The videos seized contained speeches by Osama bin Laden and other terrorists
Man who bombed the Danish embassy in Islamabad was featured in a video.
WASHINGTON: The United States has briefed the Indian government about the case involving David Headley Coleman, arrested by the FBI in the U.S. last month for plotting a terror attack in India at the Lashkar-e-Taiba’s behest, and continues to follow it up.
“I know that our Ambassador [Tim Roemer] has briefed the government of India, and we continue to follow the case,” State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters on Saturday.
Headley, 49, was arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport as he prepared to board a flight to Philadelphia on his way to Pakistan. The FBI also arrested Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin.
Mr. Kelly refused to divulge further information. “I’m not at liberty to divulge the details of the interrogation. It’s an ongoing legal case, and it really is up to the Department of Justice...”
FBI sleuths have recovered from Rana’s house two inflammatory al-Qaeda videos containing speeches by Osama bin Laden and other terrorists.
Produced by As Sahab Media, acknowledged to be al-Qaeda’s media wing, one of the videos is titled ‘Bombing of Denmark Embassy.’ The videos were recovered from the living room of Rana, who has been staying in Chicago for nearly a decade.
In a supporting affidavit submitted to a Chicago court on Friday, federal prosecutors informed judge Nan R. Nolan about the videos. The video on Denmark, where a newspaper published cartoons of Prophet Mohammad, is 54 minutes long. “That video was on a DVD recovered from the living room of Rana’s home on October 18, 2009,” prosecutors said. “The video is narrated by Abu Yahya al-Libi, an al-Qaeda spokesman who escaped from American custody in Afghanistan.” “Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, the third ranking al-Qaeda member, also appears on the video,” the new affidavit said.
The video focuses on the controversy sparked by the cartoons published in Jyllands-Posten. The footage of the then Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who defended the caricatures as freedom of expression, are featured prominently. Strong comments then follow from the narrators, condemning the U.S., Denmark and Jews.
According to the affidavit, the DVD also prominently features the video of the man who carried out a suicide car bombing of the Danish embassy in Islamabad on June 2, 2008.
The second video “…begins with a speech by Osama bin Laden and profiles the lives and deaths of four men described as having died in the fight on behalf of Islam. The video also included remarks by Mustafa Abu al Yazid, who appeared on the Denmark video,” says the affidavit.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Strong Museum celebrates comic book heroes
The epic battle of good vs. evil brings comic book heroes to Strong exhibit
WANG! ZAP! KAWUNNGG!
Superman, Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk are sweating bullets at Strong National Museum of Play.
Can they protect Rochester against malevolent mutants and scaly-skinned slimeballs? The fate of local family entertainment hangs in the balance.
"American Comic Book Heroes," Strong's latest exhibit, explores superheroes' 70-year crusade against unspeakable forces of evil. And wouldn't you know? One of their first creators was a Rochester cartoonist who learned his craft at Franklin High School.
But before hearing his incredible tale, let's have a brief word from our sponsor. Strong developed this exhibit to show how comic book characters influence children's play activities. It also reveals the historical forces that shaped superheroes' battle against world dominators.
"These characters leap from the pages of comic books into kids' imaginations," says Jon-Paul Dyson, Strong's vice president for exhibit research and development. "Kids go from reading to becoming these superheroes in their play. They can also explore concepts of good and evil in a very safe way."
The exhibit draws from Strong's collection of vintage comic books and associated products.
A glum-looking Superman doll brandishes fists like sledgehammers. A video game shows Captain America enjoying his special brand of vengeance — kick-boxing his enemies, then shooting them full of arrows.
That feisty attitude was fostered by powerful historical forces. Superman and Captain America emerged in the late 1930s and early 1940s, as America fought its way out of the Great Depression, only to confront a growing threat of fascism in Europe and Asia.
"Before we even entered World War II, one comic book shows Captain America slugging Hitler in the jaw," Dyson says. Captain America's inventor was Rochester native Joe Simon, now a 96-year-old Manhattanite. He started out as art director for Franklin High's school newspaper and later freelanced for a New York City magazine. There he met Jack Kirby, a young Jewish cartoonist. They formed a long creative partnership that produced Captain America, The Fly and the new genre of romance comics.
-->(2 of 2)
Captain America was precisely the ultra-patriotic cheerleader needed in wartime, earning his inventors lucrative contracts. But their collaboration ended after 1954, when the comic book industry imposed a censorship code on its members.
triggerAd(2,PaginationPage,7);
"In every instance, good shall triumph over evil," the Comics Code dictated. Since the McCarthy era, the Code's influence has steadily waned. The 1960s saw a new breed of tormented superheroes with dark secrets.
