Martin Rowson and Ella Baron, both regular political cartoonists for the Guardian, recently faced off in a unique challenge: drawing the same subject—Donald Trump and global turmoil—on the same day, using their distinct styles and tools. Rowson, a veteran who has drawn for the Guardian since the 1980s, works traditionally with pencils, ink, gouache and watercolour on paper. Baron, who joined in 2022, creates exclusively digital art.
Rowson’s approach is rooted in the tactile, messy tradition of artists like Ronald Searle and Ralph Steadman. He describes his process as “seat-of-your-pants journalism,” where he sketches, inks and paints within a single day, often finishing the conceptual work by 7.30am after hearing the news headlines. His final image for the challenge depicted a Shakespearean scene called “King Leer,” with a warped Trump flanked by snickering world leaders.
Baron, by contrast, proposed Trump squatting in a dystopian nest surrounded by spoils. Rowson admits he finds her digital methods a mystery, but acknowledges that she and other digital artists represent the future of visual satire. Despite his luddism, he believes the core purpose of political cartoons remains unchanged: to enrage Trump’s supporters and empower his victims.
The exercise highlights how different techniques—traditional versus digital—can produce equally powerful satire. Rowson notes that his love of tactility and the risk of ruining a wash keeps his work fresh, while Baron’s digital precision allows for different kinds of detail. Both agree that the chaos of the current political moment demands sharp, timely commentary.
