Signe Wilkinson has been cartooning her commentary about Philly (and beyond) for nearly 40 years.
The award-winning editorial cartoonist’s work appeared daily in local publications — first the Daily News, then The Inquirer — between 1985 and 2020, and she continues to contribute occasionally. In 1992, she won the Pulitzer Prize in editorial cartooning — the first woman to ever do so.
This summer, some of Wilkinson's pieces are on display at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania alongside centuries-old political cartoons from throughout the state’s history. Hey Philly spoke with Wilkinson ahead of the exhibit’s opening.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Some of Wilkinson’s cartoons comment on national politics. (Asha Prihar/City Cast Philly)
Hey Philly: What do you think you have in common with the cartoonists who've come before you?
Wilkinson: “We're malcontents. We can see things that are wrong and want to right them. We are not the kind of people who go out and start a nonprofit to educate children, but we can do cartoons saying schools should be educating children, that children need to be educated and people need to be fed, and wars need to be stopped. It’s a different way of addressing questions that other people actually do something about, and we complain about.”
Do you ever have a really strong feeling about something, but then you're not sure how to put it in an image?
“Well, if I'm that unsure, I just move on to something else and come back to it. But generally speaking, if it's a big question that people are talking about, there's some way in. Usually when I read the paper, images come to me, and I can use that image to make a point.”
One of Wilkinson’s Philly-specific cartoons — a satirical take on Mayor Cherelle Parker’s hiring decisions — displayed at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. (Asha Prihar/City Cast Philly)
How does being a Philadelphian influence your work?
“There are lots of people and lots of issues, so it's a great place to do cartooning — unfortunately, in some ways, because there's much to draw about. But I love the city. I want to see it get better.
“The city provides my background. William Penn on top of City Hall is in a lot of my cartoons, because it's so iconic. So is the Comcast Tower, the Liberty Bell, all these things that we have to work with. It's a city that has a lot of things to help visualize.”
✏️ “Cartoons as Political Speech in Colonial and Contemporary America” is on view until Aug. 2 at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. You can see it for free during HSP’s operating hours.
