Written by DCist contributor Abby Lavin.

Last year’s rioting in response to Danish drawings of the prophet Muhammad showed that, in some cases, cartoons are no laughing matter. They don’t just lampoon the political landscape; they have the power to shape it as well. Provisions Library’s current exhibit, Drawing Back: Cartoon Critiques of America, examines the power of cartoons as a means of social protest.

Culled from twenty-five different countries, the 80 editorial cartoons are grouped together by their country of origin, and are mostly similar in their treatment of the U.S.’s hot-button political issues: Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq war, and gay marriage, to name a few. The cartoons are also a good reminder of the universal appeal of a juicy scandal: Who knew that Australians enjoy making fun of Monica Lewinsky just as much as we do?

From its foreign policy to Bush’s chimpanzee resemblance, the current administration has certainly given artists great fodder for political satire. The cartoonists showcased at Provisions make the most of it, offering witty send-ups of the state of our nation. The most incisive work comes from Israel’s Michel Kichka, a children’s book illustrator who moonlights as a cartoonist for Jerusalem’s Telad.

One of Kichka’s best cartoons depicts a confused, childlike Dubya attempting to choose between the three outfits in his closet: a cowboy getup, an Uncle Sam costume, or papal vestments. The drawing aptly sums up Bush’s faith-based domestic politics and "Let’s Roll" brand of foreign policy in a simple, yet original way.

Image courtesy of Cartoon Art International/CWS.

Not surprisingly, the grimmest images come from Middle Eastern newspapers, which showcase depressing depictions of torture at Abu Ghraib prison. For a pick-me-up, take a look at the goofy, farcical drawings by Kenyan artist Gado on the adjacent wall.

One of Gado’s drawings for Nairobi’s Daily Nation shows Osama bin Laden with a wide, toothy grin. He is holding up a U.S. newspaper announcing death tolls from Katrina. Delighted, Osama picks up the phone and says into the receiver: “Can I speak with Katrina, please??” Once again, the idea is simple, but the absurdity of a giddy bin Laden’s efforts to reach out to ‘Katrina’ from the depths of his cave effectively ties together two seemingly unrelated strands of current events.

The cartoons are presented simply, with very little accompanying context. While this allows the viewer to draw her own inferences, it would have been helpful to have a bit of background info on the newspapers that ran the cartoons, as well as the artists themselves. Provisions has anticipated this hunger for more information, and has supplemented their exhibit with weekly films and a lecture series on related topics. Be sure to check them out before Drawing Back closes at the end of the month.

Provisions Library is located at 1611 Connecticut Ave. NW and is open Tuesday through Friday, 12 to 7 p.m., and Saturday, 12 to 5 p.m. Drawing Back runs until September 23.