Political Illustration introduces students of illustration, visual communication, art, and political science to how political illustration works, when it’s used and why.
Through a variety of examples – from the coins of Julius Caesar to contemporary art challenging Indigenous American stereotypes – the book covers propaganda, the impact of media, censorship, and taboo, and the role of contentious politics and dissent art. A wide range of contemporary illustration mediums are included, including street art, the graphic novel, and mixed assemblage illustration, in order to examine the role of media and technique in political messaging. The book features breakout interviews and case studies on prominent global political illustrators (like Edel Rodriguez, Anita Kunz and Fabian Williams) and full color examples. The authors include an introduction to semiotics, visual grammar, and visual communication theory, and how these approaches contribute to the decoding of political messages – and how these tactics are used by those ruling, and those being ruled.
In particular, the authors look at political illustration, protest art and propaganda related to:
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American and European Imperialism -
Japanese internment -
The World Wars -
The Soviet Union and China -
Dictatorships in Africa and South America -
Civil Rights movements
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Contemporary protests and marches, including the Women’s March (2017) and the Egyptian Revolution (2011) -
…and many more periods, events and movements
Introduction 1 An Introduction to Visual Language Symbols and Global Ballots Reception Theory: An Introduction to Visual Signs Visual Grammar & Technique Semiotics: Connotation and Denotation Metaphor & Metonym 2 Propaganda: The Art of the State Introduction Global Politics Perspective: Types of Political Systems Everyday Propaganda: Currency, Stamps, and Flags Global Politics Perspective: The History of Apartheid South Africa The Mythos of Political Portraits and the Visual Language of Propaganda Napoleon: The Forefather of Propaganda Global Politics Perspective: So, what actually was the French Revolution? Global Imperialist Propaganda Global Politics Perspective: Imperial Enlistments and the Soldiers of World Wars I and II Propaganda of the World Wars Global Politics Perspective: How did the world’s first communist country come about? Socialist Realism in the Soviet Union and China A Cult of Personality: Colonialism and Dictatorships in Africa and South America Post War American Propaganda Group Activities/Discussion Questions 3 Media, Censorship, & Taboo Introduction Reportage Illustration Non-Commercial Reportage: The Art of Japanese Internment and of the Hibakusha The History of Political Satire Censorship in Democracies vs. Authoritarian Governments: Violent Censorship, Self-Censorship, and Market Censorship Perspective on Global Politics: Media Censorship and Political Systems Contemporary Editorial Illustration Interview: Doug Chayka Interview: Miriam Martincic Interview: Armando Veve Interview: Edel Rodriguez Interview: Steve Brodner Group Activities/Discussion Questions 4 Contentious Politics and the Art of Dissent Latin American Protest Art Global Politics Perspective: What caused the Cuban Revolution? The Vietnam War Global Politics Perspective: What led to the Vietnam War? Interview: Seymour Chwast Black Civil Rights Global Politics Perspective: The Black Civil Rights Movement in the United States Interview: Fabian Williams LGBTQ+ Indigenous Americans Global Politics Perspectives: The History and Culture of American Indians in the United States Interview: Hoka Skenandore The Arab Spring and the Middle East Global Politics Perspectives: The Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa Interview: Andeel Women’s Rights Global Politics Perspectives: The Push for Women’s Rights in the United States Conclusion Group Activities/Discussion Questions Conclusion Glossary Selected bibliography
Catherine Moore is an educator and illustrator, currently teaching at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, GA, USA. Catherine has illustrated multiple political figures, including President Joe Biden, John Lewis, and Justice Anthony Kennedy for The Washington Post, and Jimmy Carter for the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Megan Hauser is a political scientist in the School of Government and International Affairs at Kennesaw State University, USA. Her research and publications focus on elections and electoral politics in Russia and Eastern Europe, including her 2019 book Elections under Authoritarianism. She teaches courses in Comparative Politics, International Relations, and American Government. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
