A Tradition of ContemptThis article will discuss Ralph Steadman as an illustrator, but more specifically as a political cartoonist in post-World War II Britain. His deep-seated animosity towards certain political figures and his caricature of them is a purely geographical trait. Steadman's involvement with England's biggest satirical publications boosted his credibility locally enough to land him better-paying illustration jobs in the United States. These jobs brought not only better pay, but also a new generation of politicians and members of society's elite on whom Steadman could make jokes, cementing his reputation as the next great satirist in a long line of English caricaturists. In particular, I will discuss other British cartoonists who share Steadman's feelings towards the social "elite". This will help highlight the similarities between the artists and their shared disdain for high society, as well as provide evidence that Steadman's place of education shaped his satirical career. These other British illustrators include Gerald Scarfe and John Tenniel; both had also illustrated the pages of the weekly satire Punch (Fig.1)(Fig.2). Scarfe's style was extremely similar to Steadman's and both Steadman and Tenniel are well known for their illustrations of Alice in Wonderland (Fig. 3)(Fig. 4). Thomas Nast is another illustrator who focused on political cartoons in the British satirical publications of Punch and Private Eye (Fig. 5). Nast's mind is not only responsible for the iconography that has become known as the modern idea of ​​Santa Claus, but one of his most famous illustrations also contributed to the capture of Boss Tweed (Fig. 5). Punch and the satirical ora that surrounds...... middle of paper ...... have his education to thank. Growing up in post-World War II England, the Steadman family surely took its toll. The sense of patriotism and comfort that all of Europe once felt was instantly shattered by World War II. This extreme tragedy clearly had an impact on Europe, and this is reflected in art. British illustrators of the time, Steadman and Scarfe, both dealt with satirical subjects that had been covered before, but with a new sense of disillusionment, they created works that were more visually expressive and satirical than ever before. It seemed that these sloppy, deconstructed marks symbolized the ruins Europe found itself in after the war. This only reinforced the path already blazed by British satirical illustrators who felt contempt for the world in which they lived...