Cartoons and comics of New Zealand

An exhibition to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the New Zealand Cartoons and Comics Archive. Highlights of cartoons and comics from the Alexander Turnbull Collections as well as important visual material from other institutions.

Happy 30th New Zealand Cartoons and Comics Archive

2022 marks the 30th Anniversary of the New Zealand Cartoon Archive (previously, the New Zealand Cartoons and Comics Archive). This exhibition explores the impact that cartoons and comics have had shaping and reflecting collective identities and histories. As you look, we also invite you to examine what is missing in this exhibition, where are the silences and gaps?

Read more about the exhibition in our blog Showcasing 30 years of the Cartoon and Comic Archive

Early cartoons and comics

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Carnell, Samuel 1832-1920 : Photographic copy of cartoonForsyth, James, -1896: With the unemployed; supplement to Evening Press, June 6th, 1891.Photograph of a front page of the periodical New Zealand Free Lance, featuring a cartoon by Ken Alexander titled "When mother joins the Women's Auxiliary"Two cartoon strips of horse racing, showing horses and people - drawn by T H DaviesWilliam Blomfield and Auckland Star newspaper staffBlomfield, William, 1866-1938 :Spineless. New Zealand Observer, 22 July 1905.Blomfield, William, 1866-1938 :Oh £!. New Zealand Observer, 13 March 1915 (front page).New Zealand Times :Wellington mayoralty 1908. They're off! The finish. Hon T Hislop, 9192 [and] J G W Aitken, 5549 / E F Hiscocks. Supplement to the New Zealand Times; the people's paper. Brisk, bright, breezy. The time to advertise - now! [1908].Hiscocks, Ercildoune Frederick, fl 1899-1940s :The skipper's return. The Citizen (Wellington), 8 October 1909 (front page).Hiscocks, Ercildoune Frederick, fl 1899-1940s :Celebrities overlooked. Another injustice to the empire city. So many distiguished citizens, and not a single title sent this way. 1901Low, David Alexander Cecil 1891-1963 :"Don't forget to order a ton of coal, dear..." 1909.Low, David Alexander Cecil, 1891-1963 :Preparing for the fray. 1911.Acres, Avis, 1910-1994: The tale of Hutu, Kawa and Tuatara, by Avis Acres. [Cover design. 1955-56].Johnstone, Wendy :Photograph of Avis AcresGilmour, John Henry, 1892-1951 :The trouble in Labour's buzz-wagon. New Zealand Free Lance, 14 January 1925 (front page).Gilmour, John Henry, 1892-1951:Invincible New Zealand. 7 January 1925Lloyd, Trevor, 1863-1937 :A strange disappearance. 1928 election. [November 26 1928].Cartoon of commissioner James Mackay addressing gold miners at Thames[Angus, Rita], 1908-1970: Rita Cook. [Bookplate. 1937-1938]Paterson, Alan Stuart, 1902-1968 :Little Eric, racked with the All Black jitters looks in. 27 September 1937.Henderson, Andrew Kennaway, 1879-1960 :Pawns in the game. Tomorrow [periodical], 25 November 1936 (page 41).Minhinnick, Gordon Edward George (Sir), 1902-1992 :The paper chase. July 8th, 1935.Minhinnick, Gordon (Sir), 1902-1992 :And now we come to the question of the Minister of Agriculture. 6 December 1949Kazanda, 1945MISS MTBA KEMBLE, The Rush for Furniture in Karangahape Eoad. Harry Bennett's PIEK HOTEL is a centre of attraction to Christmas visitors. (Observer, 30 December 1893)Demon moon, 1948

Prime Ministers

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Hiscocks, Ercildoune Frederick, fl 1899-1940s :The skipper's return. The Citizen (Wellington), 8 October 1909 (front page).Blomfield, William, 1866-1938 :Political Bliss. The New Zealand Observer, 4 May 1912 (front page).William Ferguson MasseyGreen, Jack, fl 1928 :When the ebb tide flows. Farming First, 10 December 1928 (front page).Paterson, Alan Stuart, 1902-1968 :One place where the stranglehold is permitted. [Dominion, 1925].Finey, George 1895-1987:Sir Joseph Ward in his famous impersonation "Another Little Million Won't Do Us Any Harm." The Annual. Circa 1928.McAnally, I, fl 1930-1950s. :The rising tide of Labour. The Standard, 4 February 1937.Lloyd, Trevor, 1863-1937 :The mushroom season [1935]Gilmour, John Henry, 1892-1951 :From soapbox to silk hat. New Zealand Truth, 9 February 1924.Colvin, Neville Maurice, 1918-1991 :How tall? The giants of the past. Evening Post, 15 June 1955.Colvin, Neville Maurice, 1918-1991 :This other Eden. Evening Post [ca 1946-1956]Dansey, Harry Delamere Barter, 1920-1979:'N.Z. is seeking a short-term dollar loan in the United States, using its gold reserves as security - News item'. "Try to convince him that we're not in the habit of doing this sort of thing." Taranaki Daily News, 13 August, 1958Minhinnick, Gordon Edward George (Sir) 1902-1992 :Tie me kangaroo down, Sport... New Zealand Herald, 5 October 1967.Lonsdale, Neil :Congratulations, Jack! Auckland Star, 24 June 1971.Heath, Eric Walmsley, 1923- :IT'S TIME. Gentlemen please!! Dominion, 27 November 1972.Webb, Murray, 1947-: .. and this little piggy goes ... Salient, April 26 [1977. Pages 14-15].Hodgson, Trace, 1958- : "Off to the market we go ... Goody Bananas". "Now remember, Dave, no wisecracks or bad puns ... you know how easily the pigs get upset ...!" [1988].Hodgson, Trace, 1958- :Benignus Langissimo Unum Annum. [1985].Kennedy, Ronald Edwin, 1925-2003:Ban French bomb test. Waikato Times. circa 1968-81Scott, Thomas, 1947- :Wife, family, secretariat, Ad-Agency, speech-writer and 22 no-hopers to support! New Times. [ca 1975].Lynch, James Robert, 1947- :'Devaluation'. 7 October 1984Winter, Mark, 1958- :The Evolution of a Labour Prime Minister. [Southland Times? ca 1990].Walker, Malcolm 1950- :So this is what a coalition is all about. United. 1996.Waerea, James, 1940- :If all women want to do is be better than men - then they lack ambition. New Truth and TV Extra, 19 December 1997.Hodgson, Trace, 1958- : [Helen Clark as warrior]Maori Language Moment with JohnBill English and emergency housing grantsArdern in isolation

