CHAPTER
CHAPTER
CHAPTER
I - Introduction
expressive, and bold. It also uses colors like paintings but the principal
Lines, used by a cartoonist, are more visible than the common lines
because most cartoonists do not draw things as they appear in real life.
features of head, hands or feet. They show certain parts of the body
are the examples that a cartoonist draws with the help of certain visible,
expressive and bold lines. Though it is not like other arts which have beauty
but it is a unique art which is more powerful than other arts in terms of its
purpose of correcting the hitherto wrong and rotten norms of the society, and
way of leading political leaders in the good path, many cartoonists make
Magazines for example Rajesh K.C. and Vatsyayana in the "Kantipur" and
"The Kathmandu Post", R.K. Laxman in The Times of India, Keshav in The
Hindu and so on. Accepting cartoon art as an unique art, Ram Kumar
commonly taken definitions that many people and books give their views
about it. The Penguin Dictionary of Art and Artists introduce cartoon:
The cartoon was rubbed on the back with chalk and the main
lines were then gone over with a stylus thus transferring them
contours pricked through and fine charcoal dust was then '
cartoon itself. The procedure for Fresco was more complex but
possible to tell which were used for transfer, from the presence
supports cartoon as humour and satire drawing and says: " As a popular
graphic form of fart carton is the most powerful drawing of humour satire
Subedi believes: " A cartoonist, in his cartoon art, sometimes gives power
Translation). On the other hand Kundan Aryal says: " As newspapers are
the literature written hurriedly, cartoon is an art that is drawn hurriedly" (13).
( My Translation)
started from the Bible with Satan as a character, in the form of a snake, who
talks with Eve to tempt her. We can trace the genesis of cartoon in the
good book can speak of imaginary people so vividly that they seem more,
alive than people we meet on the street and can make us feel about its
Not only that while writing a story, the storywriter brings setting, plot
(action), atmosphere, tone etc in his craft. Among these, plot is another
that the characters perform. A writer may first imagine some characters, and
then decide what actions they are to perform. Every work of literature,
however, must have both actions and characters. And the action should go
art since it delivers the meaning that it wants to deliver with the help of some
special form of art to present amusing appearance with the help of colorful
they have big or long noses, big heads and so on. While taking about
a third or even half of the body length. Oversize heads help the
action. (216)
the satire is made, would not be angry. Great political figures desire to their
good cartoon includes satire which can be understood very easily. Cartoon
cartoons combine words and drawings alone. The message that a cartoon
perceive a cartoon very easily and it expresses the similar lesson using few
literature. Both of them have some message to convey to the people. They
both exploit certain types of characters, setting, action and atmosphere. J.K.
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Rolling's Harry Porter and Rajesh K.C.'s cartoon character with lined cap
are somehow the same. They both are the continuous (serial) characters of
their art. J.K. Rollings' Harry Porter is the hero of her every Porter series and
a man with lined cap is the eye wittness of every action in Rajesh K.C.'s
literature:
Cartoon and drama both need characters, action (Plot), setting, tone
Though the given message might vary, they both express it through their
that's why people want to know what is it rather than what it should be. So,
even in cartoon, people don't want any caption (words). Cartoon that speaks
itself through its exploited lines would be the best form. Making Cartoon
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and giving captions to convey message isn't effective. In this context, Ram
Best cartoon is that which has no caption and speaks itself i.e.
cartoon also is able to express the message that a cartoonist wants to express.
Not only this, there are many aspects by which we can say that
cartoon and drama are similar. As in the drama, a cartoonist also exploits
certain characters to make his representation just like many dramatists drive
during the time of load shading. The man with lined cap represents the
that is given in this cartoon is very appropriate that obliviously shows that it
is night time and there is a load shading. The action that is shown by given
two characters are also very remarkable; the meter checker is trying to note
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the meter and another lined cap man is carrying a candle at his hand. The
acting in the drama. We can bring Abhi Subedi's view upon cartoon as a
drama:
Its target, its characters can bring both negative and positive
In this way, the above given similarities between cartoon and drama
prove that cartoon is somehow like drama. That's why it is an unique art.
