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New Zealand Cartoons

From politics, to social issues, from sport, to landscape Kiwi cartoonists have been drawing and caricaturing our culture for decades. Explore our well-known Kiwi cartoonist and their work from the New Zealand Cartoon Archives. SCIS no: 1808614

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Old England. New Zealand

Old England. New Zealand

On the left two women are walking in a wintry English countryside, on the right a happy group are picnicking outside in New Zealand. Quantity: 1 photocopy/ies. Physical Description: A4 size photo...

The passing of the Māori

The passing of the Māori

This J. Blomfield cartoon, published in Free Lance in 1906, suggests that Māori were so rare as to be a curiosity for Europeans. But the Māori population showed remarkable resilience and climbed st...

Won't be photographed

Won't be photographed

Text at the top reads 'Fashion "spotters" with photographers will be conducting a fashion quest next week - ' A very elegant woman smokes in the rear seat of a long and elegant car. A fashion spott...

The Commission for the Future is scrapped

The Commission for the Future is scrapped

Cartoonists loved drawing our 31st Prime Minister, Rob Muldoon. Muldoon was a controversial figure who polarised the public, especially during the 1981 Springbok Rugby tour. Here he is depicted as ...

Rugby and apartheid

Rugby and apartheid

Shows the rugby boots of the New Zealand All Blacks, labelled NZRU, trampling over black South Africans in a scrum. Refers to the refusal of the New Zealand Rugby Union to bow to public pressure in...

Caricature of New Zealand politician Mike Moore. Published in 'Grant, Ian F. Public Lives - New Zealand's Premiers and Prime Ministers 1856-2003 (Book title)' 2003. Quantity: 1 Newsclippings. Ph...

Rugby spectators

Rugby spectators

The cartoon shows two rugby spectators high in the viewing stand above a distant rugby field. The spectators are wrapped up against a driving storm. The probable setting is Athletic Park, Wellingto...

The Manners Mall bus route was going to cost $10.4 million or $500,000 per emo. Jaimee says that in France an emo is kept under a bell jar and measured once a year so that all the other emos can be...

Flight of the Conchords

Flight of the Conchords

Shows portrait of Flight of the Conchords, Jermaine Clement and Bret McKenzie. Published in Listener Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Prime Minister John Key as a schoolboy, reads his school report which is 'sponsored by Standard & Poors.' It suggests that he is more interested in being popular than tackling the task at hand. Con...

Hone Harawira wraps toilet paper round his head. The toilet roll is held in place in the ground with a taiaha through its centre. Context - Controversial ex-Maori Party MP Hone Harawira has been cr...

Going to the beach

Going to the beach

A father tells his small son that 'Next year, I promise we'll go to the beach.' They are beside their tent in a sea of caravans and tents, so far from the beach, that can be seen in the distance' t...

Greens should stay as nature intended

Greens should stay as nature intended

In Chris Slane’s cartoon, New Zealand Prime Minister at the time Helen Clark is trying to plunge a fork into some vegetables labelled 'GE' (genetic engineering) and are running off a plate. This re...

Blowdry hairdos

Blowdry hairdos

The weather is a popular topic of conversation. In New Zealand it can be '4 seasons in one day'. It could be wet and windy one day, and lovely and sunny the next, just as we see in this cartoon by ...

Get on the roll

Get on the roll

This witty take on ‘toilet humour’ is cartoonist Martin Doyle’s take on the 2011 November general election. It is also a satirical dig at the electoral process and an exhortation (of sorts) to tert...

Cartooning in a new land, 1840 to 1899

Political, or editorial, cartoons are important because they capture the essence of personalities and policies and get to the nub of issues. They can be, as former prime minister Jack Marshall put ...

Cartoons insulting, tribunal told

The Human Rights Review Tribunal has been told newspaper cartoons were insulting, discriminating and brought Maori and Pasifika into contempt. MP Louisa Wall has made a complaint.

