Views from abroad.

• Position: Political cartoons

FROM Australia

Political cartoons are one of Upfront's most popular features. The ones you see in the magazine are usually drawn by Americans, but in the next few pages you'll see what cartoonists around the world are thinking about.

You'll probably find some of these cartoons easy to understand; others you may have to ponder a bit to figure out. Why, for example, do you think the Australian cartoonist who created the image above portrays an animated Earth running toward a bunker? What point do you think he's trying to make about the times in which we're living?

For each selection, consider its country of origin and ask yourself: What is this cartoon about, and why might the cartoonist think this way about the topic?

Keep in mind some of the devices cartoonists often use to express their ideas:

Symbol: an object widely understood to stand for a country, an idea, or an institution. Uncle Sam, for example, is a well-known symbol of the United States.

Caricature: an exaggerated drawing of a person, used either to poke fun or to make the subject instantly recognizable.

Hyperbole: a deliberate exaggeration, often used for comic effect.

Irony: a situation or statement that differs from what is expected. Examples: a fight breaking out at a peace conference or a pilot who's afraid of heights.

President Trump

FROM France

FROM South Africa

The Refugee Crisis

FROM Pakistan

FROM Greece

Russia & Putin

FROM Austria

PETAR PISMESTROVIC * AGLECARTOONS.COM

FROM Romania

PAVEL CONSTANTIN * CAGLECARTOONS.COM

China & the U.S.

FROM Slovakia

MARTIN SUTOVEC * POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

FROM United Arab Emirates

PARESH NATH * POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

Climate Change

FROM Brazil

OSMANI SIMANCA * POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

FROM Jordan

EMAD HAJJAJ * POLITICALCARTOONS.COM

Cartoon Analysis

1. In the cartoon from Jordan, below, what is happening to the globe? What is the globe's response? What do you think the cartoonist is trying to say?

2. Look at the cartoon from Brazil, on the left. Why do the penguins seem to be sweating?

3. Why is one depicted as a fan? How is the cartoonist using irony to make a point?

4. In the cartoon from Austria on page 3, what kind of video game is Russian President Vladimir Putin playing?

5. What recent events does the cartoonist seem to be commenting on?

6. Look at the cartoon from Greece, on page 2. How do you think the cartoonist feels about the way refugees have been treated?

7. In the South African cartoon, on page 2, what...