Both genres, cartoon and poem, are the means of expression. They
can equally express the inner psyche of the creater. A cartoon can easily
attracts an observers' attention and given him a bit of pleasure with its
strongest way of delivering one's ideas with musicality which gives the touch
of pleasure.
imaginative qualities, and its special rhetorical devices such as simile and
metaphor. On the other hand, a cartoon is distinct from an art due to its
more emotional and imaginative caricature drawing such as the twisted and
extra drawings of a certain part of the body i.e. head, nose etc. In this
regard, it is very obivious that cartoon and poetry both are highly emotional
and imaginative form. Defining the word "Poem", The concise Oxford
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Poetry explains:
voice. What your eyes see on the page is the composer's verbal
phenomenon like cartoon which is not only to read rather also to see and
It is an example of a poem that is made for the eye. The chief concern
ideas or emotions, not language as ordinarily used but with the "reduced
The poet may be telling us about a cat, but may also be showing its
"Catness" in action — as far as this can be done by black and white letters on
a page. We see the cat's tongue is a U, and so on. The pun in the cat's
middle stripe (stripes) is the only place where language aspires towards
cartoon. For it, it is not necessary to give caption rather we can get
Rajesh K.C., the people of Bajura who are suffering form starvation get
which parodies the individual and, allusion, which creates the situation or
Buffalo Bill's
defunct
Who used to
and break one two three four five pigeonjustlike that Jesus
Mister Death
Except the message that this poem gives, the running together of
haunting where bullet is used and the shape of the poem is also like a bullet.
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Just like a cartoon which talks through the exaggerated lines, the shape of
this poem also talks the message (of bullet) that it wants to give.
In a poem, we can get pleasure through its rhythm. Music is the heart
essayist organizes his scattering ideas into a limited topic and tries to convey
Though there are different kinds of essay according to its subject but
all kinds of essays are either in formal and informal. Formal essay is
objective essay in which we can see intellectual interests of the essayist but
Formality Informality
Objectivity Subjectivity
Essay
Monologue Article
Biographical, Personal,
Scientific, Playful,
Historical, Sketch
Expository,
Critical
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certain topic. He gives his logic to describe and prove his topic. In this way,
journals, as well as among the serious articles on current topics and issues in
and imaginative experience. The author assumes a tone of intimacy with his
audience, and tends to deal with everyday things rather than with public
cartoon. Formal cartoons are those which are made according to the demand
editor, s/he can edit them. Talking about the history of formal cartoon,
of “Jauprays”. (28)
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For William A. Gamson and David Satuart, cartoonists are not autonomous
formal cartoon is also relatively impersonal art. Describing about it, they
write:
and their parents. Children, satirizing upon to the government of Ireland and
rich people he says, is the burden of the nation as well as that of the parents:
charge upon their parents or the ret of their lives, they shall on the
thousands. (178)
cartoon can have similar sorts of power like that of an essay. Here is a
cartoon that Rajesh K.C. published in The Kathmandu Post where he, as by
Which hide 49 prisoners. Not only that, one of its captain kidnapped police
officers and beat them mercilessly. The given cartoon where Bhairav is
Nepal. In this way, a cartoon has great power like that of a great essay.
usually carries a theme that is dramatized or acted out by the subject matter-
language, atmosphere and tone, and even allegory and symbolism. By doing
so, a story writer reveals his main idea. That is why a story is invented
denotes only narrative that are written in prose (that novel and
parts of body while making his cartoon. A person's head actually measures
only about an eighth of the total body. But the head of a cartoon character
may be a third or even half of the body length. Sometimes the cartoonist
cartoonist also use symbols to express some special things like Vatsyayan
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does, in his cartoons. He uses a black crow because black crow is a symbol
that brings information about good luck. The World Book Encyclopedia also
help them tell the story. For example they use a light bulb
also see Ram Kumar Pandey's definition in his book Nepalese Cartoons
which is:
in the action. In this given cartoon the lined cap man is an actor who's
announces that the government will make compensation if your vehicles are
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damaged during bandhas .... . As is the story, these are the characters of
asking questions and other students are taking exam and there is a guard
teacher. This incident takes place at a exam hall, as shown in the cartoon, is
the setting of the story. The atmosphere and tone is comical, and theme is
political satire.
In this way, the cartoon is an unique art which alone can fulfill the
the cartoon represents certain types like (i) political actors, (ii) socio-cultural
form and (iii) figures. Even the caption that is given in the cartoon is very
letters. So, cartoon is an art, not like common art, it expresses the motifs that
The word "Voyeur" derives from French verb Voir (to see) with the -
eur suffix that translates as -er in English. A literal translation would than
observing other people, but, here, we try to find a voyeur in a cartoon how
he observes the activities of that particular cartoon like the lined cap man in
every cartoon. In every cartoon, he stands at a corner and views the events.