The opening of the Cartoon Archive, 1992

This television coverage shows the 1992 opening of the Cartoon Archive at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington. The event was attended by many of New Zealand's most eminent cartoonists, alo...

Chris Slane: comics and illustration

Chris Slane: comics and illustration

Auckland cartoonist (for Metro, The Listener and the NZ Herald) who has illustrated the new book, 'Nice Day for a War: Adventures of a Kiwi Soldier in World War 1'.

Bro'Town, New Zealand's first prime-time animated television show, was first broadcast in 2004. It follows the misadventures of five Polynesian teenagers, Vale, Valea, Sione, Mack and Jeff da Māori...

Dylan Horrocks has written and drawn graphic novels, comic books, comic strips and short stories in New Zealand and overseas.

Untitled (page 5 from Hicksville).

Untitled (page 5 from Hicksville).

Next in Line: The Young Cartoonist Award

Next in Line: The Young Cartoonist Award

A joint initiative between the New Zealand Cartoon Archive and the Listener, the Young Cartoonist Award was designed to discover and encourage our country’s up-and-coming cartooning talent. Open to...

Trevor Lloyd's cartoon, 'The modern Maori: a family scene in the smart set', appeared in the Auckland Weekly News in 1906. It poked fun at the pretensions of Māori who adopted 'civilised' habits. T...

The First use of kiwi as unofficial national symbol.

Missionary protection of Māori cartoon

Missionary protection of Māori cartoon

Cartoon from the Taranaki Punch showing a missionary protecting a Māori man from being shot at by a soldier

Notable New Zealanders

Notable New Zealanders

A selection of famous and notable New Zealanders drawn by the inimitable Murray Webb.

Cartoons About Muldoon

Cartoons About Muldoon

Cartoons reflecting the New Zealand Prime Minister Robert Muldoon's time in office.

Highlights from the exhibition Savaged! The Cartoon Colony are on show here. Come and visit the show to see the full range of 20 outrageous cartoons and near cartoons of early New Zealand, satiris...

Tom Scott parliamentary cartoon, 1992

Tom Scott parliamentary cartoon, 1992

There was a sharp edge to the cartoons that touched on public attitudes towards politics and politicians, especially as cartoonists themselves sought to offer a social commentary in their work.

Art, life, music - Sharon Murdoch

Art, life, music - Sharon Murdoch

Sharon Murdoch is the first woman to have a regular political cartooning spot in the country.

Man, I've got some good joints.

Man, I've got some good joints.

Smith’s cartoon takes a wry look at the aging Baby Boom generation, (in New Zealand over a million babies were born between 1946 and 1965.) The image shows two hippies at a party in the 1970s and a...

The landing of the pioneers

The landing of the pioneers

One of our earliest cartoonists, artist and illustrator Trevor Lloyd, was known for his depictions of New Zealand historical scenes and Māori culture. Here he humorously shows the landing of Pakeha...

Lower your prices.

Lower your prices.

The man here with a bucket (that has the letters 'RBNZ' or Reserve Bank New Zealand on it) is the Reserve Bank Manager, Alan Bollard, given the date of the cartoon. As prices climbed last decade Al...

The Springbok issue

The Springbok issue

Bromhead’s cartoon shows Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon posing as a doctor with two one-eyed patients, one 'pro tour' and the other 'anti tour'. This refers to the opposing public opinions over the...

The spirit of his fathers

The spirit of his fathers

Shows a cartoon relating to Maori soldiers in the First World War. A Maori soldier charges two Turkish soldiers with a bayonet. The ghost of a Maori warrior wielding a patu rears behind him. Quant...

Trial for extra holidays

Trial for extra holidays

The Politician is a well-liked cartoon strip by David Fletcher that consistently provides a humorous take on New Zealand politics. The example here refers to the controversy over ‘mondayisation’. T...

Bogor was a cartoon strip drawn by Burton Silver, which appeared in the New Zealand Listener in the 1970s and 1980s. It featured a rural philosophising woodsman called Bogor and his ‘alternative’ p...