Cartoons and comics about war

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Low, David Alexander Cecil 1891-1963 :Blocking an ally. British agreements with neutrals [1911 or 1914?]Blomfield, William, 1866-1938 :Oh £!. New Zealand Observer, 13 March 1915 (front page).Harding, W. G., fl 1915 :The National Reservist. The dangers and difficulties he has to cope with. Free Lance, 6 August 1915, p. 21.UNIVERSAL SYMPATHY.-HAVE YOU DONE YOUR LITTLE BIT? (Observer, 05 June 1915)Gilmour, John Henry, 1892-1951 :Anxiety. Chronicles of the N. Z. E. F., 30 August 1916 (page 5).The New Zealand unofficial cartoonist (Lieutenant G. Pat Hanna) enlivens the walls of the officers clubGilmour, John Henry, 1892-1951 :The Spirit of ANZAC. The soldiers carry on. New Zealand Truth, 25 April 1925.Lloyd, Trevor 1863-1937 :[Democracy versus Fascism] New Zealand Herald, 29 March 1933Hill, John Cecil, 1889-1974 :Radiophobia. Auckland Star, 4 June 1940.Hill, John Cecil, 1889-1974 :Getting nearer home. Auckland Star, June 1940.Lonsdale, Neil, 1907-1989 :Peace on earth, Goodwill to all men! New Zealand Observer, 25 December 1940.A security poster drawn by Nevile Lodge in World War IIPage of NZEF times (New Zealand Expeditionary Force) for 23 December 1944, with cartoonsM16A1 rifle maintenance manualHeath, Eric Walmsley, 1923- :Baked enamel should last a life time. Dominion, 29 August 1967 (page 2).Wrathall, William George Picton, 1931-1995 :It's good to know he's behind me, even though his bark seems worse than his bite! New Zealand Truth, 25 May 1982.Clark, Laurence, 1949- :Hang on! Wait for me! 4 December 1990.Evans, Malcolm, 1945- :Gas. New Zealand Herald, 7 April 2003."Yep! look like weapons of mass invisibility to me, George" Sunday News, 6 June 2003[Afghanistan's lessons] 26 July 2009Exit plan - Afghanistan. 15 August 2009

New Zealand stories and histories

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Advertisement for Union Packing Company teaThe influenza fiendSamoaHunter, Ashley John Barsby, 1854-1932:Womens' Vote. She that is to be obeyed. The New Zealand Graphic and Ladies Journal 30 September 1893.New Zealand graphic and ladies journal :The Summit At Last. [Engraving by an unknown artist. 1894]How Far We've ComeLloyd, Trevor 1863-1937 :A long farewell [1934]Walker, Malcolm, 1950- :"Relax...It's just the Police coming to apologise.." 8 September 2011Heath, Eric Walmsley 1923- :Now look what you've done! I told you not to mention the tour. 9 September 1981.Brockie, Bob :MMP. National Business Review. 13 September 1996.Scott, Thomas, 1947- :[Christchurch earthquake] 25 February 2011Bogor"WHAT A CHEEK!!! THE SPEAKER SAID I HAD ANGER MANAGEMENT ISSUES!" "Was that before or after you tried to strangle him?" 26 June 2009Ball, Murray Hone, 1939-2017 :"Dammit, I refuse to bowl against that!!". The Evening Post 1987.Gore, Ross Digby, 1904-1981 :A woman conquers Mt. Cook. [ca 1957].[French nuclear testing in the Pacific]No to nuclear shipsCommunist Party of New Zealand :"Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!" / M C Bollinger 1943. When you go to the poll - remember a vote against Labour is a vote for the Nationalists. If you don't want the Nationalists, Vote Labour! A Communist Party publication [1943].Alston, Sharon, 1948-1995 :Lesbianation. Broadsheet, September 1975, # 32, pages 14-15.Courtney, Helen, 1952- :Career and family - the balancing act. Women Managers, 1991.Photograph: Comic Strip Message

Moments in cartoons and comics histories

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"Horror comics in Ministers Office" (caption) showing disapproved-of comics to be censoredMinister Jack Marshall with a display of disapproved-of comics allegedly corrupting youth.Funtime comicsUS comic writers and agent, "Armageddon '98"Comic artists, Armageddon, 2008Wellington Zinefest 2012Potential symptoms of COVID-19Utopia is when the disruption ends: where toilet rolls restore and the disconnected reconnect

Feature image at top of page: ‘A strange disappearance’, 1928, by Trevor Lloyd. Ref: A-315-2-162. Alexander Turnbull Library.