Cartoon Movement has published Humour and Democracy, a new comic illustrated by Nicaraguan political cartoonist Pedro X. Molina for DELIAH — Democratic Literacy and Humour.

The four-page work grew out of several months of collaboration between Cartoon Movement and Molina. Its purpose is to present, in comic form, some of what the DELIAH project currently knows about the relationship between humour and democracy.

Research in comic form

DELIAH is a Horizon Europe research project examining the role of humour in democracy and civic participation. Its work includes research into democratic and anti-democratic uses of humour, political communication, disinformation and counter-humour.

Cartoon Movement is a consortium partner in the project. Alongside research and public workshops, the organisation has been working on ways to make DELIAH’s findings accessible outside academic settings.

The new comic is part of that work. Molina provides the artwork, while the script is credited to the DELIAH Team.

Humour without an easy answer

The comic does not treat humour as automatically democratic. Instead, it looks at its different political uses. Humour can encourage discussion, communicate political ideas and challenge authority, but it can also carry stereotypes, hostility and anti-democratic messages.

That tension is also present in DELIAH’s wider research programme, which examines both humour that contributes to democratic participation and the ways humorous forms can be used in disinformation, harassment and anti-democratic propaganda.

Free to read and share

Cartoon Movement published the comic on September 7 and made it available in several formats, including desktop and mobile versions, a PDF and a slideshow.

The organisation also states that the comic may be downloaded and used freely, provided DELIAH and Pedro X. Molina are credited when it is published.