Tom Gauld
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tomgauld.bsky.social
Tom Gauld
@tomgauld.bsky.social
69K followers 96 following 960 posts
Cartoonist and Illustrator. My book of science cartoons, PHYSICS FOR CATS, is available now! www.tomgauld.com
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tomgauld.bsky.social
A recent cartoon for @theguardian.com
title: The Writer in January Panel 1. “A short stroll...” says the writer aleaving the house. The sun has begun to peek over the horizon. Panel 2. “Then back to my desk for a good day's writing in the winter sun.” The sun has risen a little higher. Panel 3. “Surely it's not going down yet?” The sun is indeed on its way down. Panel 4. “Perhaps I'll catch the last rays.” Says the writer breaking into a sprint. Panel 5. The writer is back at home sitting at a desk saying “Damn!”. The sun is gone. The sky is gloomy.
January 26, 2026 at 11:53 AM
tomgauld.bsky.social
My cartoon for this week’s @newscientist.com
Panel 1. A graveyard: the gravedigger sits on a pile of earth. Hamlet stands before him, holding a skull. Hamlet: “Alas, poor yorick! I knew him, professor Horatio.” He tis looking at a lab-coated figure. Prof. Horatio: “Actually, my analysis suggests this skull belonged to a young woman from the late Neolithic era.” Panel 2. Leaving the graveyard Hamlet: “Prithee, Horatio, tell me one thing.” Prof. Horatio: “What’s that, my lord?” Hamlet (angrily): “Dost thou have to spoil everything.”
January 24, 2026 at 10:12 AM
tomgauld.bsky.social
The Shop and Art for Sale at my website are open again. These original drawings, prints, and many others are available now.
www.tomgauld.com
Panel One. Two figures walk up a hill in a park. One walks in front and the other is walking a dog Front "My new year's resolution is to stop lending books" Dog-walker "Really?" Panel Two. Front, becoming agitated "It's just not worth the risk: cracked spines! Bent corners! Torn pages! Grubby fingers! Crumbs! Baths! Burglars! Rats! Children!! I can't allow such precious artefacts to fall into the careless hands of clumsy philistines!" Panel Three. Dog-walker "And how do the other librarians feel about this?" Front "Less supportive Than I'd hoped." Panel 1. image of a huge nuclear plant. “Reactor Overheating” 2. A worker in a hazmat suit works at a computer. The screen reads: “Press cancel to avoid critical overload” 3 - 9. The worker continues to type at the computer. The screen changes in each panel and reads: “Enter password to confirm” “Incorrect password” “Incorrect password” “Do you want to reset your password?” “Reset link has been sent to your email” “Please choose a new password” “New password can't be the same as old password” The colour gets hotter in each panel. Starting blue in 1 and ending in red in 9. Panel 10. Wide view. The entire earth is blown up. Night. The Department of Astrobiology building. One upper floor window is lit and a figure in it looks out and says "Dammit! Professor Monroe has all the luck!". In the car park outside, a second figure rises within a beam of light towards a flying saucer. Title: How to focus on writing your book There follow eleven tiny images telling a story. The captions read: Turn your devices off (a writer with a phone and laptop. The screens are dark). Put them in a drawer. Lock the drawer. Throw away the key. Leave the house. Do not look back. Keep to backroads and hedgerows. Feel your old life slip away. (the writer has shed his clothes) Sleep by day. Forage in the evening. Write by the light of the moon When you have a passable first draft, commit a minor crime and use your phone call to contact your agent. (the naked writer is in a prison holding a phone while an unamused police officer looks on).
January 19, 2026 at 6:00 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
My books cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com
Panel One. Two figures walk up a hill in a park. One walks in front and the other is walking a dog Front "My new year's resolution is to stop lending books" Dog-walker "Really?" Panel Two. Front, becoming agitated "It's just not worth the risk: cracked spines! Bent corners! Torn pages! Grubby fingers! Crumbs! Baths! Burglars! Rats! Children!! I can't allow such precious artefacts to fall into the careless hands of clumsy philistines!" Panel Three. Dog-walker "And how do the other librarians feel about this?" Front "Less supportive Than I'd hoped."
