For a quick, shareable overview of my illustration work, download my illustrator portfolio PDF.
Three Sides of the Work
Editorial cartoons & comic strips
I have drawn editorial cartoons, newspaper comics and comic strips throughout my career. This kind of work depends on observation, timing and economy: establishing a situation, character or idea quickly and knowing exactly how much information an image needs.
Editorial cartooning also develops another useful discipline: finding a clear visual angle rather than simply illustrating the words. A successful cartoon or strip has to contribute something of its own.
For single-image work for magazines, newspapers, education and institutional publishing, see Editorial & Educational Illustration.
Graphic novels & author work
I also work as a graphic novel author and artist. Longer-form narrative work brings a different set of demands: pacing across pages, continuity, character acting, changes of viewpoint and the relationship between dialogue, silence and image.
Working on longer stories has strengthened the narrative side of all my sequential work. A sequence needs to function as a whole, not simply as a collection of individual drawings.
For publishing commissions, illustrated books, children’s titles and longer-form book projects, see Book Illustration & Graphic Novels.
Business comics & commissioned storytelling
I create custom business comics, explainer comics, onboarding sequences, awareness campaigns and character-based communication for companies, NGOs and institutions.
These projects can be used for HR and onboarding, safety communication, internal culture, public information, training and campaigns. Where appropriate, I also develop low-text or wordless sequences that can function across languages and markets.
For projects that need narration, movement or a complete animated sequence, see my Hand-Drawn Explainer Videos & Whiteboard Animation.
Selected Commissioned Projects
Sequential storytelling is useful whenever an audience needs to understand behaviour, process, cause and effect, or a situation that unfolds over time. These projects show how the same narrative discipline can be applied to business, training, safety and public communication.
- Mercedes-Benz employee manual — illustrated scenarios for onboarding, workplace culture and internal communication.
- Dräger infection prevention visuals — sequential communication developed for international health and safety training.
- SUSTAIN-D awareness comics — wordless sequences created for energy-efficiency communication in multilingual housing contexts.
- Coca-Cola recycling campaign — language-independent comic strips printed directly on cans to support recycling awareness.
- seele GmbH workplace safety communication — character-based visual communication developed around the OSKAR safety mascot for multilingual construction and training contexts.
Clients and publishing contexts include Mercedes-Benz, Coca-Cola, Dräger, SUSTAIN-D, Henkel, The New Yorker, MAD Magazine, Nebelspalter, NZZ am Sonntag and Schiffer Publishing. A broader overview is available on my Clients & Creative Partners page.
More Comics & Sequential Illustration
A broader selection of graphic novel pages, editorial cartoons, comic strips, narrative illustration and commissioned sequential work.
Click any image in the gallery to enlarge
Cartoons and Comics by Ian David Marsden
Original editorial cartoon created by Ian David Marsden for the 20th anniversary of Cartooning for Peace. The cartoon is exhibited at the Théâtre de la Concorde in Paris as part of the anniversary event Démocratie sous pression : dessiner pour résister on September 24, 2026.
Full-page business comic created by Ian David Marsden for Stadtwerke Wedel (Germany). Featuring superhero Captain Power and villain Dr. Disturber, this comic promoted energy efficiency and infrastructure awareness through engaging visual storytelling.
In this comic panel created by Ian David Marsden, the villain Dr. Disturber pilots a menacing underwater submarine equipped with giant scissor arms. His mission: to sabotage the Stadtwerke Wedel energy supply by severing critical electric lines. Part of a custom comic created for a public utility awareness campaign in Germany.
Captain Power bursts from the Stadtwerke Wedel headquarters, red electric tape in hand, ready to stop Dr. Disturber’s sabotage. Is he secretly part of the utility company? The mystery remains… An exciting panel from the corporate comic illustrated by Ian David Marsden.
In the last scene, Captain Power floats triumphantly over the peaceful town of Wedel as all electrical systems run smoothly again. Below, Dr. Disturber flees, vowing, “You haven’t seen the last of me!” A fun and engaging ending to the awareness comic illustrated by Ian David Marsden.
Complete visual identity system for Glam’s Canin, a French dog grooming business. Includes flyers, business cards, loyalty cards, and storefront graphics with playful dog mascots and bold pink visuals. Created for pet grooming marketing.
