Chris Slane: A New Age Cartoonists

Till now, we have seen old school cartoonist who only used to draw cartoons and in magazines, newspapers but today we are going read about new age cartoonists who is not only a editorial cartoonist but also an author, a storyboard artist, a puppet artist, an illustration artist and a comic creator. I am talking about Chris Slane, a cartoonist from New Zealand.

Christ Slane

Chris took Bachelor of Town Planning degree from the University of Auckland. He used to contribute for the student magazine ‘Craccum’. Mr. Slane was fascinated by the War Picture Library and the Disney artwork by Mr. Bark. Slane used to visit his classmates house which was full on British War comics, his friend got bored but Slane continued to visit and enjoyed the art. Slane was so mesmerized by the artwork; he said in his one of interview that, “I spent hours in there looking at the great detailed art”.

Slane’s cartoons have been appearing in the NZ Listener magazine since 1991. He worked for many comic books like 'Maui: Legends Of The Outcast’, which tells a story of a mythological character popular in New Zealand ', 'Nice Day For A War: Adventures of A Kiwi Soldier in WW1’ which tells the war story in comical and interesting way

Nice day for a war comic by Slane and Elliott

, Maori history, legends and a contribution to Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars Tales. Slane also co-creator of the puppet troupe 'Hands Up', Slane wrote, constructed and performed satirical items for Television New Zealand's 'Tonight Show', designed and performed puppet characters for the children's series 'Space Knights' as mentioned on his website, www.slane.co.nz.  Slane has also contributed to the field by writing an essay named, "The Role of Cartoons in Town Planning". Slane first did cartoons for New Zealand Privacy Commissioner where his father was working; he now also draws for big corporations like Microsoft who are very keen about privacy policies.

When someone questions him about relativity of his cartoons he answers,’ People enjoy the act of recognition. It's about simplifying reality, taking out the essential elements and reproducing them. I think that's in all art – something we recognize that we're hard-wired to appreciate’. Slane who credits his experience in the field for the successful survival over the years in different areas related to media, frankly tells, he started his career in New Zealand when change was happening in the media. This boosted his career. Now Slane presents his cartoon to millions virtual viewers online, he has separate Facebook Page for all his major works in comics,he communicates via twitter(@Slanecartoons), a website and a blog. He even gives opportunity to purchase his art work online. These all things surely make him a new age cartoonist.

Chris Slane Cartoon on Whistle -Blower Act

Do you think presence on all the media is major factor of Slane's success?

Patrick Oliphant : An Evergreen Cartoonist

Mr.Patrick Bruce Oliphant was born in July 24 1935 in Australia. He is popularly known as “pat”. Mr. Oliphant’s career started as a copy boy with the Adelaide News. He used to do all the small works related to copy in the ‘Adelaide News’. This gave him much needed experience. Later he worked as a staff cartoonist in the Adelaide Advertising before shifting to America.

Mr.Patrick Bruce Oliphant

Mr. Oliphant got job in ‘The Denver Post’ in America. He replaced, Paul Conrad in the paper and brought his own style. Later in life he moved to the ‘Washington Post’ paper. American professional cartoonists Jack Ohman describes him as a,” one who (Mr.Patrick Bruce Oliphant) created a sensation here because he combined a brilliant writing style with a very accessible, bold line stroke that shattered the standard cartoon tropes of elephants, donkeys, ticking time bombs, and furrowed-brow Uncle Sam. Oliphant threw stones when a lot of his peers were throwing sponges”.

Patrick Bruce Oliphant’s worked for more than 50 years; still he kept fresh approach of looking towards the happenings and his work. Oliphant has influence of great cartoonist Illingworth, Low, and Searle in his work. “Punk the penguin” was his signature cartoon. Mr. Oliphant says so many cartoonists draw the same year after year, when they find a style, they stick with it. They don't mess with innovation, and they become boring. He adopted new styles in order keep freshness in his cartoons. Oliphant calls himself a liberal ideologically. Today he is considered as one of the founding fathers of modern American political cartoons.

