MELBOURNE, Australia—The creator of One Nation’s “Please Explain” cartoon series has stood by his work, arguing that its critics “don’t like the truth.”
Mark Nicholson, is One Nation’s candidate for the upper house seat of the Northern Metropolitan Region, he is also the co-founder of Stepmates Studios, which produces the popular web series.
Please Explain has garnered millions of views and satirises political leaders while serving as a promotional vehicle for One Nation.
“We use humour as an entry point for people. We want people to get involved in politics,” Nicholson told The Epoch Times.
“That’s the number one thing our politicians don’t want us to do is: be aware.
“That’s all we’re doing—we just want more people involved.”
Nicholson also said many wanted the animation banned and accused politicians of not liking the truth.
“If you don’t love this country, you don’t make good decisions. If we stop fighting for this country, we will let go. And we can’t let go.”
Targets of Nicholson’s satirical cartoon series include Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, Foreign Minister Penny Wong, as well as politicians from all sides of the aisle.
Nicholson has faced criticism for a recent Please Explain episode that made light of Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie’s vaginal prolapse, which she revealed in a Senate speech in August.
Liberal Party MP Andrew Hastie has also taken aim at Nicholson’s cartoons after the former Special Air Service captain was labelled a “traitor” and a “sellout” for giving evidence against Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith during a federal court defamation trial.
Additionally, Hastie has been mocked in the cartoons for supporting Labor’s Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism (Criminal and Migration Laws) Bill 2026, which introduces new restrictions on online content.
He initially said he would not support the legislation but changed his position and voted in favour of the amended Bill.
So far, One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson issued an apology to Lambie, but not Hastie.
Instead, One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce has reached out and said sorry if any offence was caused.
In terms of the cartoon’s future, Nicholson said would shrug off the criticism.
“You’ve got to have courage. That’s what Pauline has got in spades,” he said.
