A political cartoon by Adam Zyglis contrasts the stated goals of recent state abortion restrictions with their depicted outcomes. The September 17, 2022, drawing divides into two panels beneath a banner that reads ABORTION BANS. On the left, labeled In theory, an infant lies in a crib and reaches for a mobile holding stars, a crescent moon and a ringed planet. On the right, labeled In practice, the same crib stands empty while a wire hanger hangs from the support in place of the mobile.

The image appears weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in June 2022. Multiple states, among them Indiana, West Virginia and Alabama, enacted or revived near-total bans on abortion. Supporters of the measures argued they would protect unborn life. The cartoon presents the counter view that the policies leave newborns without additional resources once they are born.

The drawing uses simple line work and a clear two-panel structure to make its point. The occupied crib with colorful mobile represents the intended result promoted by advocates. The vacant crib and hanger represent the absence of continued care. The signature of Zyglis and the CagleCartoons credit appear at the bottom left.

The visual choice of a hanger in the second panel directly references unsafe methods historically associated with illegal abortions. By placing the hanger where the mobile had been, the cartoon links the new restrictions to earlier conditions rather than to expanded support systems. Newspapers and online outlets carried the cartoon in the weeks following the high court ruling as states finalized their new statutes.