"Spider-Man is plagued by self-doubt," says Dyson. "The Incredible Hulk is overpowered by rage."
The morally pure Captain America, however, lives on in a stirring portrait that Simon drew for this exhibit.
Visitors who prefer family fun to superhero sociology should head straight for the interactive displays.
Try to lift a giant canister of glowing green goo (maybe Kryptonite?). It won't budge until you push a button. A sudden whoosh of gamma rays lets you pick it up with ease.
Ride a jiggly surfboard while chasing Dr. Dread and his flying nuclear bandits on a video screen. It's not for the faint of stomach.
Compared to early comic books, today's pulp heroism is largely apolitical. No one zaps Osama bin Laden with a digital laser gun. And Rush Limbaugh never challenges Al Gore for global supremacy.
Still, the exhibit engagingly revives an era when ideological choices were simpler — and when Rochester invented heroes that the rest of the nation eagerly followed.
SLOW@DemocratandChronicle.com
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/
WANG! ZAP! KAWUNNGG!
Superman, Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk are sweating bullets at Strong National Museum of Play.
Can they protect Rochester against malevolent mutants and scaly-skinned slimeballs? The fate of local family entertainment hangs in the balance.
"American Comic Book Heroes," Strong's latest exhibit, explores superheroes' 70-year crusade against unspeakable forces of evil. And wouldn't you know? One of their first creators was a Rochester cartoonist who learned his craft at Franklin High School.
But before hearing his incredible tale, let's have a brief word from our sponsor. Strong developed this exhibit to show how comic book characters influence children's play activities. It also reveals the historical forces that shaped superheroes' battle against world dominators.
"These characters leap from the pages of comic books into kids' imaginations," says Jon-Paul Dyson, Strong's vice president for exhibit research and development. "Kids go from reading to becoming these superheroes in their play. They can also explore concepts of good and evil in a very safe way."
The exhibit draws from Strong's collection of vintage comic books and associated products.
A glum-looking Superman doll brandishes fists like sledgehammers. A video game shows Captain America enjoying his special brand of vengeance — kick-boxing his enemies, then shooting them full of arrows.
That feisty attitude was fostered by powerful historical forces. Superman and Captain America emerged in the late 1930s and early 1940s, as America fought its way out of the Great Depression, only to confront a growing threat of fascism in Europe and Asia.
"Before we even entered World War II, one comic book shows Captain America slugging Hitler in the jaw," Dyson says. Captain America's inventor was Rochester native Joe Simon, now a 96-year-old Manhattanite. He started out as art director for Franklin High's school newspaper and later freelanced for a New York City magazine. There he met Jack Kirby, a young Jewish cartoonist. They formed a long creative partnership that produced Captain America, The Fly and the new genre of romance comics.
-->(2 of 2)
Captain America was precisely the ultra-patriotic cheerleader needed in wartime, earning his inventors lucrative contracts. But their collaboration ended after 1954, when the comic book industry imposed a censorship code on its members.
triggerAd(2,PaginationPage,7);
"In every instance, good shall triumph over evil," the Comics Code dictated. Since the McCarthy era, the Code's influence has steadily waned. The 1960s saw a new breed of tormented superheroes with dark secrets.
"Spider-Man is plagued by self-doubt," says Dyson. "The Incredible Hulk is overpowered by rage."
The morally pure Captain America, however, lives on in a stirring portrait that Simon drew for this exhibit.
Visitors who prefer family fun to superhero sociology should head straight for the interactive displays.
Try to lift a giant canister of glowing green goo (maybe Kryptonite?). It won't budge until you push a button. A sudden whoosh of gamma rays lets you pick it up with ease.
Ride a jiggly surfboard while chasing Dr. Dread and his flying nuclear bandits on a video screen. It's not for the faint of stomach.
Compared to early comic books, today's pulp heroism is largely apolitical. No one zaps Osama bin Laden with a digital laser gun. And Rush Limbaugh never challenges Al Gore for global supremacy.
Still, the exhibit engagingly revives an era when ideological choices were simpler — and when Rochester invented heroes that the rest of the nation eagerly followed.
SLOW@DemocratandChronicle.com
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/
« Kim’s Story Page 2 Online Book Review: Your Career in the Comics by Lee Nordling
Published by Andrews and McMeel out of Kansas City, Nordling, a cartoonist, has compiled a comprehensive look at the world of cartooning as a profession with details described by the greats: Charles Schulz, Bill Watterson, Cathy Guisewite, Lynn Johnston…the list goes on and on, including staff of the comics publishing houses.