Baked enamel should last a life time

Baked enamel should last a life time

Another popular cartoonist was Eric Heath who was editorial cartoonist for Wellington's Dominion newspaper for almost 30 years. The 1960s was a decade of social change - and protest. Here Heath com...

Racist' cartoon slammed

Was this cartoon stereotyping Polynesian people?

Political cartoons

New Zealand politicians drew some of our earliest cartoons.

History of cartoons & comics

History and influences of cartoons and comics from the 1700 onwards.

Japanese anime and manga

Japanese anime and manga focus on specific demographics.

How did Disney get Moana so right and Māui so wrong?

Does the film and its merchandise commercialise Pacific Island culture?

How to draw cartoons

Offers fundamental guidelines on drawing cartoon characters.

Earthquake cartoon sparks anger

An example of a Charlie Hebdo cartoon that attracted criticism in Italy.

How Māui slowed the sun

From the animated series, A Māui Te Tipua - Māui, the enchanted.

Talks to the political cartoonist about his work.

History of cartoons in society and politics in New Zealand.

Footrot Flats creator Murray Ball dies

Colleagues and PM pay tribute to Footrot Flats creator.

Peter Brookes awarded CBE

Cartoonist Peter Brookes

Top 10 controversial cartoons

Time looks back at South Park and other cartoons that have caused public backlash.

Inside the mind of Murray Webb

The Kiwi artist behind 40 years of famous faces.

Graphic novels in the library

The growing impact of graphic novels in libraries and reading.

In this series of vignettes David Low relates the misadventures of a middle class man, who instead of spending two pounds on buying coal spends it on alcohol. David Low is considered one of New Zea...

“He aint dead Sir”

“He aint dead Sir”

This visceral cartoon was drawn over 35 years ago, but you can still strongly sense Tom Scott’s outrage over apartheid and the news that prominent anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko had died (he wa...

Mary Ann in Maoriland

Mary Ann in Maoriland

This cartoon by Leonard Booth (a New Zealand cartoonist who also contributed cartoons to Australian publications) depicts a character called Mary Ann - a name often used by the press to represent f...

Bop! UK. France. E.E.C. Germany

Bop! UK. France. E.E.C. Germany

Robert Brockie’s cartoon shows the New Zealand Minister of Overseas Trade, Jack Marshall, punched in the face by fists labelled UK, France, E. E. C. and Germany in turn. These fists allude to New Z...

Anti-graffiti cartoon

Anti-graffiti cartoon

Over recent years the battle between taggers and councils has heated up resulting in prosecutions and teams of council workers dedicated to removing graffiti as soon as it appears. In this Bob Darr...

Mururoa cartoon

Mururoa cartoon

The French Polynesian island of Mururoa is an island in the Pacific ocean. It was here the French conducted underground and atmospheric tests of nuclear bombs from the 1960s to the 1990s. New Zeala...

As this cartoon shows, Pokie machines have been around for a while and so has our culture of drinking. Here, well-known cartoonist Neville Lodge pokes fun at a comment by the Attorney-General, and ...

You will notice kid…

You will notice kid…

Cartoon by Murray Ball.

Christchurch and Pike River Mine

Christchurch and Pike River Mine

Some cartoons need few words to express the intense feeling they convey. Here with hands joined in solidarity and despair, Malcolm Evans’s graphic cartoon touches on the two recent New Zealand disa...

Opening of the life-saving season

Opening of the life-saving season

This highly detailed cartoon features a middle-aged couple (representing New Zealand) asleep in deck chairs as the tide rolls in around them. Racing to their rescue are two life guard teams with op...

Late last century, Footrot Flats created by Murray Ball was one of New Zealand’s most loved and popular cartoon series, and has subsequently become an iconic slice of Kiwiana. The series presented ...

How to caricature everything

Making caricatures from objects and basic shapes.

Draw cute cartoons

Simple step-by-step tutorials on how to start basic cartooning.

How to make a graphic novel

To make your own graphic novel, start by perfecting your drawing style.

