‘Orgy at my place’: The world’s best Covid cartoons from the past year

Newspapers around the globe share their pandemic-themed cartoons and illustrations

Covid cartoons: 2020s’ Sisyphus, from Vecer, in Slovenia. Cartoonist: Ciril Horjak

On March 11th, 2020, the World Health Organisation declared coronavirus a global pandemic. In the year since then news cartoonists the world over have covered the crisis, its devastating consequences and its ever-present absurdities with wit and artistry.

The Society for News Design and the Danish newspaper Politiken invited cartoonists who work for their members – including Martyn Turner of The Irish Times – to share their work.

These are some of the 400-plus works they submitted.

IRELAND, The Irish Times. Cartoonist: Martyn Turner

Martyn Turner writes about the cartoon above: “What inspired me was to warn people that having ‘fun’ at Christmas would only lead to disaster later on. Given what happened, hopefully people looking at it will pay more attention next time.”

IRELAND, The Irish Times. Cartoonist: Martyn Turner
MEXICO El Universal Cartoonist: Ángel Boligán
Vecer, Slovenia. Cartoonist: Ciril Horjak
UK The Guardian Cartoonist: Nicola Jennings
EL SALVADOR, El Diario de Hoy. Cartoonist: Carlos Ruiz
UK Financial Times Cartoonist: Jonathan McHugh
GERMANY Stuttgarter Zeitung Cartoonist: Burkhard Mohr
ICELAND dagsson.com Cartoonist: Hugleikur Dagsson
ICELAND, dagsson.com. Cartoonist: Hugleikur Dagsson
INDIA DT Next Cartoonist: Varghese Kallada
SOUTH AFRICA The Mail & Guardian Cartoonist: Carlos Amato
SLOVAKIA SME Cartoonist: Filip Györe
SLOVAKIA, SME. Cartoonist: Filip Györe
PORTUGAL Público Cartoonist: Miguel Feraso Cabra
ROMANIA, Ziarul de Iasi. Cartoonist: Jup
UK The Guardian Cartoonist: Steve Bell
ESTONIA Postimees Cartoonist: Urmas Nemvalts
CROATIA 24sata Cartoonist: Nik Titanik
BELGIUM, Het Nieuwsblad. Cartoonist: Marec
NORWAY Aftenposten Cartoonist: Marvin Halleraker
UK Financial Times Cartoonist: Lucas Varela
The Netherlands Joop Cartoonist: Benjamin Kikkert
ROMANIA, Ziarul de Iasi. Cartoonist: Jup
DENMARK Politiken Cartoonist: Philip Ytournel
BRAZIL Jornal O Estado de S.Paulo (Estadão) Cartoonist: Marcos Roberto Santos
GERMANY Die Zeit Cartoonist: Dennis Vernooij
GERMANY Die Zeit Cartoonist: Sébastien Thibault
GREECE Kathimerini Cartoonist: Ilias Makris
GERMANY Die Zeit Cartoonist: Francesco Ciccolella
Danish Corona, Dagens tegning 6.08.20
BELGIUM, Het Nieuwsblad. Cartoonist: Marec
BELGIUM, Het Nieuwsblad. Cartoonist: Marec
UK The Guardian Cartoonist: Ben Jennings
US Washington Post Cartoonist: Rob Dobi