The great thing about the book, besides the quotes about how to best handle your property, is the collection of appendixes in which you get Syndicate Guidelines and Format Guides for color indication and Sunday strips.
With a discussion about the cartoonists’ role in the syndicate world, whether an independent representative or the newspaper, you learn more about what your position is in the field of cartooning and why the syndicate is your friend, submitting your strips to the newspapers around the world.
You learn about the creative freedom you may, or may not, have with your feature strip, including everything from the process, submission, development, and contract with the syndicate.
To quote the book, “Talent is what you can use, abuse or overcome.” I learned through this in depth look at the world of comic strips the ‘behind the scenes’ that you always wonder about but never knew to ask: Do I need an attorney when I get the contract? Do I own my characters, or the syndicate; what allows me more money? Can I do other features and sell them to the papers through a separate syndicate?
For hardly any money spent, you will finally get the education you need for selling your comic strip. Now, I need to get busy working on my submission package.
You can buy Your Career in the Comics here. ISBN# 0-8362-0748-3 $9.95
The great thing about the book, besides the quotes about how to best handle your property, is the collection of appendixes in which you get Syndicate Guidelines and Format Guides for color indication and Sunday strips.
With a discussion about the cartoonists’ role in the syndicate world, whether an independent representative or the newspaper, you learn more about what your position is in the field of cartooning and why the syndicate is your friend, submitting your strips to the newspapers around the world.
You learn about the creative freedom you may, or may not, have with your feature strip, including everything from the process, submission, development, and contract with the syndicate.
To quote the book, “Talent is what you can use, abuse or overcome.” I learned through this in depth look at the world of comic strips the ‘behind the scenes’ that you always wonder about but never knew to ask: Do I need an attorney when I get the contract? Do I own my characters, or the syndicate; what allows me more money? Can I do other features and sell them to the papers through a separate syndicate?
For hardly any money spent, you will finally get the education you need for selling your comic strip. Now, I need to get busy working on my submission package.
You can buy Your Career in the Comics here. ISBN# 0-8362-0748-3 $9.95
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Muslim cartoonist tackles social and political issues
By Electa Draper
The Denver Post
Nigar Nazar is a Muslim cartoonist — perhaps the only woman cartoonist in Pakistan — whose work tackles social and political issues via the life of a pixie-faced woman who represents the educated, self-confident urban Pakistani (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
Gogi is mostly "on the receiving end of the joke that is life," Nazar says. She deflects the onslaught with womanly humor.
The Denver Post
Nigar Nazar is a Muslim cartoonist — perhaps the only woman cartoonist in Pakistan — whose work tackles social and political issues via the life of a pixie-faced woman who represents the educated, self-confident urban Pakistani (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)
COLORADO SPRINGS — Pakistan can be difficult terrain for a female Muslim cartoonist whose alter ego, Gogi, has comments in the bubble above her head on everything from male chauvinism to suicide bombers.
Gogi is a long-lashed, short-coiffed, polka dot-wearing, pixie-faced modern Pakistani woman. She is a bit like "Blondie" and a bit like Oprah — except devoutly Muslim.
Gogi creator Nigar Nazar, the first and, as far as she knows, "only woman cartoonist of Pakistan and very likely the entire Muslim world," says Gogi represents the educated and self-confident urban Pakistani.
Gogi is a long-lashed, short-coiffed, polka dot-wearing, pixie-faced modern Pakistani woman. She is a bit like "Blondie" and a bit like Oprah — except devoutly Muslim.
Gogi creator Nigar Nazar, the first and, as far as she knows, "only woman cartoonist of Pakistan and very likely the entire Muslim world," says Gogi represents the educated and self-confident urban Pakistani.
Gogi is mostly "on the receiving end of the joke that is life," Nazar says. She deflects the onslaught with womanly humor.
"Gogi is that ray of hope in a male-dominated country where she has to brave it . . . with a tough exterior while not losing her feminine grace, charm and intelligence," Nazar said.
Based in Islamabad, Nazar is lecturing at Colorado College through Oct. 24 with the Fulbright Visiting Specialist program. She hopes to help Americans deepen what she suspects is a typically one-dimensional perception of Islamic society and culture.
An exhibit of Nazar's work is at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center through Wednesday.
Nazar, whose father worked in the foreign service, spent several years in America as a young girl.
"It was long enough to get me hooked on comics," she said.
Gogi began as a daily comic strip in a Pakistan newspaper called The Sun in 1970, when Nazar was 22. She also animated a cartoon for Karachi Television about that time.
Nazar later freelanced for The Herald monthly before publishing books of Gogi cartoons, the first in 1975.
