Political Satire: The Top 30 Artistic Keepers of Honesty

The Classics

1. Mark Twain

No list of satirists would be complete without Mark Twain, whose wit and irony were legendary in his day.

2. Jonathan Swift

Most famous for his biting social commentary in Gulliver’s Travels, Swift was also a prolific satirist of his contemporaries.

3. George Orwell

Orwell’s satirical novels, like Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four, still resonate with readers today for their depiction of authoritarianism.

The Contemporary

4. Jon Stewart

The former host of The Daily Show, Stewart became known for his scathing critiques of politicians and news organizations.

5. Stephen Colbert

Colbert carved out his own niche in political humor with his Colbert Report persona, a caricature of a conservative talk show host.

6. John Oliver

As the host of Last Week Tonight, Oliver shines a light on issues that don’t get enough media attention, from drug pricing to the FCC.

The Cartoonists

7. Herblock

Herbert Block, or Herblock, was a political cartoonist for the Washington Post for over 50 years, winning three Pulitzer Prizes for his work.

8. Garry Trudeau

Trudeau’s comic strip Doonesbury has been a fixture in newspapers for over forty years for its biting satire of American politics and culture.

9. Matt Groening

Besides creating The Simpsons, which has taken aim at everything from American education to presidential elections, Groening’s work on Futurama has also been praised for its social commentary and satire.

The Broadway Masters

10. Lin-Manuel Miranda

Miranda’s smash hit Hamilton tells the story of the founding of America through rap and hip hop, while also critiquing the political machinations of the revolution.

11. Stephen Sondheim

Sondheim’s musicals are known for their complex characters and themes, often commenting on social and political issues through the lens of stories like Sweeney Todd and Assassins.

12. Trey Parker and Matt Stone

Satire runs deep in South Park, where the creators have parodied everything from Hollywood to celebrity activism to government surveillance.

The Satirical Artists

13. Banksy

Although his identity is a mystery, Banksy has become famous for his thought-provoking and sometimes subversive street art, often taking aim at capitalism and consumer society.

14. Ai Weiwei

The Chinese artist Ai Weiwei uses satire to criticize the Chinese government and call for greater freedoms for its citizens.

15. Kara Walker

Walker’s works often use the form of Victorian silhouettes to address issues of race and gender, including a recent statue in New York City that depicted black and African figures subjugated under white figures in the city’s early history.

The Satirical Writers

16. Roxane Gay

Gay’s essays and books take a considered and sarcastic look at contemporary issues like feminism, racial identity, and pop culture.

17. David Sedaris

Sedaris is the master of the essay, skewering everything from everyday awkwardness to his own upbringing in a humorous and often moving way.

18. Ta-Nehisi Coates

Coates’s writing on race in America never pulls any punches, with his essays and books critiquing everything from police brutality to the Obama presidency.

The Digital Commentators

19. Andy Borowitz

Borowitz Report, a satirical news outlet, makes mockery of anything and everything that can be called politics, entertainment, science or business decision.

20. The Onion

Long hailed as the quintessential example of fake news, The Onion has been making people laugh and raise their eyebrows for almost 30 years.

The Visual Commentators

21. Eric Drooker

Drooker is an illustrator who blends comic book influences with a more socially conscious message, producing art that deals with inequality and political struggle.

22. Adrian Tomine

As the author of the long-running comic book series Optic Nerve, Tomine has explored the complexities of love, race, and identity in his understated style.

23. Robbie Conal

Conal’s exaggerated illustrations of politicians and other public figures often feature humorous captions, making even the most serious of characters look ridiculous.

The Musical Satirists

24. “Weird Al” Yankovic

Yankovic has been making parodies of popular songs for decades, lampooning everything from Michael Jackson to Lady Gaga.

25. Flight of the Conchords

The Kiwi duo of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement have produced a string of hilarious songs that send up everything from folk musicians to New Zealand wildlife.

26. Tenacious D

The rock and comedy partnership of Jack Black and Kyle Gass has been parodying music culture for over 20 years, all with a blast of comedic rock’n’roll.

Cartographic Humorists

27. Josh Begley

Begley is an artist and data analyst who has created satirical maps of everything from surveillance statistics in New York City, to the growth of pizza chains.

28. Michael Pecirno

Pecirno’s amusing maps include depictions of passive-aggressive place names (“Refuse Way” in San Francisco, for instance) and unenthusiastic state slogans (“Nevada: Home Means Hating Your Job!”

29. Nikki Rice

Describing herself as an “Algonquin J. Calhoun enthusiast,” Rice creates maps with a humorous bent, such as depictions of the United States split up into regions described as “places where you drove to your senior prom solo.”

Graphic Artisians

30. Emily Flake

A staff cartoonist for The New Yorker, Flake draws truth-laced cartoons superimposed with a layer of piercing humor in kohl rather often.