Graeme MacKay
Cartoons
Sep
16
2026
A political cartoon published September 16, 2026, shows a Canadian figure and a European figure positioned on a globe. The Canadian side features red and white maple leaf regions while the European side displays EU stars. Both areas are ringed by flames. The figures extend their arms across the Atlantic, connected by a thin line, beneath the heading Closer Together. The image comments on efforts by Canada and the European Union to draw nearer in response to shared international pressures and instability.
Sep
15
2026
The cartoon depicts Justin Trudeau at a Canada Investment Summit appealing for help to build the country strong. In the adjacent panel, Mark Carney appears as a used-car-style salesman hawking airports with a buy-one-get-one-free offer and a ready-for-takeoff deal pitch, highlighting a satirical take on airport privatization efforts.
Sep
14
2026
The cartoon depicts a large red fish marked with Chinese stars swallowing a striped American fish wearing a stars-and-stripes hat. The American fish in turn has consumed a smaller Canadian fish bearing a maple leaf. A green tail labeled FOREIGN INVESTMENT trails from the Canadian fish. Published on September 14, 2026, the image illustrates concerns over Chinese economic influence absorbing Canadian foreign investment through American channels. The visual metaphor underscores ongoing tensions in North American economic relations with China.
Sep
11
2026
The political cartoon illustrates the signing of a 100-year agreement between Canada and Ukraine, with President Zelenskyy and a Canadian leader shaking hands on a red carpet. Large caricatures of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump stand on either side, looking down at the smaller central figures. Canadian flag drones fill the background sky near a newspaper announcing the pact. The central text reads Middle Powers Unite. The image comments on how the bilateral deal elevates secondary nations in global affairs while established powers watch the development.
Sep
10
2026
The cartoon depicts the Statue of Liberty, Uncle Sam and an AI robot seated in a 9/11 group therapy session on the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The Statue of Liberty holds a book marked July IV MDCCLXXVI and speaks of deepening loss since 2001. Uncle Sam echoes the sentiment of end days. The AI figure, labeled with a rising doomsday plot progress chart, retorts that the others have seen nothing yet. The scene uses national symbols to reflect persistent national trauma and emerging technological threats two and a half decades after the September 11 attacks.
Sep
9
2026
The cartoon by Graeme MacKay contrasts Theodore Roosevelt's famous speak softly and carry a big stick approach with Donald Trump's version of yelling loudly and spinning a stick covered in tariffs. In the lower panel Trump appears dizzy from the motion as a Canadian hand offers toilet tissue labeled tariff-free wipes. The image comments on recent US tariff actions and their impact on Canadian trade relations as of the September 2026 publication date.
Sep
8
2026
The cartoon shows Donald Trump dressed as a Roman emperor seated on a throne amid rubble labeled with collapsed policy areas including healthcare, immigration, judicial norms, international alliances and environmental protection. A burning basket represents damaged relations with Canada. Trump holds a lyre and a book of vanity projects while declaring himself the greatest builder. The image draws on the Nero fiddling while Rome burns motif to comment on perceived institutional damage during the Trump administration as of the September 2026 publication date.
Sep
4
2026
The cartoon depicts a Canadian beaver altering its fur color across seasons while interacting with Donald Trump. In June the beaver celebrates summer in brown fur. During July and August the beaver flees as Trump gestures angrily. By autumn the white beaver declares fall colors while Trump fumes under midterms clouds beside a sign reading back to business no wearing white. The work comments on evolving Canada-US dynamics as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
Sep
4
2026
The cartoon shows a large pumpkin-headed figure in a gray robe leading smaller grim reapers who carry a banner reading Pumpkin Spice Is Back. The group marches under a pink sky with the large figure holding a rake and a PSL coffee cup. Text at the bottom reads R.I.P. Summer. Published on September 4 2026 the image marks the annual shift from summer to fall. It uses the grim reaper motif to humorously depict the death of summer and the arrival of pumpkin spice products. The visual plays on the well-known seasonal marketing push for fall flavors in coffee and other goods.
Sep
4
2026
The cartoon by Graeme MacKay contrasts a joyful pre-Labor Day family scene with a weary post-Labor Day version. On the left, parents and children smile in casual summer attire while holding leisure items. On the right, the same family appears drained as they prepare for school and work. The vertical label emphasizes the holiday as the dividing line. This reflects the annual transition many households experience each September. The piece uses simple visual comparison to highlight the end of vacation freedom.
Sep
3
2026
The cartoon by Graeme MacKay portrays Pete Hegseth's progression through three stages at the Pentagon under President Trump. In the first panel Hegseth pledges to awaken the warrior ethos at the Department of Defense. The middle panel shows him calling to unleash lethal power while an aide reports no resources remain. The final panel depicts a toddler Trump at the Department of Offense with Hegseth as a frantic aide amid papers about testosterone screening and purges. The work comments on the Trump administration's approach to military leadership and policy priorities as of September 2026.
Sep
2
2026
A political cartoon depicts a large brain marked with skills, research, innovation and education riding in a USA-plated car crossing into Canada. Welcoming signs and flag-waving figures greet the arrival while a green highway sign points to development, retention and success. A speech bubble notes that the brain gain is positive but roads ahead remain key. The image responds to ongoing discussions about cross-border talent flows and the practical challenges of integrating skilled immigrants into Canadian systems as of early September 2026.
Sep
1
2026
Pierre Poilievre assumes an elbows-up defensive posture in response to mounting leadership questions within the Conservative Party. The visual ties the hockey-derived stance to efforts to retain his position as party leader ahead of future electoral tests. The piece portrays the move as self-preservation rather than genuine unity.
Aug
31
2026
On August 31 2026 Donald Trump presented a hand-altered map renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America during a meeting with Vladimir Putin and Russian military officers reviewing NATO operations. The exchange highlights ongoing tensions over territorial assertions and alliance testing in the Great Lakes region. The cartoon depicts Putin endorsing the claim while officers coordinate a simulated response.
Aug
20
2026
President Trump renewed tariff threats against Canada while floating the idea of the country becoming the 51st state. Canadian consumers responded with a boycott of American wine and spirits, leaving store shelves empty. The cartoon draws a parallel to the Boston Tea Party, casting the tariff policy as a modern decree provoking resistance.