Gogi's style is usually gentle. She points out in one strip that the traditional headscarf, the chaddar, actually has advantages, such as hiding one from creditors.
Gogi and friend once remarked on the disparate
Based in Islamabad, Nazar is lecturing at Colorado College through Oct. 24 with the Fulbright Visiting Specialist program. She hopes to help Americans deepen what she suspects is a typically one-dimensional perception of Islamic society and culture.
An exhibit of Nazar's work is at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center through Wednesday.
Nazar, whose father worked in the foreign service, spent several years in America as a young girl.
"It was long enough to get me hooked on comics," she said.
Gogi began as a daily comic strip in a Pakistan newspaper called The Sun in 1970, when Nazar was 22. She also animated a cartoon for Karachi Television about that time.
Nazar later freelanced for The Herald monthly before publishing books of Gogi cartoons, the first in 1975.
Gogi's style is usually gentle. She points out in one strip that the traditional headscarf, the chaddar, actually has advantages, such as hiding one from creditors.
Gogi and friend once remarked on the disparate
reaction to male births and female births. When a son is born, the father passes out cigars. When a daughter is born, a father simply passes out. "That was my first meaningful cartoon," Nazar said.
Newspaper editors in Pakistan are not always receptive to Gogi as a mouthpiece for modern urban women, she said.
"I don't do political cartoons until I get very, very angry," Nazar said. "And then they don't get published. Now I can put them on my website" — gogicomics.com.
However, Nazar draws the line at parodies of Islam.
"I would never dream of doing anything disrespectful to Islam," she said. "I wouldn't make a cartoon about the prophet. I wouldn't do one of Jesus Christ, either."
On most other topics, Gogi rarely is silenced for long. Nazar's social messages on everything from sexual harassment to equal education opportunities eventually began appearing on the sides of buses in Islamabad and Lahore.
"I took it out of the newspapers and onto the streets," Nazar said. "With the illiteracy rates in Pakistan, cartoons are a good way to get messages across."
Through Gogi, Nazar has tackled topics such as AIDs, arranged marriages, domestic violence, government corruption and sectarian strife.
Nazar, along with characters other than Gogi, also has helped with health and hygiene illustrations for UNICEF. She's written and drawn children's storybooks on the environment, such as "The Garbage Monster." She's painted hospital murals and illustrated comic books to help children avoid recruitment as suicide bombers.
"There are problems," Nazar said. "It's how you approach them, in a creative way."
She recently held a workshop on cartooning at a retreat for girls in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where the Taliban had blown up some schools and threatened female students. The Taliban there surrendered to Pakistani troops in mid-September.
Newspaper editors in Pakistan are not always receptive to Gogi as a mouthpiece for modern urban women, she said.
"I don't do political cartoons until I get very, very angry," Nazar said. "And then they don't get published. Now I can put them on my website" — gogicomics.com.
However, Nazar draws the line at parodies of Islam.
"I would never dream of doing anything disrespectful to Islam," she said. "I wouldn't make a cartoon about the prophet. I wouldn't do one of Jesus Christ, either."
On most other topics, Gogi rarely is silenced for long. Nazar's social messages on everything from sexual harassment to equal education opportunities eventually began appearing on the sides of buses in Islamabad and Lahore.
"I took it out of the newspapers and onto the streets," Nazar said. "With the illiteracy rates in Pakistan, cartoons are a good way to get messages across."
Through Gogi, Nazar has tackled topics such as AIDs, arranged marriages, domestic violence, government corruption and sectarian strife.
Nazar, along with characters other than Gogi, also has helped with health and hygiene illustrations for UNICEF. She's written and drawn children's storybooks on the environment, such as "The Garbage Monster." She's painted hospital murals and illustrated comic books to help children avoid recruitment as suicide bombers.
"There are problems," Nazar said. "It's how you approach them, in a creative way."
She recently held a workshop on cartooning at a retreat for girls in Pakistan's Swat Valley, where the Taliban had blown up some schools and threatened female students. The Taliban there surrendered to Pakistani troops in mid-September.
Caricature Competition
Dear CARTOONISTS,
The Indian Institute of Cartonists, Bangalore
is conducting caricature competition
SUBJECTS TO CARICATURISE...
SRI MANMOHAN SINGH &
SMT. SONIA GANDHI
PRIZES : Rs. 1,00,000/-, Rs. 50,000/-, Rs. 10,000/- & Rs. 5,000/-
ENTRIES CAN BE SENT EITHER AS PAPER DRAWING OR BY E-MAIL
DEADLINE : 15.11.2009
Please participate…
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Watford Observer cartoonist Terry Challis has died
Warm tributes have been paid to Watford Observer cartoonist Terry Challis, who has died aged 74.
