A cartoon illustration of a masked figure holding a rifle over a fallen person. A speech bubble above the figure reads “HE DREW FIRST”, while a drawing and a pair of glasses lie on the ground.

How illustrators responded to the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris

Words: Rob Alderson
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Date: 8 January 2015; Work
Illustration

It’s not very often that illustration finds itself at the centre of world events, but that came to pass yesterday when three gunmen attacked the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. The publication – which lampoons anyone and everyone – was seemingly targeted because of the way it has mocked Islam in the past and three of its cartoonists (Cabu, Wolinski and Tignous) were among the 12 people killed. The illustration community was quick to respond with powerful and poignant imagery uploaded to social media. Jean Jullien’s “Je Suis Charlie” picture depicting a pencil being jammed into the end of a rifle was among the most shared tributes on Twitter, while others like Hattie Stewart paid more personal respects. Later the cartoonists at the major newspapers added their offerings to try and make sense of the events that played out in Paris.

A cartoon illustration of three skeletons wearing Mickey Mouse ears, holding rifles in a street next to cars. Speech bubbles read “ALLAHU AKBAR!” and “WHY ARE THE FUCKERS STILL LAUGHING AT US?”. — Above
Steve Bell for The Guardian: Charlie Hebdo attack response

An illustration of a yellow hand emerging from a copy of the magazine “Charlie Hebdo”. The hand holds a paintbrush and makes a gesture with the middle finger raised. Red ink spills across the page and onto the surface below. — Above
Dave Brown for The Independent: Charlie Hebdo attack response

An illustration on a black background with the white handwritten text “Je suis CHARLIE”. Below the text, a rifle is depicted with a yellow pencil replacing the barrel. — Above
Jean Jullien: Charlie Hebdo attack response

A black and white illustration of two masked figures holding rifles, facing four people who hold oversized pencils like weapons. The figures stand in a tense standoff against a plain white background. — Above
Mala Imagen: Charlie Hebdo attack response

An illustration of two giant green pencils standing upright like towers against a pale blue sky. A small black aeroplane flies past them in the distance. — Above
Ruben L. Oppenheimer: Charlie Hebdo attack response

A cartoon illustration of a person wearing a white T-shirt that reads “CHARLIE HEBDO”. They stick out a long tongue, which is being sliced by a figure in black robes holding a blood-stained curved sword. The word “ONSTERFELIJK” is written across the bottom. — Above
Joep Bertrams: Charlie Hebdo attack response

An illustration of a heart character with large, wide eyes and a small frown. The heart and the background are both coloured with the blue, white and red stripes of the French flag. — Above
Hattie Stewart: Charlie Hebdo attack response

An illustration of a blindfolded figure with a yellow cloth gagging their mouth and ropes tied around their chest. Below the figure, bold text reads “PAS DE LIBERTÉ SANS LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE” and “REPORTERS SANS FRONTIÈRES”. — Above
Tom Ungerer: Charlie Hebdo attack response

A cartoon showing two armed figures in black gear standing outside a building with a sign that reads “CHARLIE HEBDO”. A caption below the drawing reads “Be careful, they might have pens”. — Above
MATT for The Telegraph: Charlie Hebdo attack response

Stationery items are arranged to resemble an assault rifle against a white background. A yellow marker forms the body, with a pencil as the barrel and a set square as the stock. Handwritten text above reads “¡A TOMAR LAS ARMAS COMPAÑEROS!” and a hashtag below reads “#charliehebdo”. — Above
Francisco J. Olea: Charlie Hebdo attack response

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

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Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

How illustrators responded to the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris

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