Given the snap election and what is now looking to be ongoing chaos, we decided to extend this competition over two months.
The next competition will be August – September 2025.
Many thanks to all who entered!
We urge all these talented folks to enter again – entry is free! – as we’d love to see what else you can come up with.
So please get cartooning!
If you’d like to ‘toon on something else, please let us know and we’ll consider it as a theme for future months.
August – September 2025 competition – any original cartoon or meme, previously unpublished with the theme ‘Ongoing political instability – with the likelihood of a minority party in power and a strong and diverse crossbench’.
Prize $200. Entry is free but limited to one cartoon per person. Any angle or approach is fine. The funkier the better.
Entries will be accepted until midnight on the last Sunday of the month which in this case will be 28 September 2025.
Good luck, and happy drawing!
Without further ado, here is the winner and runners up.
Winner
Artist and description: Jim Aiken –Rum ‘un Raisin’ Chocolate Fountain
Background to this creation from Jim Aiken
It’s become somewhat of a cliched throwaway line these days to say “it writes itself” when trying to best describe a seemingly indescribable and/or ludicrous chain of events. Maybe it’s cliched because it’s a truism of sorts but even still, when it comes to the political chaos Tasmanians have weathered for sometime now a lot of the writing appears to be done after first being tamped down through highly selective and specialised filters that would rival the most destructive spin any Taz (or Rum ‘un) tornado could whip up.
Unlike the random devastation of a tornado it’s done methodically and with divisive almost surgical precision, giving it the illusion of serenity, not unlike an uncluttered view of heritage buildings in a working port city… but many would view this as an illusion because in their opinion it is often the eye of the storm… it’s powerhouse, if you will.
This is a bit of a late entry.
I was furiously working on it over the weekend whenever I got a spare moment after only just finding out about the political chaos theme late in the week.
Much as I love the maxim I feel sometimes ‘keep it simple stupid’ needs to be binned.
There is so much more I wanted to squeeze into this image but simply didn’t have the time. Without going into too much detail, one element I regret not being able to cobble together was having Craig Garland bobbing about on the docks, solo in a dingy, fishing rod in hand, line tight and bent over (his fishing rod I hasten to add, not Craig himself)… among others.
Will quickly finish by saying I worked at Cadbury for 17 yrs. It’s where I met my partner, my better 3 quarters, whom I’ve been with for nearly 2 decades now. Her favourite chocolate is Rum n Raisin and funnily enough, when I worked there people would often put on a mock Jamaican accent when they said my name, Jim Aiken.
In fact, now that I’m over the other side of the 60 hill and in keeping with the dark chocolate theme, you could say in a Jamaican accent that I’m now an Old Jim Aiken.
Runners up
Artist and description: Maria Riedl – Zombie Coalition
Background to this creation from Maria Riedl
Utter chaos in Tasmania, with a ‘zombie coalition’ of Rockliff and Winter blaming each other for $$ election, whilst agreeing: pro stadium, pro forestry, pro salmon, pro mining, pro undemocratising planning, pro spending our money. Basically lying to us all. No plan to get us back to surplus. Vote Independent or for thylacines!
Artist and description: Merinda Young – Political Twister
Background to this creation from Merinda Young
It is sad that politics in Tasmania has become little more than a game and the Tasmanian community are the losers. While our political leaders reach for power and woo us with their pasted on smiles, I hope they remember that quality leadership requires humility, wisdom and the ability to negotiate for the benefit of all.
Artist: Paul Kimbell – Two parties, one vision – a triptych.
To submit entries to the August/September competition please see the entry information and form here.
Tasmanian Times (TT) is a community-based news and current affairs service covering the island state of Tasmania. It exists to provide a diverse view of Tasmanian issues. TT creates and supports independent media content utilising the best of modern technologies and tried-and-true practices of public-interest journalism.
Support us in expanding our coverage and developing new content by and for Tasmanians.
New initiatives on the way include:
- a weekly podcast covering current affairs
- a revamped website
- a monthly cartoon competition
- a user-friendly app for both Android and Apple devices
- a weekly roundup of key stories