Terry’s cartoons were an established part of this newspaper’s coverage of events on and off the pitch at Watford FC for more than 30 years, and his work will be known to and remembered affectionately by thousands of Hornets fans.
Former Watford Observer sports editor and Watford FC communications manager Andrew French has been among those to pay tribute to his former colleague, who passed away on Thursday, describing him as a “wonderful bloke”.
“Some people are lucky enough to be born with one God-given talent – Terry was blessed with two: he was an incredible artist and a naturally funny man,” Andrew said. “Watford supporters were able to enjoy both those skills through his famous cartoons, the like of which were – and still are - unrivalled. He had the knack of empathising with fans, sharing their highs and lows.
“It was a privilege – not to mention great fun – to work alongside him during my time at both the Watford Observer and Watford FC. I cannot think of anyone who made me laugh harder.
“Quite simply, Terry Challis was a wonderful bloke.”
Terry’s funeral will be held at 3pm on Wednesday, October 21 at West Herts Crematorium. No flowers are requested.
A selection of Terry’s cartoons will be featured in a tribute to him in this Friday’s Watford Observer.
Terry’s cartoons were an established part of this newspaper’s coverage of events on and off the pitch at Watford FC for more than 30 years, and his work will be known to and remembered affectionately by thousands of Hornets fans.
Former Watford Observer sports editor and Watford FC communications manager Andrew French has been among those to pay tribute to his former colleague, who passed away on Thursday, describing him as a “wonderful bloke”.
“Some people are lucky enough to be born with one God-given talent – Terry was blessed with two: he was an incredible artist and a naturally funny man,” Andrew said. “Watford supporters were able to enjoy both those skills through his famous cartoons, the like of which were – and still are - unrivalled. He had the knack of empathising with fans, sharing their highs and lows.
“It was a privilege – not to mention great fun – to work alongside him during my time at both the Watford Observer and Watford FC. I cannot think of anyone who made me laugh harder.
“Quite simply, Terry Challis was a wonderful bloke.”
Terry’s funeral will be held at 3pm on Wednesday, October 21 at West Herts Crematorium. No flowers are requested.
A selection of Terry’s cartoons will be featured in a tribute to him in this Friday’s Watford Observer.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Visual extravaganza
RK LAXMAN — The Uncommon Man:
Collection of Works from 1948-2008:
Dharmendra Bhandari;
Copies can be had from author,
B-44, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur-302017.
Rs. 1500.
Rs. 1500.
By CHITRAPU UDAY BHASKAR @ The Hindu
India’s best known and most revered political cartoonist, Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman (b. 1924), better known by his alter ego — the silent ‘common man,’ who has been appearing daily in The Times of India for over 50 years, will be all of 85 years on October 24 and the book under review is an appropriate tribute to this extraordinary and very ‘uncommon man.’
Compiled by Dharmendra Bhandari, a family friend of long standing, the book traces the evolution of R.K. Laxman — brother of the celebrated author of Malgudi fame, R.K. Narayan, in a brief introduction of 16 pages. The rest of this sumptuous book is a veritable visual extravaganza of Laxman’s nimble quill and the incisive imagery that he so deftly created, and still creates, on a daily basis. An illustrious son of Mysore, the young Laxman fits the description of being a born artist and, as he recalls in his autobiography, “I do not remember wanting to do anything else [in life] except draw. I do not remember a day when I have not sketched, whether it was time to prepare for examinations or lying in bed recovering from a bout of fever.”
The book is broadly divided into four visual sections that focus on different facets of Laxman’s vast oeuvre: art, caricature, humour, and political cartoons; the last section alone has about 190 pages. As the text reveals, Laxman began his career as an illustrator for the Mysore University magazine and then graduated to The Hindu, where he provided the visuals for the short stories of his brother Narayan. Later the artist visited Madras and Delhi to make his career as an illustrator and cartoonist but with little luck. It was more by chance that he stopped in Bombay before going back to his hometown and he related to the great metropolis with an empathy that is as vibrant after more than half-a-century.
Earlier, Laxman had sought admission to the JJ School of Art — but was rejected for he “lacked the kind of talent” the institution was looking for! This rejection seems to have been a blessing in more ways than one because he then pursued his journalistic career with great determination and never looked back. After a brief stint at the Blitz and the Free Press Journal (where his fellow cartoonist was Bal Thackeray), the little-known Laxman began to embellish the pages of The Times of India. By 1954, the bespectacled common man with the bulbous nose and checked coat — now universally recognised as the face of the average Indian, the aam aadmi — became Laxman’s signature.
