Australian Big Business Octopus, 2010
Here is our friend, the Octopus, again, which features in many of the satirical map cartoons of yesteryear. It is still an enduring symbol of stranglehold by whomever is seen in the moment as being the powerful/despotic/evil-doers. This Octopus cartoon represents a response to the proposed mining tax in Australia, and uses a familiar trope in a knowledgeable way. It takes the symbology of the octopus/big business and uses it as a continuation to the saga, taking advantage of the trope and giving it a novel twist. Oh, and of course it is always heartwarming to see a planet-sized octopus smoking a cigar! Cartoon by David Pope, Canberra Times, Australia.
However, the images, for the most part, can be enjoyed without extensive explanation. Indeed, many of them will be understandable to anyone who has kept up reasonably well with current events in the recent past (as opposed to many of the maps in Parts 1 and 2 of this series, which require today’s viewers to have some additional grounding in 19th and early 20th century history). These contemporary anthropomorphic maps tend to be much less elaborate cartographically and use a simpler drawing technique than their earlier counterparts, but nevertheless are quite effective in making their points.
Cuba (in the top map) as a partially-submerged crocodile, with the islands of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) and Puerto Rico. The bottom map section seems to be a detail of Hispaniola, with Haiti shown as another smaller snapping crocodile head. (Where’s Jamaica?) by Fernando Vincente
This obviously was published when Fidel was very ill, and it was still very hush-hush as to what his true health status was, with all the attendant concerns about what would happen to Cuban leadership, and who, in fact was actually running the country.
The Countries of the Persian Gulf as a crocodile
The big crocodile jaws of the Gulf countries – just waiting to make mince-meat out of the American fleet in the Gulf!
Stop Russia!
This one from Tbilisi, Georgia, in a poster against Russian aggression. It shows Russia represented by a soldier (general?) taking a big bite out of the map of Georgia. I’m not sure why this was done in English, though.
A Political Map of Present-Day Auckland, New Zealand
Here is another one from down under. Rodney Hide is a New Zealand politician, a Member of Parliament, who champions the cause for smaller government, reducing red tape, and eviscerating governmental regulations. He has a reputation of flamboyant and sensationalist stunts to attract attention to his platforms. Apparently he believes that global climate change is a “hoax,” based on a foundation of lies, and he also appeared on the NZ version of Dancing with the Stars, winning fourth place. A multi-faceted man!
This cartoon is likely about his focus in cabinet on pushing the “Super City” proposal for unification of various local authorities of Auckland, which brought criticism about how he handled the matter (the recommendations of the Royal Commission were ignored, and there was not a separate Maori representation in the local community participation process). He tried to ramrod through contentious issues of satellite city boundaries, assets, financing, and political consolidation. Some of this is alluded to in the text in the cartouche in the cartoon.
This one is so cool – in the style of the old WWI satirical maps of Europe that were featured in Part 2 of this series. Football as a metaphor for war? you betcha!
Belgium in the shape of a dinosaur, 2011
This one harkens back to all the Leo Belgicus maps that were omni-present from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Not sure if it’s a step forward for Belgium to be considered a dinosaur, after having been a lion all these years!
A Portrait of the Face of Columbus in the Ocean between the Old World and the New
A caricature of the old style, complete with sea monsters, little cherub wind-blowing faces, mythical beings, fancy compass rose, and all manner of marginalia.
President Lyndon B. Johnson, showing his “Viet Scar,” 1966
This is a famous political cartoon by David Levine, published in the New York Review of Books. This refers to LBJ’s doomed policies regarding his continuation of the ill-fated Vietnam War, which he inherited from previous administration, and beefed up substantially. This proved to be his political downfall, as well as creating a deep rift between political parties, cultural and class factions, and even families throughout the whole country, the repercussions of which reverberate in some instances down to this day.
