Political cartoons were the creation of the politically partisan press in the early 1800s. They became staples of weekly magazines during the 19th century and, eventually, a cornerstone of the modern newspaper industry.
Cartoons help make complex issues and personalities more accessible.
They often have a great impact on attitudes about a chief executive. I don't care much about what the papers write about me. My constituents can't read. But, damn it, they can see pictures. This 1832 cartoon uses that theme to show Jackson, dressed as a king, trampling on the Constitution.