Similarly, we can get a certain voyeur in each and every cartoon. The World
sees but doesn't interact with the object of his voyeurism. (406)
topics:
2.1 Cartoonist
the cartoonist himself is the voyeur. It is his vision that he tries to show in
the cartoon art. A cartoonist draws cartoon as he perceives from the society
but not how others take or feel to the same event. But I don't mean that
fulfill the demand of an editor, he brings his own perspective in the cartoon
art rather than of an editor because it would be drawn by himself but not by
an editor.
To prove this claim, we can talk about some cartoons and cartoonists.
unknowingly shows his dominating attitude towards the female because like
cartoon is the mirror of the society where we can see many social and
cultural aspects in the cartoon. So, we can see a cartoon from socio-cultural
point of view. A cartoon has the capacity of shaking the whole world. As
Denmark with a bomb on his head which stirred the entire Muslim world.
Because cartoon is related with identity and culture and this modern world is
the world of cultural identification, any clash that happens is the clash of
related to culture. Talking about the conflict and power of culture, Samuel
Order, writes:
we are not and often only when we know whom we are against.
(20)
identity, cartoon of this modern world, is also deeply related with culture and
his/her culture itself. That is why a cartoon made by a Christian artist shows
cartoon. A cartoon also plays vital role like that of a bulky canonical book
world, there is no high and low art, all the arts have the same stands. That is
and "high art" and that were considered the lower forms that
television "soap opera", and rock and rap music and within the
colonial tasks, the voyeur of a cartoon certainly plays one of the major roles
societies because it is the society that shapes one's mind. That is why it is
the kinds of clothes we wear, the meals we serve, the buildings we inhibit,
drawn by an American artist to prove that the cartoonist is the voyeur of the
Soviet power in a very negative way. The whole of Russian is shown in the
form of a bomb. The horrible and dirty figure of this cartoon symbolizes the
hatred of an American towards the Soviet Union and its power. It proves
during post-war American society because after 1945 A.D., U.S.A. provided
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could prove that their policy was better. This weapon cartoon, dominating
and satirizing the Soviets, was made after the launching of the first Soviet
So, they satirized the Soviet Union toying with the destructive bomb because
in American's view Soviet Union was destructive and savage. It is the view
of thez cold-war period when America and Soviet were in two opposite axis
and main enemy of each other too. Although there wasn't external war
between them, there was deep psychic war between them. And this cartoon
them. In this way, we can obviously claim that the voyeur of a cartoon is the
cartoonist himself because he gives his own interest and point of view
through cartoon.
not Soviet? Why did he satire the launching of first Soviet satellite in 1957
the voyeur of the cartoon, he gives his personal view in the cartoon. Abhi
of the society and whatever he draws that is all about the society. It means a
society, his mind is shaped according to the norms and notion of the society.
If there is domination of the male, generally the characters drawn by him are
related with it directly or indirectly because Karl Marx says: "It is not the
consciousness of men that diathermies their being, but on the contrary, their
from a higher class, we can trace out his domination towards the lower class.
and lower class renders in voiceless ness. Similarly, if the cartoonist is from
lower class, he brings his own interest that's why it would be better to talk
separately about class, gender, race, faith and political change on cartoons.
2.2.1 Class
means it is a division of the society where there lies upper class, lower class,
find existence of such classes over there. And the voyeur might be upper or
lower class. If the voyeur is from upper class, s/he neglects or criticizes the
lower class. He shows his own interests. And if the voyeur is from lower
class, s/he also establishes his own interests because he knows his problems,
and feels that his problems are the major problems; which is a natural
phenomena: if a person is in great threat, he first saves his own life only then
thinks about others so, a lower class voyeur might criticize or even condemn
mentioned classes, there are also many other classes in the society. Educated-
movement, Nepalese society has become the witness of some other new
government, it equally talks about the condition of the lower class people.