Credit-http://www.loc.gov/

Oliphant won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1966 with this cartoon showing  Ho Chi Minh, president of North Vietnam, carrying a dead Vietnam soldier. By 1966 there were 190,000 American troops in South Vietnam, and North Vietnam was receiving military support from the USSR and other Communist states. North Vietnam was asking South Vietnam to denounce US support to begin with peace talks. This picture not just talks about the war but also tells how Americans were looking at Vietnam War. By showing dead soldier and laughing general shows that North Vietnam cocky and irresponsible attitude as perceived by American society and as a cartoonist.

Oliphant weds two great traditions in political cartooning: the subtle wit and detailed artistry of the British tradition with the more blunt, spare style that persists in America as critique by ‘Library of Congress’ at their website(www. loc.gov/exhibits/oliphant/oliphant.html). At the Library of Congress his cartoons and sketchbooks will be preserved alongside the most extensive collection of American political prints in existence. When asked how it feels to be winner of the ’Pulitzer Prize’, the ‘National Cartoonist Society Editorial Cartoon Award’, the ‘Reuben Award, the ‘Thomas Nat Prize’, Mr. Oliphant politely replied, “I can always see what I've done wrong. I'm always learning. I'm the perennial student”.

Oliphant sustained successfully in the field over 50 years; so going by above note on him, what made him contemporary cartoonists more than 50 years?

Cartoonist who fought against Fascists

Many times in a life, we often come across persons who have created a new way of dealing with the subject without having formal education of the one, Sir David Low was one of them. Without having the formal education Sir David Low created wonders in the field of editorial cartoons. Sir David Low is considered as the greatest cartoonist of 20^th century. Sir David Low became role model for many artists all over the world, not only by his strokes, but also his fearless expression of creativity.

Sir David Low was an extra ordinarily creative as well as a studious kid. He used to study for so long that Low was taken out of the school, as his parents believed that he had been weakened by over studying. Low’s used to draw cartoons for his hobby. His first cartoon published in the British comic book called “Big Budget”, when he was just 11 years old. Interestingly Sir Low was first attracted towards the field of cartooning and caricatures by seeing British comics only.

Low worked for the Sydney Bulletin in Australia, later went to London to pursue his career. Sir Low also worked in the Canterbury Times where he got popularity due to his cartoons on William Hughes, the then prime minister of Australia

Low joined the Star, a London evening paper. This paper gave enough freedom to Sir Low. His cartoons in this period were influenced by left-wing thoughts. In 1927 he joined the Evening Standard as a political cartoonist. He made it clear before joining that, there would be no editorial interference in his work. The Evening Standard’s management also agreed and assured Mr. Low to give complete artistic freedom and to give dedicated half a page for his cartoons. This helped Mr. Low a lot in order to work on the concept as well as to sketch a cartoon detailing many things. Low’s many legendary characters like the Two-headed Ass, the TUC carthorse, and the Colonel Blimp are created in this period

Every artist needs an opportunity or an event to express his creative capabilities fully. Second World War gave such to the Sir Low. Disregarding the fact the Fascist forces were power in the beginning, Low continued to make fun of the Fascist by showing hollowness in their ideology. Sir Low’s cartoons on Fascist forces were so hard hitting that, the Hitler added his name in ‘A Black Book’, a list comprises of the persons to be punished after winning the allies. Even after getting threats, censor notices from various important persons he continued to fight a war against the Fascists. In a broader sense, Sir Low’s cartoon reduced the fear about the Hitler and gave kind of confidence which was needed.

Sir David Low's cartoon depicting Hitler dancing over the democracies due to spineless leaders.

 Sir Low used to describe himself as a nuisance dedicated to sanity. Being a cartoonist it is sometimes necessary to create inconvenience for the things which could harm the larger interest. So, Sir David Low, in his 50 years of career created such nuisances for evils with his 14,000 drawings and inspired many to do so. Sir David Low, showed not just an art but a fearless way to fight mighty enemy that too democratically, that is priceless!

So what you think, what are the reason due to which Sir David Low was seen as threat to Nazis?

