El Jueves: Subsidies, talent drain and satirical decline

What is happening to El Jueves? From satirical icon to subsidized pamphlet

The legendary graphic humor magazine El Jueves is once again in the eye of the storm. A recent cover has peine the debate about its editorial line, its dependence on public aid, and the departure of its top contributors. For many, the publication that defined generations with its cross-party satire is now a shadow of its former self: accused of political bias, loss of readership and — most stinging for a cartoonist — lack of wit.

The business of humor: from cartoons to subsidies

El Jueves' business model has always been a mystery to outsiders. With dwindling print runs — barely a handful of copies in newsstands — the question is obvious: how does it survive? The recurring answer in the industry points to public subsidies. Figures regarding fresh money from government bodies are mentioned, which would explain why the magazine survives while other satirical publications have closed. Critics argue that this flow of public money conditions the content: "If they removed the subsidies, tomorrow they would be drawing cartoons against the current government," one side argues. On the other hand, some recall that historically it attacked all parties, but that in recent years the bias has intensified.

The brain drain after Ivá's death

According to several analyses, the turning point came with the death of cartoonist Ivá — creator of Makinavaja — and the retirement of Óscar (Profesor Cojinciano). From then on, the core team fell apart. The departure of Manel Fontdevila, Albert Monteys and seven other key illustrators marked a before and after. The magazine lost its diversity of voices and became homogeneous. The result: more predictable and less biting humor. "Unofficially, El Jueves ended with that issue," it has been said.

AI, controversies and the shadow of censorship

Technology has not helped either. Several comments noted that the magazine has resorted to artificial intelligence to generate covers, which for many is a symptom of creative decay. Careless editing and the use of AI have been mocked: "Even they use AI for their covers, considering how cool it used to be."

But the underlying debate is ideological. Cross-accusations of being a "communist-leaning pamphlet" versus the defense that it previously made fun of everyone equally. The comparison with the TV show El Intermedio is recurrent: both would have suffered a similar drift, losing audience and credibility by aligning with only one side of the political spectrum.

The data that sums it all up

Perhaps the most revealing anecdote is told by a user who visited the columbarium at Ivá's grave. There, on his urn, they could only engrave half of Makinavaja's motto: the money didn't stretch any further. A harsh summary of what happens when humor becomes a subsidized product.