The results of the U.S. Presidential Election, 2004
The map of the U.S. divided up into the states that voted for John Kerry (blue) and the rest, who voted for George W. Bush, as designated by a giant red “W” in the middle of the country. Blue has become the usual color that designates Democratic affiliation, and red represents Republicans. On top of the big red W is a rural-looking hayseed character, in cowboy boots and a 10-gallon hat, symbolizing the “redneck” characterization of W’s followers by the liberal media (or it MIGHT be portraying W himself). He is reading a book called “Union Building 101,” and the country’s blue and red portions are being held together by white band-aids, hence the cartoon’s title “Red, WHITE, and Blue.” Cartoon by Doug MacGregor.
Korea as a Tiger
Korea as the forearm and paw of a tiger waiting to pounce. The body of the tiger is in China, the three provinces shown are parts of the old Manchuria. The tiger is a symbolic creature for Koreans, dating back to both Korean mythology about the birth of the Korean race and also Korean royalty and symbolic of Korea as a nation, commonly shown in artwork and maps depicting Korea as a tiger. Korea (South Korea) has also been dubbed one of the Asian “tigers” due to its rapid economic growth and “modernization.” (The Four Tigers are Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan).
The name of this image is “Korea – the Reason Japan Came into the World.” This time the body of the tiger is the Korean peninsula, and something with stinky squiggly lines is emanating from its nether regions in the approximate location and shape of the Japanese islands. Not exactly sure what this is all about, but possibly stems from historic competition/aggression between Japan and Korea, and rivalry over which culture is older and which gave rise to the other.
Syrian Crime Scene, 2011
This one, strictly speaking, is neither anthropomorphic or zoomorphic, but it is a pretty effective use of a map! By Osama Haijij
Map of US and Alaska, according to the Alaskan Independence Party, ca 1990
Cartoon title is “The Map of the U.S. & Alaska! Showing their relationship geographically, economically, and politically.” The US is seen here as a giant snake devouring Alaska, which is what the Alaskan Independence Party (AIP) believes is happening. The cartoon comes directly from the website of the AIP, at http://www.akip.org/statehood-primer.html This is the party that Todd Palin (Sarah Palin’s husband) was a registered member of from 1994 to 2002, when he shifted to “undeclared,” and whose leadership supported Sara Palin’s bids for both Mayor and Governor. Vogler, the AIP founder, who was blown up in a plastics explosives buy-gone-bad, was recorded saying “I’m an Alaskan, not an American. I’ve got no use for America or her damned institutions…. The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government. And I won’t be buried under their damn flag. I’ll be buried in Dawson [Yukon, Canada]. And when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home.” (from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Oral History Program in the Rasmusen Library, 1991).
Strangulation! 1979
The octopus strikes again! (or should it be called a septapus, since it appears to have only 7 arms?) This time it is the U.S. government, and it is strangling Alaska in its tentacles. See snake devouring Alaska, above.
Hurricane Katrina as a Giantess, Treading on New Orleans, 2005
The giant footprint of the hurricane shown on the map of New Orleans and marching up the meander of the Mississippi River.
Latin America Solidarity, 1970
Poster by Cuban designer Asela Pérez for the 1970 International Week of Solidarity with Latin America, created by the Organization for Solidarity of the People of Asia, Africa and Latin America (OSPAAAL). It shows South America turning into a hand clasping a firearm.
Air France advertisement for travel to South America
A very pretty example of an advertising poster from the 1950’s. The continent of South America is rendered with the wings of Pegasus, the flying horse from Greek mythology. There are only a few recognizable geographic features on the map - only two cities are shown - Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aries, and the Amazon River seems oddly displaced in orientation, and its mouth is located too far north. Air France has created some of the best travel posters of all times, from the 1930's to the present. Check out some of the vintage posters (and very modern prices for them!) at
World Map Turned into Animal-Shapes “Piece Together for Peace,” 2007
Twelve Animals is a creative project of Kentaro Nagai that uses the world map to form twelve different animal shapes representing the Japanese zodiac. If you are curious to know how the world map was transformed (re-projected, really) into animals shapes, watch this video : http://www.graflexdirections.com/project/piecepeace/01/
An Airplane made up of the countries of the World
In a similar vein to the animal-shapes above, in the shape of a plane. This one is for Kristen Grady, ace cartographer AND airplane aficionado.
Europe is NOT happy with Iceland right now! 2010
This is from the time in April 2010 when ash from Iceland’s volcano eruption interrupted air traffic and so forth for most of Europe.