Bal Thackray : A cartoonist who sketched an ideology

We have always seen him as a firm leader addressing the masses,we also know him as a cartoonist.His cartoonist mindset helped him to address people with proper words on appropriate timing for example his reactions were spontaneous and courageous. He began his career as a freelance cartoonist and ended up becoming supremo of a major political party ' Shivsena'. His way to becoming Hindu Hrudaysamrat (king of Hindu hearts ) goes through his canvas ,yes we are talking about Bal Thackray popularly known as "Balasaheb".

Mr. Bal Thackray in his early days in Free Press Journal 

Living in small town called Bhiwandi , his father first observed his child's liking towards drawing and encouraged as well as guided him. His father Mr.Keshav Thackary gifted him a brush which was first of his life, buying a brush was costly affair that time as told by Bal Thackray  in one of his interviews. Bal Thackrays's father Mr.Keshav Thackeray who was also a writer and socialite,used to ask him,"did you draw anything in a day?",after coming home in the evening from his office. Bal Thackray used to observe the cartoons published in the' Times of India 'and try to imitate them. Every day,after returning from his office, father Mr.Keshav Thackray used to compare the cartoons published in' The Times of India' and cartoons by his son.In 1945 Bal Thackray started working in the'Free Press Journal' as a cartoonist, left in 1947 due to some issues with the management. After that he started working for the magazine called ' Film India ',in those days he was also freelancing. Bal Thackray came back to 'Free Press Journal' on 1952 on the special request by ex-editor and also major shareholder of the 'Free Press Journal'  Mr.S. Sadanand  '. Mr. Sadanand made special request to Bal Thackray to rejoin the 'Free Press Journal 'and offered him to pay him heavily. Later working in Free Press, managing director, A.B. Nair once intervened and censored Bal Thackrays cartoons drew on Minu Masani and S.K.Patil prominent leaders of those days. Thackray got angry and asked the peon to type resignation note and submit it to management, and went home.(Bal Thackray used make fun of his name by saying there is AB in his name but does not know ABC of journalism being managing director of the one).

In early sixties Bal Thackray started the magazine called Marmik (subtle) along with his brother Mr.Shrikant Thackray.The name was suggested by his father. Magazine was started with an intention of business through entertaining the people by caricatures and cartoons. It was first such experiment in Marathi language. It quickly became hit due to its sarcastically funny language, social message, funny comments on contemporary happenings and the most important cartoons. Kumar Ketkar, the eminent journalist said in his interview after the demise of Mr.Bal Thackray that, "there was the time when people used to eagerly wait for the magazine".The magazine then started publishing atrocities on Maharashtrians in their own city, later it became campaign and Shivsena the political party formed by going magazine campaign via moment via agitation  route.

Bal Thackray's cartoons were fun along with creative copies. Thackray's bold personality expressed in his caricatures,his lines and strokes were more confident,bold and firm compared to his brother's cartoons,as per his nephew and cartoonist Raj Thackray. Bal Thackray had an ideology which reflected through his cartoons, his ideology was of his father's and of social realism. Bal Thackray was very much impressed by his father's work on social issues which always reflected through Bal Thackray's work.
Bal Thackray was famous for his detailing in cartoons, if he has to draw a bus stop he used to draw what are possible things present around a bus stop and he was opposed to generalizing. Sketching was more important for him than inking. Indira Gandhi was one of his favorite models for cartoon. Thackray used to show her nose longer than normal. He always wanted to take proper education in cartooning but somehow it did not happen then he was happy when his nephew Raj Thackray learnt from the 'JJ school of Arts'. Bal Thackeray's cartoons helped him to form a movement which later turned to political party.Thackray's some of the work , selected by the book "Churchill biography in cartoons ".He himself said once, I became Shivsena supremo only because of my cartoons.He criticized people heavily through his cartoons but always maintained good relations in person. He took forward the legacy of criticizing in funny as well as sarcastic way of his father. Lets hope such legacy of  cartoons will also prevail by many of his fans and fellow artists.



  (Credit http://media.indiatimes.in )