Humorous Maps: Explorations of an Alternative Cartography

Abstract

Maps are generally viewed as functional artefacts. They are considered accurate and useful conveyors of information, helping individuals find their way, understand environments, and inform decisions. However, maps also have a strongly pleasurable component. They generate and support narratives, they are tied to emotions, memories and adventures, and sometimes they make people laugh. In this paper, we engage with a very specific form of alternative cartography: humorous maps. We begin with an interdisciplinary review of the general theories and functions of humor to discuss the three major impediments of the use of humor in cartography: (1) the lack of recognition of the potential of humor; (2) the complexity of humor creation; and (3) the scientific orientation of modern cartography. We then turn to alternative forms of cartography to emphasize the function of humor in mapmaking through a chronological review of some examples of humorous maps. Through this review, we demonstrate that humorous maps caricature scientific cartography by drawing on the latter's persuasive power. In this sense, humorous maps can destabilize the scientific and technological bases of contemporary cartography. Freed from scientific constraints, humorous maps provide societal commentaries rather than geospatial facts. We conclude by arguing that humor—along with other forms of expression—can be combined with scientific maps to generate hybrid forms of cartography; these new representations could help us to represent anew the worlds we inhabit.