“Locataires ne vous laissez plus etouffer. Oui a la loi contre la speculation fonciere.” A 2000 poster urging tenants “to vote for a law against property speculation.” From an article on the use (and abuse) of animals in political poster campaigns (“Exploiting the animals we love to hate“, 6th Feb 2009, swissinfo.ch).

Related to late 1800s/early 1900s landlordism cartoons??

Image Source: Swiss People’s Party, Museum für Gestaltung Zurich in Animal Posters: Use and abuse of animals for political ends. (Accessed 24th Aug 2009)

Political octopus in pop culture: “The Grand Map” in Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, and art by Keith Thompson. The map shows Northern Africa and the land below (or part of) “Serbia” as depicted by squid-like creatures.

You can see it in its full and glorious detail at Scott Westerfeld’s blog, where it is accompanied by information on how and why it was developed. There is also a version on Keith Thompson’s website that details each of the ‘allegories’ and why they were chosen.

For more cephalopod geographies: see “Of Maps and Octopuses“.

Big thanks to Mark Dominus for submitting this.

Another quick post: I just received a note that says this poster is currently hanging in the quad of the University of California during the current occupation of the Santa Cruz campus. You can find more information (reports, videos, photos) on the occupation at Socialism and/or Barbarism and Occupy California. It is a rare positive depiction of the monstrous (even if a bad pun).

(via China Miéville)

George W. Bush

Bush massages Merkel

Ann Telnaes shows shows an octopoidal US President George Bush massaging German Chancellor Angela Merkel. This relates to a visit by George Bush to Germany and Russia in July 2006. At the G8 summit he apparently attempted to give Chancellor Merkel an unexpected and unappreciated back rub¹.

I was discussing the octopus as a metaphor to a friend a few months ago, and she pointed out that when someone is referred to as ‘an octopus’ in a social context, it means they have a tendency to grope². It is likely this sort of ‘octopus’ in Talnaes’ cartoon, and not the menacing octopus in the other two cartoons.

High Noon

The following cartoon by Wolfgang Ammer shows a confrontation between George W. Bush and a very large octopus (Bin Laden?). Presumably representing terrorism. The octopus has partially disarmed Bush and is using his own weapons against him. It is holding the Statue of Liberty aloft. This is one menancing looking octopus. I think it is the way the arms appear to be active and it is moving towards the viewer in are rather alien motion. Bush looks somewhat dumbfounded at the turn of events.

Bush is a scary octopussy

Finally, in ‘Bush is a scary octopussy’ by Stephane Peray, the octopus and Bush have merged. And Bush is once again an octopus. This cartoon covers two issues: a jingonistic Bush administration that dismisses international treaties such as Kyoto. In this cartoon Bush II is loaded with guns. Two of which have been fired-  Afghanistan and Iraq -, and three  – Iran, Syria and North Korea – remain holstered (although Bush appears to have twitchy tentacles). I.e. he US led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and the eagerness of the Bush Administration to go after Iran. The second part of the cartoon is the man standing behind bush holding a pen and the Kyoto protocol. Bush II has sumarily dismissed him by covering him in ink (oil?).

Footnotes:

1. Why did George Bush think that was acceptable? Because Merkel is female?
   Beyerstein, Lindsay (July 18th 2006), Bush Gropes Chancellor Merkel,http://majikthise.typepad.com/majikthise_/2006/07/bush_gropes_cha.html. There are photos of the encounter at Taylor Marsh. And a full description of some press reactions to the incident at Idealistic Pragmatist.
2. For a recent cultural reference the FreakAngels comic refers to one of its characters as ‘an octopus man‘ after drinking
3. Telnaes, Ann (26th Jul 2006), SOURCE: http://www.cartoons.nytimages.com/wieck_preview_page_067692 (Accessed: 11th Jan 2009)
4. Ammer, Wolfgang (27th Jul 2007), Wiener Zeitung, Austria, SOURCE: http://www.cartoons.nytimages.com/wieck_preview_page_114945 (Accessed 11th Jan 2009)
5. Peray, Stephane (5th Nov 2004), ‘Bush is a scary octopussy’, SOURCE: http://www.politicalcartoons.com/cartoon/eeb5f090-54c0-4905-9147-92eedfe51f27.html (Accessed: 11th Jan 2009)

The following cartoons all appeared in 2007, and all depicted terrorism as an octopus. The Benson and Ramirez cartoons used the octopus straightforwardly: a named octopus. A subtle point in the Benson cartoon is the Al-Qaeda octopus has had the tips of some of its limbs cut off. Iraq is wielding a sword, so ispresumably responsible tip-less arms. However is currently incapacitated by a fully functioning arm of Al-Qaeda. The Ramirez cartoon is a typical octopus and cartography metaphor with the Iranian octopus interfering in surround territories and holding a nuke. The Ramirez cartoon is not directly related to terrorism, but given the context of representation of Iran in this period, the implication is there.

The Kal cartoon is quite unique. The juxtaposition of octopus and cartography is not new, but the way it is done is quiet unusual. Instead of an octopus entangling the USA and the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, the map/countries themselves have grown arms and have entrapped the ‘government’ while Bin Laden is free to appear elsewhere. The implication being that even if the USA can find him they are incapable of doing anything about it.

Russian Gas Octopus (2009)

Two cartoons depicting Russia as an octopus over the dispute between the Ukraine and the Russian company, Gazprom. The first shows Putin as the Octopus⁵, and the second shows Gazprom as the octopus with Europe in its grip⁶. The cartoons are in response to the Russian company, Gazprom, cutting off natural gas supplies to the Ukraine. And consequently partially cutting off supply to other parts of Europe.

Gazprom has a monopoly on gas supplies in Russia, and is the largest supply of gas in the world¹. According to CNN Gazprom replaced the Soviet Ministry of the Gas Industry in 1989. The Russian government owns 50 percent of the company (controlling share)². So Gazprom required permission of the the Russian government to cut supplies, which was given by Russian Prime Minister Vladamir Putin³. Other links between the Gazprom and the Russian government include the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who ‘is a former Gazprom chairman’⁴.

The most relevant contrast for this (thinking out loud for a moment) is the Standard Oil octopus cartoons both for symbolism and the alleged collusion between government and industry.

Footnotes

1. CNN (6th Jan 2009), Gazprom: Russia’s most powerful company, CNN (http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/01/06/gazprom.profile/index.html#cnnSTCText(accessed 10th Jan 2009).
2. ibid
3. BBC News (Jan 5th 2009), Russia to cut Ukraine gas supply, BBC News,http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7812368.stm (Accessed 10th Jan 2009)
4. CNN 2009

Images Sources:

1. PISMESTROVIC (2009), Kleine Zeitung (via CartoonArts International / The New York Times Syndicate), Graz, Austria, 08 Jan 2009,http://www.cartoons.nytimages.com/portal/wieck_preview_page_147705(Accessed: 10 Jan 2009)
2. SCHOT (2009), NRC Handelsblad (via CartoonArts International / The New York Times Syndicate), Rotterdam, Netherlands, 07 Jan 2009http://www.cartoons.nytimages.com/portal/wieck_preview_page_147642(Accessed 10th Jan 2009)