This year’s traditional display of social humor marks its XXIII edition with the theme Public Health: What’s the matter, doctor? The event gathers near fifty national and international cartoonists who offer their perspectives on a pressing issue through the playful lens of cartoons. Organized by the University of Alicante in collaboration with the Federation of Spanish Cartoonists FECO-Spain, the exhibition opens to visitors on Thursday, November 2, and remains accessible in the Aifos Room within the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature on the Campus until November 30. The show features fifty works by the artist collective and showcases forty-four graphic voices from Spain, Europe, and the Americas who spotlight current public health challenges with humor. The organizing body, led by FECO-Spain President Juli SanchiS. S., notes that public health often feels like a phone call that goes unanswered. The message is clear: without structural changes and the allocation of necessary technical and human resources, the system risks favoring luxury and neglecting those who are most in need. The event is presented as a call to rethink healthcare and the distribution of resources, with a nod to ongoing debates around access and equity. The organizer UA’s Social Humor exhibition is also marking the Humor Notary Award 2023 to cartoonist Armengol Tolsà Badia, Ermengol. The award ceremony will occur on November 23 at 13.00 in the UA Aifos Hall. This year’s edition continues a long tradition of using cartoons to spark dialogue on public health and social policy.
Different editions of The Social Humor Show have become a national reference in graphic humor for their wit, insight, and willingness to challenge current events from multiple angles. The exhibition invites viewers to consider issues such as youth unemployment, mistreatment of women, corruption, gender equality, the importance of reading, the crisis of values, climate change, and the impact of social media. Through humor and irony, the participating artists question the root causes of social development challenges and encourage audiences to think critically about the world around them. The series has long highlighted how humor can illuminate serious topics and foster civic awareness.
Humor Notary 2023 highlights the career of Armengol Tolsà Badia, Ermengol, a Córdoba-born artist who has lived in Lleida since 1985. His career began in the legendary Hortensia magazine at age eighteen, and he later moved to Catalonia, the homeland of his family. A multidisciplinary creator, he has explored graphic humor, caricature, illustration, drawing, sculpture, and visual poetry. His work has appeared in publications such as El Jueves, Playboy, Segre, and Diari d’Andorra, among others. He has led the satirical magazine La Quera and supported the Humoràlia association, which promoted a human rights graphic humor competition bearing his name. He earned first prize in the Mingot Prize in 1993, awarded by the ABC newspaper, and today his humor appears in newspapers like La Mañana, Nube, Territoris, Borges Blanques, Almacelles, Vadefruita, and intermittently on TV3. The Humor Notary Award recognizes the impact of his distinctive voice within the field of comic art and social commentary.
Through decades, The Social Humor Show has served as a national barometer for graphic wit. It has brought to the public a stream of works that examine contemporary life with candor and compassion. The program has consistently profiled artists who address a spectrum of issues from youth unemployment to gender discrimination, from the value of literacy to the nuances of civic responsibility. In every edition, the exhibits invite viewers to reflect on the social forces shaping their communities, sometimes challenging accepted norms and often inspiring thoughtful action. The overarching aim remains to illuminate social realities while entertaining audiences with clever, pointed humor.
Enrique and the broader Information team present the ongoing story of this cultural event, framing the narrative of humor as a lens on public life and social policy. The ongoing dialogue surrounding health, equity, and access is central to the exhibition, inviting audiences to consider how humor can catalyze awareness and dialogue across diverse audiences. The fusion of artistic voices, institutional support, and international contributions creates a vibrant forum where cartoons become a catalyst for conversation about health systems, resource distribution, and the human aspects of care. Information continues to cover the event as it evolves, highlighting the voices that help illuminate these critical issues for a wide audience.