Kari Soumalainen: A fine Finnish cartoonist

 If a person has very good experience, in depth knowledge and knows the art of convincing his opinions then that person most likely to be taken seriously than others.  Power centers seek comfort level to that person and avoid conflict; if power centers fail to do this then they just try to shut him/her up.  When Finish cartoonist Kari Soumalainen, exposed The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics then USSR did every possible thing to silence his art.

Kari Soumalainen started to work for the newspaper called Helsingin Sanomat in 1951. This newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat was under political censorship by the Russian authorities, prompted by the paper's strong advocacy of greater Finnish freedoms and even outright independence. Kari Soumalainen was famous for comments on the social happenings by skillfully using stereotypes and letting people feel mighty things as common by his cartoons. He tried to reduce power distance by cartoons. For an example USSR who was dominant world power, considered as the second world that used to bully Finland in her policies. Kari Soumalainen in many of his cartoons showed fallacy in USSR approach toward small region like Finland.  TIME magazine praised this Kari Soumalainen‘s effort by commenting following thing for an article dedicated to his work,`( Kari Soumalainen ‘s cartoons) set Finland's political leaders to quaking in their boots, and delighted his countrymen by seeing Red with a sharp satiric eye.’ . Kari Soumalainen when got commended for this work he said that it was his duty to be an anti-communist.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, Finland was beginning a new era in its history without any restrictions from the east specially USSR.  Kari criticized very strongly on the decision to open doors to immigrants and war refugees, Somalis in particular (he drew them in a fashion that left little doubt of his opinions concerning blacks in general and Somalis in particular).

Kari Soumalainen‘s cartoons changed the way people looked at the political parties in Finland. Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland; was his favorite model to draw cartoon on.  Kari Soumalainen man of principles stopped drawing cartoons on him when Urho Kaleva Kekkonen became president in 1956 by abiding "unwritten law" forbidding caricaturing the president.

(translation)You can no longer travel safely in this city. Context is missing. You can spot two of Kari's signature cartoons right corner, walking on the street.

In his professional career, Kari Soumalainen left the main stream publication for ideological difference with their editorial line. Kari Soumalainen started working for local publication. Kari Suomalainen also wrote crime stories. He authored a book which features three short stories about inspector Wilson that were published in the Finnish pulp magazine, Lukemista Kaikille. Later Kari Suomalainen’s cartoons became monotonous and old fashioned as per his critics. However Kari Suomalainen was brilliant in peak professional time, he has set moral, ideological guidelines for future Finnish artists. Not only Finland but world will remember his contribution to Finnish patriotism. 

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 )