Impartial humor in war times

This article examines the use of impartial humour in political cartoons on the Russian-Ukrainian war. The dataset includes 18 political cartoons from Australia, the USA, Algeria, Morocco, Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Greece, Taiwan, Qatar, Iran, Ukraine, and Russia. This dataset is a selection from a corpus of 3,780 political cartoons from 65 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, and Australia as a part of the research project “Laughter During the War: Russian Aggression in Ukraine in Political Cartoons and Memes”. The analysis of impartial humour is based on the corresponding parameters of political cartoons (goal-target, frame of reference-focus, and means-presentation) supplemented by two criteria: a) the author’s attitude toward the conflict parties and b) the author’s position towards the war and its consequences in general. Methodologically, it is supported by quantitative content analysis (MAXQDA 2024). It highlights the unique characteristics of this humour and its significance within the study of political cartoons. The authors conclude that even if political cartoonists do not show a clear stance on conflict parties, their work still reflects the vision of war as a global evil without borders. The paper presents insights into political cartoons as an important element of modern culture, providing a space for dialogue and discourse.