International glossary of comic terms

Definition of comic terms from around the world.

History and etymology of the word ‘cartoon’.

How to make a mini comic book or 'zine’

A simple and clever way to make a mini-zine or comic book using only one side of paper without staples.

Political cartoons

High school students learn to analyse the purpose and meaning of political cartoons.

The power of cartoons

Patrick Chappatte talks about the power of the humble cartoon on TED talk.

Artist who painted Murray Ball mural

The artist who painted a tribute to cartoonist Murray Ball at an Auckland dog park has revealed his identity.

Sarah Laing on possums

Men have traditionally dominated the comics field and women have rarely featured in accounts of New Zealand's comics history. In the 21st century women comic artists are somewhat more visible. Sara...

Under the heading 'A bug in the system' a customs officer tells a Queensland fruit-fly "Welcome to New Zealand, sir! We don't x-ray all bags so we rely on travellers to declare any bio-security ris...

Racism and cartoons: Where do you draw the line?

Newspaper cartoons show how attitudes to Māori have changed over time.

Cartoons by Chris Slane

Galleries of cartoons that humourizes New Zealand’s political and social scene.

The Wimmera enquiry in caricature

This caricature is based on the enquiry that took place in 1918 when the steamer Wimmera struck a German mine north of Cape Maria van Diemen (westernmost point of the North Island of New Zealand).

The week’s chronicle in caricature

A series of cartoons captures the events of the week in March 1917.

The Animation Collection

A crazy, colourful collection of animation by some of New Zealand’s most popular animators from Len Lye to Gollum.

Te ra amamenga: School Journal No.1: 1990

A Maori language story in comic strip form about a trip to the supermarket that goes wrong.

Michel Mulipola: Superhero Secrets, August 2016

Auckland based Samoan artists’ passion for comics and comic-book heroes.

Comic Man by Kate De Goldi, October 2015

The story of Dylan Horrocks and how he started out as a comic artist in New Zealand.

Tastes in cartoons

A range of cartoons captures various responses, including some who just don’t get it.

Caricature of Napoleon the Great

Napoleon was known for his arrogance as shown in cartoon.

Using concept cartoons to explore students’ scientific thinking

Using concept cartoons to include a scientifically correct idea and a few alternative ideas.

Dastardly deeds

A chilling cartoon drawn in 1880, titled ‘A Deed of Mediaval Days’ appeared in the Maraval Jackdaw, a shipboard newspaper on the Maraval, which sailed to New Zealand from London between 1879 to 1880.

1893 anti-suffrage cartoon (CC0013)

View (or print) the curiosity card about an 1893 anti-suffrage cartoon. Use the card’s fertile questions to inspire inquiry. Follow the link for more resources to help with teaching and learning.

Blue roses: School Journal No. 01: 2010

Illustrated graphic novel about a Niue family’s visit to a grave.

Does cartoon violence make kids more aggressive?

The fate of Wile E. Coyote or the antics of Tom and Jerry didn't harm a generation of kids but research shows the effects of today's graphic cartoons and computer game characters aren't so innocent..

New Zealand Cartoon Archive

The New Zealand Cartoon and Comics Archive includes over 60,000 cartoons reflecting New Zealand society and politics.

Behind the Wheel of A Large Automobile and other amazing zines

Pronounced "zeen", a zine (short for fanzine) is a self-published assortment of text and images, often drawn by hand, formed to create small, low-circulation magazines or newspapers, often photocop...

Four square super service

Cartoon promoting Four Square in the 1960s.

Launch of 'Savaged to Suit: Māori and Cartooning'

The launch of Paul Diamond’s ‘Savaged to Suit: Māori and Cartooning in New Zealand’.

Mr. Winston Churchill

A caricature of Winston Churchill in the Daily Telegraph, London 1941.

Dear Virus - a lighter side of lockdown

Every day of lockdown, award winning illustrator Anna Crichton documented this unprecedented period in our history through the antics of Mr and Mrs Dear.

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