January 18, 2026 at 4:45 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
A recent cartoon for @newscientist.com. To order my new book of science cartoons 'Physics for Cats', see here: www.tomgauld.com
Night. The Department of Astrobiology building. One upper floor window is lit and a figure in it looks out and says "Dammit! Professor Monroe has all the luck!". In the car park outside, a second figure rises within a beam of light towards a flying saucer.
January 14, 2026 at 1:20 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
My latest books cartoon for Guardian Books #bookcops
Title: #BOOKCOPS Panel One: A uniformed officer approaches a man sittiong at at a bar, he is reading and has a glass of red wine: "Sir, I have reason to believe that you are engaged in "Performative reading" in a public space." Panel Two: "There's been a mistake, officer! I'm perusing the menu. I'm very indecisive!" says the man anxiously The officer says: "Perhaps I can assist, sir. I'm something of a "Foodie" myself." Panel Three: "No need. I've decided!" says the man looking terrified "Let me see that!" says ther officer as he grabs the menu. "As I suspected: 'Infinite Jest' Concealed inside a fake menu!" Panel Four: "It's a first offence, so I'm only going to shame you on social media." says the officer "Next time I'll throw the book at you!" The man sobs.
January 12, 2026 at 2:27 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
A back-to-work cartoon for @newscientist.com
Two scientist walk through a lab. One is saying: "I am a scientist, Martin. My observations must be meticulously documented, rigorously analysed and objectively verified. Haste is the enemy of wisdom!" The other asks: "But could you share a preliminary appraisal of your general thinking?" The first replies: "Well, if you insist on a crudely reductive answer, then, yes, I had a nice christmas."
January 5, 2026 at 11:32 AM
tomgauld.bsky.social
A new year cartoon for @theguardian.com books
Title: The five stages of coming to terms with an over ambitious reading resolution. A couple sit up in bed reading. The woman speaks and her partner is silent. 1. Denial. "No, Finishing a book every 2.75 days is not absurd!" She scowls. 2. Anger. "Why are these books all so long!!!" She looks fuirious. 3. Bargaining. "If you read a book and tell me about it, that counts right?" She looks at her partner pleadingly. 4. Depression. "All joy has fled yet my failure persists!" She is sunk in the covers. 5. Acceptance "Being at one with the art is all that matters" she says as she reads. Then adds "And next year I'm going to be at one with so much more art!"
January 4, 2026 at 11:27 AM
tomgauld.bsky.social
Happy New Year, everyone!

This is a @theguardian.com books cartoon from a few years ago.
Title: New year's resolution A man sits at a table with a coffee writing in a notebook: “This year i will devote myself completely to reading serious, improving literature, forsaking easy pleasures and tirelessly seeking out truth and profundity in the work of the greatest writers.” He looks at it Says: Hmm... then “Scratch Scratch Scratch scratch” scribbles out words until the text reads: “This year I will read for Fun”
January 1, 2026 at 10:53 AM
tomgauld.bsky.social
My cartoon for the latest @newscientist.com
The neuroscience laboratory is closed for the holidays, but a staff member is on hand to answer the Consciousness Hotline. Scientist on the phone in an otherwise deserted office: "So, to summarise: No, I can't say with complete certainty that you exist. But yes, you probably ought to go back to work after the holidays anyway."
December 29, 2025 at 5:40 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
My latest cartoon for @theguardian.com books.
The 27th of December... “I think Dad got too many books for christmas this year.” Says a daughter. “Don't worry, he'll get through them.” Says the mother, looking up from her book. “But until then..?” Asks the daughter. “He'll be fine on turkey sandwiches until he's reduced the front piles” The father is completely surrounded by high teetering walls of stacked books. He is reading within and the daughter has thrown a sandwich in to him.
December 27, 2025 at 5:23 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
“The last-minute christmas rush at the bookshop.” - my latest cartoon for @theguardian.com books
Title: The last-minute christmas rush at the bookshop. Image: diagram of a small bookshop packed with coloured dots representing people. The various colours represent the following groups: Contentedly browsing customer, Frazzled staff member, Can't find the book they want, Can't remember what they came for, Complete decision paralysis, In the queue to pay, Thinks they're in the queue but aren't, Dozed off in a comfy chair, Waiting to pounce on the comfy chair, Crying child, Crying adult, Vortex of discombobulated shoppers.
