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30 Honest Illustrations About The Things That Are Wrong With Today's Society By John Holcroft
Visual ArtFEB 2, 2026

30 Honest Illustrations About The Things That Are Wrong With Today's Society By John Holcroft

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There's something very disturbing about John Holcroft's work, but in a very good way. Checking out his cool drawings, you can't help but feel as if you're seeing something forbidden. The fragility of the system, the obscurity of your career; the lack of romance in today's world. The characters' passions are their torture and there's only one way out - embracing the absurdity of the modern world. Working from a studio near Sheffield, UK, Holcroft manages to connect two completely different eras. Drawing inspiration from 1950s screen print posters, he creates satirical illustrations that deliver a great social commentary on the things that are wrong with our society.
More info: johnholcroft.com | Facebook | society6
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#1

Illustration showing society's flaws with a man collecting money from a globe-shaped water dispenser symbolizing today's society problems.
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"My work is concept rather than character based," Holcroft told Bored Panda after being asked if he ever feels like a character in one of his pieces. "However, when working on an illustration whether it's a commission for a publication or a self-promotional piece I imagine what it's like to be in the situation of the concept. It helps to communicate to the reader more if they can related to the person in the image."

#2

Illustration showing unequal basketball hoops highlighting societal inequalities in honest illustrations about today's society.
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"My biggest concerns about society are that we are too reliant on devices to the extent of obsession," the artist said. "There is also a large proportion of young people that have 'dumbed down' and see platforms like YouTube as a new standard in entertainment, watching mindless drivel by people who either just want to be famous or want to viewing figures for ad revenue. This has become acceptable and the norm."

"How some people can be easily lead to believe things that the media tell them, whether it be about elections or referendums some people believe what they read on social media and tabloid newspapers instead of seeking out the facts."

#3

Illustration depicting a man and woman in conversation with empty speech bubbles, highlighting society issues.
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Despite all the grim colors in his creative drawings, Holcroft likes to think he's optimistic, believing that everything's gonna be OK regarding such social problems like climate change. "But the pessimistic side of me gets restless when I don't see very much movement politically. My biggest frustration is that little people like me and you don’t have a voice, we are shouting at the governments of the world to do something, millions of us with out metaphoric megaphones shouting ‘the world is in crisis, what are you doing about it?’. All while large corporations are profiting on the pollution without a care in the world."

#4

Illustration showing consumer buying chocolate from a vending machine while a child works harvesting cocoa, highlighting societal issues.
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The artist also tries not to get involved in anything religious or something that may offend others, unless it's for a really good cause. "The reason being, primarily this is how I make my living and I produce show pieces to attract work and I don’t thing I will be very popular if I alienate my potential clients. Although magazine articles tend to cover interesting subject matters they don’t like to upset their readership."

#5

Two hands reaching to shake with aggressive wolf shadows on a brick wall illustrating issues in today's society.
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#6

Illustration showing people trapped on social media logos, highlighting issues in today's society with digital addiction and isolation.
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#7

Woman in a rocking chair knitting a rainbow connected to a dark cloud, symbolic of today's society issues illustration.
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#8

Two people push a globe-shaped gear shift, symbolizing societal challenges in John Holcroft's honest illustrations.
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#9

Illustration showing digital manipulation of election voter statistics through a hooded figure playing a flute, highlighting society issues.
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#10

Illustration showing an elderly man losing leaves from his back, symbolizing issues in today’s society by John Holcroft.
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#11

Illustration showing a likeable good guy toy packaging with hidden aggression, deceit, and arrogance traits.
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#12

Illustration showing unhealthy fast food addiction symbolized by a person with a clown inside their stomach, highlighting society problems.
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#13

Illustration showing a baby rejecting a toy and reaching for a smartphone, highlighting issues in today's society.
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#14

Illustration depicting social media as a weapon in today’s society, highlighting critiques in honest illustrations by John Holcroft.
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#15

Illustration of a person diving into a bowl of social media icons, highlighting issues in today's society.
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#16

Child in orange shirt sitting and looking at tablet with red tentacles coming out, illustrating problems in today's society.
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#17

Doctors in white coats jumping on a light bulb-shaped trampoline made of dollar signs about society issues illustration.
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#18

Businesspeople in suits with wind-up keys on their backs, illustrating problems in today's society.
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#19

Illustration of small shops forming a domino effect, symbolizing issues in today's society by John Holcroft.
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#20

Illustration showing social media icons and emojis in a trash bin highlighting issues in today's society by John Holcroft.
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Asli Akalin
Asli AkalinBoredPanda Staff