Large-format campaign poster illustrated by Ian David Marsden for Dräger Global’s international infection prevention and control initiative. The comic-style sequence begins with meticulous polishing of a classic pink car and transforms into the careful cleaning and preparation of hospital equipment. The analogy connects familiar ideas of care, shine and precision with the stricter standards of clinical hygiene. Designed as a language-independent healthcare communication visual, the poster formed part of a wider set of printed and animated campaign assets.
Illustrated Dräger Global campaign poster created by Ian David Marsden for an international infection prevention and control communication initiative. The image begins with a pop-comic domestic kitchen scene marked by stains, clutter and cleaning products, then shifts through hospital procedures, clinical care and hygiene communication. The Roy Lichtenstein–inspired visual language turns the transformation into a clear wordless narrative, designed to be understood quickly in hospitals and professional environments across multiple countries.
Featured image for Ian David Marsden’s case study on the illustrated Dräger Global infection prevention and control campaign. The image shows a frame from the short animated visual “From Kitchen Chaos to Clinical Cleanliness,” designed in a classic comic-book language with a Roy Lichtenstein reference. A retro housewife appears amid floating kitchen items beneath the headline “IPC | Prevention and Control,” linking the domestic-cleaning metaphor to Dräger’s international hospital hygiene communication campaign.
Illustrated poster created by Ian David Marsden for Dräger Global’s infection prevention and control communication campaign. The sequence opens with a cheerful 1950s-style homemaker cleaning a domestic interior, then shifts into the work of a hospital sanitation professional cleaning clinical equipment and surfaces. The image uses a classic comic-book visual language with a Roy Lichtenstein reference to make the IPC message immediate, memorable and language-independent for international healthcare environments.
Large-format illustrated campaign poster created by Ian David Marsden for Dräger Global’s international infection prevention and control initiative. The wordless comic-style sequence begins with a mechanic repairing industrial equipment and transforms into a professional hospital environment with clinical technology, protective gloves and hygiene documentation. Developed in a Roy Lichtenstein–inspired visual language, the poster was designed to communicate across languages in hospital and workplace settings at a glance.
A complete set of safety-themed character illustrations for Seele GmbH, creators of Apple Store façades. OSKAR demonstrates workplace procedures, risk prevention, and team coordination across a variety of construction scenarios. Designed by Ian David Marsden.
A vibrant cartoon portrait of Helmi Sigg, renowned Swiss comedian, actor, and author, created by illustrator Ian David Marsden. This caricature celebrates Sigg’s legendary career in Swiss entertainment, including his role in Ewigi Liebi and collaborations in Trio Eden.
A bold, empowering twist on classic mythology and fairy tale — inspired by Rosie the Riveter and the legend of Excalibur, this editorial-style illustration features a defiant Little Red slaying a dragon twenty times her size. A visual anthem of strength and defiance wrapped in fairy tale form.
A cartoon illustration depicts a person in a small, futuristic blue car with "Hermes" branding. The person is excitedly steering while wearing goggles, and the car emits smoke and flames from the rear, suggesting speed. The word "VROOOOOOM!" is prominently displayed above the car.
Cartoon characters wearing goggles are engaging in various activities around a large ice cube labeled "Hermes" in a cloud of smoke. One character holds a drill, another emerges from the ice, one works with a wrench and screwdriver, and another deals with colorful ropes.
The image is a cartoon showing two neighboring houses covered in snow. Speech bubbles indicate that Michael and Anne live in one house, while Michael's brother Stefan and Julia live in the other. Snow-covered cars and trees surround the buildings, and snowflakes are falling.
A comic strip depicts a couple who rush outside to find their car buried in snow, realizing they still have summer tires. The woman angrily scolds the man, who shovels snow frantically. Later, the man arranges for a tire change and installation of an app-controlled engine heater, ensuring the car is ready by the afternoon.
Four friends are dining at their favorite restaurant. One of them, Julia, shares exciting news about a new app-controlled parking heater. Michael's smartwatch vibrates, indicating an important call. Another friend wonders if the parking heater can also be controlled via smartwatch.
A comic strip depicts Stefan picking up his car from a mechanic. The mechanic explains the new updates, including an app-controlled heating system. Stefan is impressed with features like remote operation without a mobile network and additional year-round functions. He drives home excitedly, thinking of Julia and anticipating a positive change in their relationship.
