerned with what was going on at the Russia-Ukraine border.

Peter Schrank –

Peter Brookes –

Kal on history possibly repeating for the US…

Tom Stiglich –

And in the US…

Well, Biden’s presidency staggers into another year with not a lot being done, the vaccination rates stalling, anti-vaxxers rampant, anti-maskers complaining about freedoms, the right-wing media stoking the fires…

Pat Bagley –

Ann Telnaes –

Steve Brodner on Biden’s troubles all around…

New Republic Governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin is saying he wants parents to keep an eye out for ‘critical race theory’ and ‘divisive practices’ within Virginia schools and has set up a tip line where parents can report their child’s school. That doesn’t sound scary at all now, does it?

Ann Telnaes on another of his policies, ‘where Parents can now choose whether wearing a mask at school is right for their child.’

 

And then the news came that Supreme Court Judge Breyer, one of the few liberal Justices on the Supremes, was retiring at the end of his term. Which means, in theory, that he’ll be replaced like for like with another liberal Supreme. But with American politics being what they are, that’s in no way for sure.

Ann Telnaes on Mitch McConell’s next step…