For 55 years now, his daily cartoon has appeared consistently (barring the Emergency period) and in a pithy single column of a mere two inches, the artist makes an incisive socio-political comment with his rich visual complemented by a caption of a few words. And the little man in the funny coat is a silent spectator — as he has been for decades — exploited, harassed, deceived, but still stoic. Cartoonist apart, Laxman is also an author of three books and has tried his hand at films.
Among the nuggets strewn in the text is the little known detail that famous film star Shah Rukh Khan got his break via a Laxman TV serial — ‘Wagle ki Duniya’.Affectionate tribute
Laxman warrants a more detailed comment but this book is an affectionate tribute and will hopefully spur others to make a critical assessment of the vast body of work created by this gifted man. Paradoxically, while politics and politicians have been his bread and butter for decades, he avers that the role of the cartoonist is now over — for the Indian politician has now become so brazen, that the skill of the cartoon is no longer required to expose the turpitude of the ‘neta’ and the torment of the ‘common man.’ Laxman’s many fans will pray that he does not take his own pronouncements too seriously!
India’s best known and most revered political cartoonist, Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman (b. 1924), better known by his alter ego — the silent ‘common man,’ who has been appearing daily in The Times of India for over 50 years, will be all of 85 years on October 24 and the book under review is an appropriate tribute to this extraordinary and very ‘uncommon man.’
Compiled by Dharmendra Bhandari, a family friend of long standing, the book traces the evolution of R.K. Laxman — brother of the celebrated author of Malgudi fame, R.K. Narayan, in a brief introduction of 16 pages. The rest of this sumptuous book is a veritable visual extravaganza of Laxman’s nimble quill and the incisive imagery that he so deftly created, and still creates, on a daily basis. An illustrious son of Mysore, the young Laxman fits the description of being a born artist and, as he recalls in his autobiography, “I do not remember wanting to do anything else [in life] except draw. I do not remember a day when I have not sketched, whether it was time to prepare for examinations or lying in bed recovering from a bout of fever.”
The book is broadly divided into four visual sections that focus on different facets of Laxman’s vast oeuvre: art, caricature, humour, and political cartoons; the last section alone has about 190 pages. As the text reveals, Laxman began his career as an illustrator for the Mysore University magazine and then graduated to The Hindu, where he provided the visuals for the short stories of his brother Narayan. Later the artist visited Madras and Delhi to make his career as an illustrator and cartoonist but with little luck. It was more by chance that he stopped in Bombay before going back to his hometown and he related to the great metropolis with an empathy that is as vibrant after more than half-a-century.
Earlier, Laxman had sought admission to the JJ School of Art — but was rejected for he “lacked the kind of talent” the institution was looking for! This rejection seems to have been a blessing in more ways than one because he then pursued his journalistic career with great determination and never looked back. After a brief stint at the Blitz and the Free Press Journal (where his fellow cartoonist was Bal Thackeray), the little-known Laxman began to embellish the pages of The Times of India. By 1954, the bespectacled common man with the bulbous nose and checked coat — now universally recognised as the face of the average Indian, the aam aadmi — became Laxman’s signature.
For 55 years now, his daily cartoon has appeared consistently (barring the Emergency period) and in a pithy single column of a mere two inches, the artist makes an incisive socio-political comment with his rich visual complemented by a caption of a few words. And the little man in the funny coat is a silent spectator — as he has been for decades — exploited, harassed, deceived, but still stoic. Cartoonist apart, Laxman is also an author of three books and has tried his hand at films.
Among the nuggets strewn in the text is the little known detail that famous film star Shah Rukh Khan got his break via a Laxman TV serial — ‘Wagle ki Duniya’.Affectionate tribute
Laxman warrants a more detailed comment but this book is an affectionate tribute and will hopefully spur others to make a critical assessment of the vast body of work created by this gifted man. Paradoxically, while politics and politicians have been his bread and butter for decades, he avers that the role of the cartoonist is now over — for the Indian politician has now become so brazen, that the skill of the cartoon is no longer required to expose the turpitude of the ‘neta’ and the torment of the ‘common man.’ Laxman’s many fans will pray that he does not take his own pronouncements too seriously!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Here is your chance to doodle for Google!
Your design could feature on the Google homepage for millions to see.