December 21, 2025 at 4:02 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
'My year end reading statistics' (originally for @theguardian.com books).
p.s There's still time to pick up new book Physics for Cats at good bookshops and online www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2
Title: My year-end reading statistics. Five diagrams detailing the reading habits of a rather lazy reader.
December 18, 2025 at 11:50 AM
tomgauld.bsky.social
A Christmas cartoon from my new book of science cartoons PHYSICS FOR CATS. In good bookshops and online now: www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2
Caption: Every December, the team of marine biologists draw lots to decide who will take Mister Wiggles home with them for the holidays. Image: Five small figures take small pieces of paper from a hat. Behind them a colossal squid waits in an enormous tank set upon a gigantic trolley.
December 17, 2025 at 12:56 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
This print sale at the Guardian ends tomorrow! (after that these three prints will be gone forever.)
guardianprintshop.com/pages/tom-ga...
December 16, 2025 at 1:38 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
A Christmas cartoon from my new book of science cartoons PHYSICS FOR CATS. In good bookshops and online now: www.tomgauld.com/comic-books-v2
Title: Wenceslas Variations 1. Good King Wenceslas: King bestows gifts on peasant. 2. Bad things Wenceslas: King steals gifts from peasant. 3. Indifferent King Wenceslas: No gifts 4. Two Kings Wenceslas: Kings exchange gifts. 5. No King Wenceslas: Gifts divided between peasants. 6. Philosopher King Wenceslas: King and Peasant discuss gift-giving. 7. Quantum King Wenceslas: Gifts given and simultaneously not given. 8. Apex Predator King Wenceslas: King devours gifts and peasant.
December 16, 2025 at 10:54 AM
tomgauld.bsky.social
Generate a heartwarming advert for your bookshop:
Title: Heartwarming christmas television advert plot generator for bookshops. (choose one from each column to come up with a sentence) Choices in column 1: A lonely A grumpy A workaholic An elderly A poor Column 2: Book Shop Owner Learns The True Meaning Of Column 3: Literature Christmas Community Wealth Friendship Column 4: With help from a Column 5: Wise Celebrity Magical Kindly Clumsy Column 6: Child Mouse Parsnip Snowman Ghost Additional text below: Just add: twinkly music, wooly jumpers, computer-generated snow, poetry, bells.
December 15, 2025 at 2:29 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
Also, these three prints are available for seven more days from
www.guardianprintshop.com then will be gone.
Title: The Writer's Dog A writer commands his obedient dog to undertake some tricks: Sit! Shake hands! Play dead! Give feedback on my latest draft, and be brutally, honest, unless you hate it, in which case, be diplomatic! Title: Choose your seat in the literary festival event tent. Image: lines of chairs set out in a tent, a stage at the front has two more chairs on it. The chairs are colour-coded and labelled 1. Awkwardly close 2. Too far away 3. Good view / can't hear 4. Good sound / can't see 5. In a cold draught 6. Behind a giant 7. Between a chatter and a shusher 8. Very creaky chair 9. Great seat / wrong event A single yellow chair is labelled: 10. Just right! Image: The library of an ancient castle. A full moon shines through a gothic window. A vampire creeps up behing a carpenter. Caption: "It had not been easy, but the Count was glad that he had resisted drinking the carpenter's blood until his beautiful new bookshelves were complete."