A family-history spread from MARVIN: Lilly Schachter keeps her Jewish identity close in Vienna, later becomes a New Yorker, and learns during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade that American crowds require “elbows.”
The image is a four-panel black and white comic strip. The first panel shows a man with a hat relaxing with his feet up, accompanied by a goat and a radio. The second panel features a child smiling while listening to a radio. In the third panel, a woman is sitting and knitting with a radio nearby. The fourth panel depicts a man speaking passionately into a microphone, gesturing with his hands. Each character is connected by radio signals, suggesting a shared message or broadcast.
A five-panel political comic strip features a man in a suit speaking on a telephone in four panels. He appears worried or frustrated, with various hand gestures indicating stress or confusion. In the final panel, another man, wearing a beret and uniform, speaks into a phone with a confident expression. The setting suggests a formal or governmental environment, indicated by insignias and decor visible behind the characters.
The comic strip features a series of panels with a character dressed as a cat-like figure holding a mirror under a night sky. Birds, resembling bats, are flapping over a tunnel entrance labeled "Channel Tunnel Welcome." An aircraft with bat-like wings appears next to a large radio tower. In another panel, a clock tower is decorated with a bat symbol. The final panel depicts a person in a hat with a bow tie. The strip is titled "Global Village News" by Ian David Marsden.
A black-and-white comic strip featuring a man in a beret, smoking while reading a newspaper at a bar. He drinks from a glass and gestures emphatically. The setting appears to be a French cafe, with a bartender present and bottles visible in the background. Speech bubbles are empty, indicating no dialogue.
A black-and-white political comic strip shows various characters in a series of four panels. The first two panels depict three individuals, one holding a bottle, with speech bubbles above them. The third panel shows a television screen displaying a baby with a pacifier, as people watch from behind. The final panel returns to the previous scene with one of the characters speaking. The strip is titled "Global Village News" and is created by Ian David Marsden.
A black and white comic strip featuring several panels, each depicting different characters and scenes. The first panel shows a man speaking into a microphone labeled "TV." The second panel includes a man holding a clapperboard labeled "Elvis Stamp Scene 1." Subsequent panels resemble postage stamps featuring illustrated portraits of a singer, with the denomination of 29 cents U.S. Mail. Additional scenes include a visibly sweating man and another holding a bottle. The final panel shows a man giving a thumbs-up gesture. The strip is titled "Global Village News."
A black and white comic strip featuring six caricatures of various individuals, each in a separate panel, some with speech bubbles. The characters display distinct facial expressions and attire. The comic is a political satire from the Global Village News series by Ian David Marsden, dated from 1992 to 2024.
A comic strip features a bespectacled man with curly hair holding a notepad. Different panels show him from various angles, sometimes looking at the notepad with speech bubbles included. His expressions vary from contemplative to excited, suggesting he is sharing or explaining something.
The image is a political comic strip with four panels. Each panel features a different cartoon caricature of a political figure with speech bubbles, standing or sitting at a table with various food and drink items. The setting suggests a humorous or satirical context, based on the visual elements and over-exaggerated characteristics of the figures.
A black-and-white comic strip featuring two men engaging in a phone conversation. The first man is shown speaking into a telephone, while the second man is depicted lounging in bed with a bottle labeled "Jack Daniels" and a woman resting beside him. The artwork exhibits detailed facial expressions and a bold, illustrative style.
A political comic strip shows a series of panels featuring a man at a podium speaking to an audience with microphones in view. He claps, and there are cheers from the crowd. Another character with horns whispers to a woman, who responds with a neutral expression, joining in the applause. The comic is titled "Global Village News" and credited to Ian David Marsden.
Working With Me
I work directly with clients, publishers, agencies and communication teams from the initial brief through development and final artwork. Depending on the project, this can include concept development, script or narrative structure, character design, rough layouts, finished illustration and preparation for print, digital use or animation.
A project can begin with a finished script, a manuscript, a communication brief or simply an idea that still needs visual and narrative development. I can work within an established format or help determine how a story or message should be broken into scenes, pages or individual beats.
Because I also work across Business Illustration & Campaign Visuals, Editorial & Educational Illustration, Book Illustration and Hand-Drawn Explainer Videos, sequential work can also form part of a wider publishing, campaign or communication project when appropriate.
I work internationally in English, French and German. To discuss a comic, sequential illustration or visual storytelling project, contact me at [email protected].