Are fond of doodling? Your simple designs might just have a chance to grace the homepage of one of the world most frequented search engine- www.google.com. Every now and then, on a few special days, visitors to the Google homepage sometimes see something different -- creative, catchy, artistic variations of the regular Google logo. These "doodles" appear on some special days, to commemorate scientific and artistic achievements, historic or seasonal events, and other local occasions. Their eye-catching designs also often teach you something new about a day, event or occasion whenever you happen to stumble upon them.Google is hosting the Doodle 4 Google contest, which is the first ever 'doodling' competition in India. This will give any school student in India a chance to draw on the most exciting canvas in the world, by creating a doodle for the Google India homepage, to be seen by millions of Google users!!
The theme of the competition is "My India", and students will be asked to create a doodle by giving a pictorial depiction of what India means to them. The winning doodle will be displayed on the google home page, on Children’s Day, November 14, 2009. The final winner will also win a laptop, and a technology grant of Rs.1,00,000 for his/her school.Announcing the launch of the Doodle 4 Google competition, Arvind Desikan, Head of Consumer Marketing from Google said, "Creativity, innovation, and a sense of fun are at the heart of Google's culture and beliefs. Through Doodle 4 Google, we hope to celebrate the immense creative talent and richness of ideas of students across the country. We are delighted to be able to give school students across India the opportunity to doodle for Google."
Doodles will be judged on artistic merit, creativity and the communication of the "My India" theme. The judging panel will include faculty and students of the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, the Doodle 4 Google partner institute. Renowned cartoonist N. Ponnappa, and young emerging Indian artist Raghava K.K. will also be judging the winning entry.Pradyumna Vyas, Director of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad said: "NID's mission is to foster world-class design education and promote design awareness and excellence while rooted to the cultural ethos and traditions of our country. At the same time, we want to make design education relevant to today's context, and demonstrate the social and economic benefits of design, especially the pivotal role it plays in social development. We are happy to collaborate with Google's Doodle 4 Google initiative, and we are certain that it will encourage the creative art and design talent of young students all across India, many of whom may be the finest design minds of the future."According to Ponnappa, "A culturally diverse, vibrant emerging superpower that India is, this Doodle 4 Google competition is bound to open the eyes of the world to the immense creativity and talent that young Indians have to offer. I look forward with great anticipation to seeing the spontaneity, simplicity and surprise in the artwork.""Doodle 4 Google will unleash our young creative potential. Cartoons make people laugh and think -- I am confident that our kids, the storehouses of Indian creativity, will give Google a doodle to remember," remarks Raghava K.K.
Are fond of doodling? Your simple designs might just have a chance to grace the homepage of one of the world most frequented search engine- www.google.com. Every now and then, on a few special days, visitors to the Google homepage sometimes see something different -- creative, catchy, artistic variations of the regular Google logo. These "doodles" appear on some special days, to commemorate scientific and artistic achievements, historic or seasonal events, and other local occasions. Their eye-catching designs also often teach you something new about a day, event or occasion whenever you happen to stumble upon them.Google is hosting the Doodle 4 Google contest, which is the first ever 'doodling' competition in India. This will give any school student in India a chance to draw on the most exciting canvas in the world, by creating a doodle for the Google India homepage, to be seen by millions of Google users!!
The theme of the competition is "My India", and students will be asked to create a doodle by giving a pictorial depiction of what India means to them. The winning doodle will be displayed on the google home page, on Children’s Day, November 14, 2009. The final winner will also win a laptop, and a technology grant of Rs.1,00,000 for his/her school.Announcing the launch of the Doodle 4 Google competition, Arvind Desikan, Head of Consumer Marketing from Google said, "Creativity, innovation, and a sense of fun are at the heart of Google's culture and beliefs. Through Doodle 4 Google, we hope to celebrate the immense creative talent and richness of ideas of students across the country. We are delighted to be able to give school students across India the opportunity to doodle for Google."
Doodles will be judged on artistic merit, creativity and the communication of the "My India" theme. The judging panel will include faculty and students of the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, the Doodle 4 Google partner institute. Renowned cartoonist N. Ponnappa, and young emerging Indian artist Raghava K.K. will also be judging the winning entry.Pradyumna Vyas, Director of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad said: "NID's mission is to foster world-class design education and promote design awareness and excellence while rooted to the cultural ethos and traditions of our country. At the same time, we want to make design education relevant to today's context, and demonstrate the social and economic benefits of design, especially the pivotal role it plays in social development. We are happy to collaborate with Google's Doodle 4 Google initiative, and we are certain that it will encourage the creative art and design talent of young students all across India, many of whom may be the finest design minds of the future."According to Ponnappa, "A culturally diverse, vibrant emerging superpower that India is, this Doodle 4 Google competition is bound to open the eyes of the world to the immense creativity and talent that young Indians have to offer. I look forward with great anticipation to seeing the spontaneity, simplicity and surprise in the artwork.""Doodle 4 Google will unleash our young creative potential. Cartoons make people laugh and think -- I am confident that our kids, the storehouses of Indian creativity, will give Google a doodle to remember," remarks Raghava K.K.
