Cartoonists' Paradise

Cartoonists are having a ball this election. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's bombast and Democrat Hillary Clinton's caution put both candidates at the center of nearly every satirist's jokes. And it's been pretty simple.

Both Trump and Clinton are well-known to the public. Their campaigns are also fraught with scandal, secrets and vastly different ideas-- and the American electorate is ready for the election to end.

Scandals in both campaigns in the last months have drawn major headlines in the U.S. and around the world. Each twist and turn leading up to election day has given cartoonists a lot of material to work with. They depict Clinton being drowned by gradual email leaks and Trump evading repeated sexual assault accusations.

VOA spoke to Pulitzer Prize-winning POLITICO cartoonist Matt Wuerker and Washington Post's "Comic Riffs" cartoonist Michael Cavna on how this cycle's cartoons differ from previous elections.

Donald Trump's signature phrases have evolved from his days on "The Apprentice" ("You're fired!") to the campaign trail ("It's going to be huge!"). He is extremely recognizable with his orange-tinted skin and wispy blond hair.
VIDEO: Cavna on Trump's unique hair and the art of the the comb-over

Donald Trump presents a unique challenge for cartoonists. Since Trump already exaggerates the way he speaks and presents himself, cartoonists have to find original ways to portray him.

Cartoonists emphasize Trump's physical appearance and portray him as attention-seeking, loud-mouthed bully.

Many cartoonists have focused on Trump claiming the election is being "rigged" against him, as well as his continual attacks on the media.
Some international cartoonists have depicted Trump as Godzilla, a Ku Klux Klan member and even Adolf Hitler.

VIDEO: How cartoonists around the world see Trump

Hillary Clinton's years in the spotlight have helped damage her public image: her husband, former President Bill Clinton's affair while in office; her failed presidential bid in 2008; a deadly attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, during her time as secretary of state; and of course the WikiLeaks scandal and the FBI investigation into her use of a private email server while at the State Department.

Clinton's email problems have led to cartoonists drawing her drowning in Wiki "leaks," handcuffed by the FBI and running from her political past.

Cartoonists also emphasize Clinton's political correctness and portray her as robotic, dishonest and pandering to the electorate to win the presidency.

VIDEO: Cavna on capturing Clinton's exaggerated ambition

Cartoonists have targeted both candidates’ high poll ratings for “unlikeability.” They share a belief that the presidential election will come down to which of the two is disliked, or even hated, less. Either way, many voters are exasperated with the election.