Canada as a Grizzly Bear
In the old style. Quite handsome.
These are actual mittens you can buy, which Michiganers need to wear in order to explain the geography of their strangely shaped state. Michigan really does look like two hands, and is one of the few states comprised of discontinuous polygons (that aren’t islands).
Mean Streets
A poster for a Martin Scorsese movie of that name, and the map, in the shape of a gun, is composed of actual streets in NYC where the movie’s action takes place. This is one of those films where NYC is one of the film’s most important characters.
Rats, NYC
In a similar style, the outline of a giant rat on the street map of Manhattan.
Southern Sudan unveils plans to build animal-shaped cities, 2010
“An amusement park sits in the ear of a rhinoceros; a five-star hotel takes the place of its eye. Another city takes the awkward image of a giraffe, with a golf course on its chest and a sewage treatment plant on its tail. The government of Southern Sudan this week unveiled urban blueprints to rebuild cities in the shape of animals, raising eyebrows across the globe.” In one of the poorest places on earth may seem like an unlikely spot to spend over $10 billion on such frivolities (although it does look very cool! Maybe Dubai could implement this scheme instead?). From: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/08/21/sudan.animal.shaped.cities/#fbid=MOlQlSkUA31&wom=false
A few on Africa
Africa as a skull, with Europe and the Middle East as the top part of the cranium lifting off of Africa. Not sure of the context of this one, but it is a cool image. It could be interpreted as Africa being the birthplace of humankind (and of course that fact was verified by the findings of the bones and skulls of our ancestors in the East African landscape.) Or it could have a more sinister interpretation of Africa being a place with one of the lowest life expectancies in the world, and a place poisoned further by western corporate greed.
African Woman
Very much along the same lines as the Africa as a skull map above.
Africa and colonialism
The big foot print of imperialism stomping on Africa, which has ramifications to the present day.
Africa as a Lion, 2011
Here is a more benign one – an advertisement for Bob Marley’s old reggae band, the Wailers. The lion iconography figures prominently in Rastafarian culture, acting as a symbol of the esteemed Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I (Ras Tafari), who, as a direct descendant of the Israelite King David, adopted “The Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah” as part of his official title. It is also common in Rasta culture to refer to worthy people as Lions and Lionesses, associating the lion with positive characteristics and aspirations. Although Rastafarianism started as a political/spiritual movement in Jamaica, Africa is revered as the motherland, and repatriation back to Africa is a goal of many orthodox Rastas, hence the twinning of the symbols of the lion with Africa.
Turtle World Maps
The world as a turtle
The world as a turtle is a common motif amongst Native American, Hindu, and Chinese cultures, among others. This world in this image seems to be some kind of fantasy world, not the actual Earth. Discworld is from the book “Jingo.” “The Discworld is a flat world that rids on the backs of four elephants, who stand on the back of an enormous, comet-pocked turtle. Being round and flat, directions are ruled by the strength of magic, which is strongest at the Hub mountains and weaker on the Rim (local feature of note: the Rimfall). The polar regions are at the center (Hubwise).”
This is a popular story, the most widely known version of which appears in Stephen Hawkings 1988 book, A Brief History of Time. “A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called a galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said ‘What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.’ The scientist gave a superior smile before replying ‘What is the tortoise standing on?’ ‘You are very clever, young man, very clever,’ said the old lady. ‘But it’s turtles all the way down!’”
Pangea, Turtle Island, the original continents when all the earth was one
And now for something completely ridiculous!
Oops! Didn't even realize at first that her blue hair forms most of the rest of Europe!
The Pan-American Duck
Skillet Map of the Midwestern U.S.
Not people or animals, but still pretty ridiculous! Thanks, Andrew Maroko, for sending!
Face Painting of the World Map
A Map that looks like TEDDY!
And of course, the ever-popular (at least in this household!) map of Washington state that incorporates an image of my TEDDY! You didn’t think you would get away with not getting a TEDDY map, did you?
For Part 1 of this series, see http://geographer-notes.blogspot.com/2011/06/anthropomorphic-and-zoomorphic.html