2022: Off the planet

Peering out into the great unknown, boldly going where no one has gone before – and occasionally floating untethered in the endless abyss of outer space.

This year's theme reflects on a year where lockdowns ended and borders opened, and we burst out from our living rooms eager to discover what more was out there.

In 2022 our cartoonists peered into their telescopes and adjusted the dials. Through their forensic eyes, they brought into focus a year of where everything – from COVID case numbers to interest rates and the price of the humble iceberg lettuce – seemed to be on a rocket to the moon.

In the political sphere, the federal election dominated much of the year, from a campaign that felt like it began at the Big Bang to the meteoric rise of the so-called 'teal independents'. But other issues were written in the stars: the war in Ukraine, a Voice to Parliament for First Nations peoples, climate change and natural disasters.

This year's Political Cartoonist of the Year, David Pope, leads an exceptional array of cartoonists, including new and emerging artists in greater numbers than ever before.

Welcome to your journey through time and space. Buckle up, start the countdown and prepare for lift-off as we go 'off the planet'.