Tom Toro compares magazine cartoons to passing a note to a friend during class, providing a small, unexpected joke alongside serious journalism. He has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker for more than 15 years, and in August, the National Cartoonists Society named him the 2026 Gag Cartoon winner. Toro is also known for a famous 2012 cartoon that features a man telling children around a campfire that while the planet was destroyed, “we created a lot of value for shareholders.” This cartoon was later shared by Greta Thunberg and Leonardo DiCaprio.
Toro often starts his ideas with words rather than pictures. He has said that dialogue usually comes first, with the drawing built around it. His goal is not to create a huge laugh but to make people smile, think, and perhaps look twice. Some of his recent one-panel cartoons land instantly, while others take a moment to click, which is often where Toro’s humor shines.
Sources:
Source: Bored Panda, by Hidrėlėy