From among all the entries received, 45 of the best doodles will be chosen by the judges and displayed on the Doodle 4 Google website, where people can vote for their favourite doodle in each of the three age-categories, based on the class in which a participant is studying. The final winner will be decided by Google's original doodler and webmaster, Dennis Hwang, who created Google's first doodles in 2000, and continues to create them even today!Participating in the competition is simple. Here are a few more details for participants:The 'Doodle 4 Google- My India' competition is open to all students between the 1st and the 10th standards, studying in any school in IndiaStudents can register online at www.google.co.in/doodle4google, where they will also find all the information needed to take part in the contest.Entries will be judged in 3 categories: (a) 1st-3rd standards (b) 4th - 6th standards, and (c) 7th - 10th standards
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Rebooting Your PC (Weenies)Krishna M Sadasivam
By Wolfen Moondaughter
http://www.sequentialtart.com
I had the pleasure of meeting Krishna at this year's MegaCon, where I found him amongst the members of Nightgig Studios, in the Artist's Alley. His work is eye-catching and quite funny, and Krishna himself is a charming fellow. When he told me recently that he's releasing a collection of one of his webcomics, PC Weenies, I figured it was high time for an interview ....
Sequential Tart: What's your artistic background?
Krishna M Sadasivam: My education has largely been self-taught. I received formal training in my late 20s at the Savannah College of Art and Design, fulfilling a life long dream to study animation. Currently, I teach as a full-time instructor in the Media Arts and Animation department at the Art Institute of Tampa. When I'm not teaching (or making my webcomics), I freelance as a cartoonist/illustrator.
ST: What got you into doing comics?
KMS: I've always been fascinated with comics and cartoons from a very early age. Initially, what drew me in were the Warner Bros. cartoons (specifically, the Road Runner/Coyote cartoons). I discovered comics when I was around four or five, when my parents bought me my first three-pack of Gold Key comics. For a number of years, I read Gold Key and Whitman books. Later, in high school, I developed a strong interest in super-hero books. And in college, I discovered the fascinating world of independent comics. Seeing the sophistication and variety in subject matter of these independent books got me to seriously dip my toes into getting serious about the craft.I've been making comics since the eighth grade. On the web, I've been making and publishing comics since 1998........
Pls log on to...
http://www.sequentialtart.com/article.php?id=1495
http://www.sequentialtart.com
I had the pleasure of meeting Krishna at this year's MegaCon, where I found him amongst the members of Nightgig Studios, in the Artist's Alley. His work is eye-catching and quite funny, and Krishna himself is a charming fellow. When he told me recently that he's releasing a collection of one of his webcomics, PC Weenies, I figured it was high time for an interview ....
Sequential Tart: What's your artistic background?
Krishna M Sadasivam: My education has largely been self-taught. I received formal training in my late 20s at the Savannah College of Art and Design, fulfilling a life long dream to study animation. Currently, I teach as a full-time instructor in the Media Arts and Animation department at the Art Institute of Tampa. When I'm not teaching (or making my webcomics), I freelance as a cartoonist/illustrator.
ST: What got you into doing comics?
KMS: I've always been fascinated with comics and cartoons from a very early age. Initially, what drew me in were the Warner Bros. cartoons (specifically, the Road Runner/Coyote cartoons). I discovered comics when I was around four or five, when my parents bought me my first three-pack of Gold Key comics. For a number of years, I read Gold Key and Whitman books. Later, in high school, I developed a strong interest in super-hero books. And in college, I discovered the fascinating world of independent comics. Seeing the sophistication and variety in subject matter of these independent books got me to seriously dip my toes into getting serious about the craft.I've been making comics since the eighth grade. On the web, I've been making and publishing comics since 1998........
Pls log on to...
http://www.sequentialtart.com/article.php?id=1495
Google homepage logos
This very basic logo is from 1999 when Google was still operating as a Beta site.
In March 2002, this logo celebrated French artist Piet Mondrian's birthday.
In May 2002 cartoonist Scott Adams was commissioned to draw a series of 'Google Doodles', this is the logo he came up with.
Leonardo da Vinci's birthday is celebrated with this logo from 2005.
It's artist Edvard Munch's turn in December 2006.
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! - March 2, 2009
In Jan 2008 it's Lego's 50th anniversary.
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