December 10, 2025 at 11:10 AM
tomgauld.bsky.social
My shop closes for the holidays tomorrow morning, so if you'd like one of these prints, or anything else, please order today: www.tomgauld.com/shop
Panel 1. image of a huge nuclear plant. “Reactor Overheating” 2. A worker in a hazmat suit works at a computer. The screen reads: “Press cancel to avoid critical overload” 3 - 9. The worker continues to type at the computer. The screen changes in each panel and reads: “Enter password to confirm” “Incorrect password” “Incorrect password” “Do you want to reset your password?” “Reset link has been sent to your email” “Please choose a new password” “New password can't be the same as old password” The colour gets hotter in each panel. Starting blue in 1 and ending in red in 9. Panel 10. Wide view. The entire earth is blown up. Panel One: A woman sits in a chair reading happily in a book-filled room. A voice offstage says "You can't survive on books alone" The woman replies "Maybe I can!" Panel Two: "How?" asks the voice "I don't know yet, but I'm sure the answer will be in one of my books." Says the woman Panel Three: Caption: However The book is filled with yet more books. A skull sits on the chair. It says "I regret nothing!" Title: How to focus on writing your book There follow eleven tiny images telling a story. The captions read: Turn your devices off (a writer with a phone and laptop. The screens are dark). Put them in a drawer. Lock the drawer. Throw away the key. Leave the house. Do not look back. Keep to backroads and hedgerows. Feel your old life slip away. (the writer has shed his clothes) Sleep by day. Forage in the evening. Write by the light of the moon When you have a passable first draft, commit a minor crime and use your phone call to contact your agent. (the naked writer is in a prison holding a phone while an unamused police officer looks on).
December 10, 2025 at 11:10 AM
tomgauld.bsky.social
'The best conspiracy books of 2025' for @theguardian.com
The best conspiracy books of 2025 This is too big for the mainstream media, so a network of independent thinkers do their own research. They never meet and communicate only via chalk marks on lampposts. The Guardian’s conspiracy correspondent (who even the editor has never met) compiles the list with red string on the wall of a secure off-site facility. Such incendiarymaterial cannot be published openly, so it is encrypted, minituarised, and hidden by a tame printer inside one of the full stops in today's newspaper. If you are reading this, you have already been compromised: leave at once, take nothing and live under an assumed name until further notice.
December 8, 2025 at 12:43 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
Happy 76th Birthday, Tom Waits!
Title: The street tom waits grew up on. Image: a shabby, broken down old timey American street. Caption: Buildings (left to right): vern's all-nite pizza 'n' tattoo, accordion players' graveyard, abandoned clown-shoe factory, divorced salesmen's polka club, tomb of the unknown cabbie, bootleg ice-cream warehouse, saint frank's hobo orphanage, illegal umbrella incinerator.
December 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com
A small child approaches his scientist father who is working at a large, strange, contraption. His face pressed to a viewing tube. “Are you looking forward to Christmas, papa?” Asks the child. “Yes,” replies the scientist“ turning round, “that is exactly what I am doing” then he adds “Thank you for the socks.” We can now see that the viewing tube breaks the border of the comics panel, passes through complicated machinery and allows the scientist to see into the next comic panel: Caption: December 25th A Christmas scene. The child and father-scientist open presents before a Christmas tree. The father has just unwrapped some socks.
December 7, 2025 at 8:56 AM
tomgauld.bsky.social
This cartoon and two others are available now as prints here: www.guardianprintshop.com/pages/tom-gaulds-best-cultural-cartoons-of-2025
Image: The library of an ancient castle. A full moon shines through a gothic window. A vampire creeps up behing a carpenter. Caption: "It had not been easy, but the Count was glad that he had resisted drinking the carpenter's blood until his beautiful new bookshelves were complete."
December 5, 2025 at 2:33 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
Here are the other two images. They can be framed on request. www.guardianprintshop.com/pages/tom-gaulds-best-cultural-cartoons-of-2025
Two prints of cartoons by Tom Gauld in black frames.
December 3, 2025 at 1:51 PM
tomgauld.bsky.social
Three of my cartoons have been released as prints by @theguardian.com. They are an open edition in two sizes and are available for two weeks only. Get one here:
www.guardianprintshop.com/pages/tom-gaulds-best-cultural-cartoons-of-2025
Title: Choose your seat in the literary festival event tent. Image: lines of chairs set out in a tent, a stage at the front has two more chairs on it. The chairs are colour-coded and labelled 1. Awkwardly close 2. Too far away 3. Good view / can't hear 4. Good sound / can't see 5. In a cold draught 6. Behind a giant 7. Between a chatter and a shusher 8. Very creaky chair 9. Great seat / wrong event A single yellow chair is labelled: 10. Just right!
December 3, 2025 at 1:44 PM