Batsyan. Here husband brings a huge load of price hike and his wife asks:
what's that huge load? And husband answers: Don't know.. They say its
compulsion. The voyeur of the price hike is the poor people because they
are compelled to bear its effect. Upper class people can't feel how it is very
difficult to face this reality that's why the voyeur of this condition is also
Even a woman watching from another house the carrying of this load
becomes very sad because she fears from the compulsive load of the price
hike. She too is the voyeur from the lower class who is the real person to
experience the obstacles of this experiment. She can feel the problem of
carrying the load of price hike. That is why she looks very sad. Thus, the
objective perspective.
2.2.2 Gender
Gender roughly corresponds to the two sexes: male and female, and
also the sexlessness or neuter. Though the feminists criticize this gender
anatomy, the prevailing concept of gender-of the traits that are conceived to
is the voyeur of the cartoon. Because naturally males want to view female
and vice-versa.
passive victims are compelled to bear the problem, it also has another
aspect. That is why the cartoonist chooses a naked girl. It is because the
cartoonist is male. The cartoonist might have thought that a nude girl could
draw people's attention easily. But the hidden reality in such kinds of
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female.
Vatsayayana "Timepass"
(Basibiyalo) in The
the clothes worn by an old man. The paradox is that the man is really an old
modern women, but here is a big plan behind showing a woman in such
uniform.
There are many cartoons where female are shown clothless with big and
cartoonists are the male. They take pleasure in seeing women in such
conditions. Though some male cartoonists draw male cartoons, they show
process, great feminist Simon de Beauvoir says; "One is not born but rather
cartoon, she shows male characters quite negatively: drunkard, rapist etc. I
mean to say that a female voyeur generally wants to see male negatively
2.2.3 Race
physical characteristics than the other. Talking about race, we can bring
black and white races of America which are the most opposite in physical
appropriate context to talk is the clash between the Arab Muslims and the
Americans (White or Christian). Even in our country Nepal, this term race
often gets great political issue in the parliament or in the society as well.
Sometime, tribal race, Terai origin, Mongolian, Dalit and others. Since this
is the modern world, every race wants to establish its own kind of existence.
While talking about the voyeur in cartoon, we can trace some touch of
racism in cartoon. Human beings feel happy to show their own supremacy
the white race, he prefers to see the scene where his race is dominant
because a voyeur is the one who pleases himself by observing such scenes.
At the sametime, if the voyeur is from the black race, he likes to observe the
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scene where blacks are making their own identity against the white
scheme. But this extremity of showing a local tribe is being biased towards
them. Because the voyeur of this cartoon is the common man from Hindu
Brahamin family, respected as the first class in society. So, the voyeur is
making fun of a lower race's people with a view that they are worthless
people. For this so-called higher race, local tribal are the means of
placing him on the table. Thus, we trace some racial prejudices in the
2.2.4 Faith
Faith is a belief, a system of religious belief like the Hindu faith, the
Muslim faith, Buddhist faith, the Christian faith and so on. Faith is related
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various sources.
of the Christian power Bush as a prostitute who dances for money in a sexy
pose.
including Bush are tearing at the flesh of a prone Saddam Hussein while
others turn their backs on the scene and jiggle away, following the lead of a
belly dance. To heighten the mix of the profane and the sacred, the dancing
girl performs the gymnastic feat of balancing the holy black stone, or Kaaba,
of Mecca on her head. In this way, the Islamic voyeurs take joy seeing such
scenes that ridicules Bush. Here I again want to draw the example from an
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earthquake in the Islamic world. But I am sure that many Christian voyeurs
might have got pleasures seeing it thinking that it is very appropriate because
Islam is their opponent, they think. Thus, faith plays vital role in the
2.2.5 Rebellion
doesn't harm on flesh but into the brain. In this context we can frankly say
that cartoon plays vital role in bringing political change in any country. The
modern cartoon means the political cartoon because they sketch cartoons to
writes that modern cartoon generally brings political satire though it was
used for various purposes in the past. Burning examples of such political
cartoons are the cartoons that are used to publish in The Kantipur and The
clarifies that cartoon has great political connotation which brings social
get afraid too. They also get afraid who don't want to improve
also fear with it. Cartoon got its space in India after it became
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Cartoons are directly link with politics and with the developments
1990 there was no freedom to express one's inner feelings but after 1990
people acquired it and this genre developed. Vatsyayana also supports this
and says: "Democracy turned to be the boon for the cartoonists. (5)" On the
other hand, C.K. Lal, in Himal magazine (15 - 30 June, 2006) proves cartoon
"An Easy Art of Difficult Time" and writes, "mainly political cartoons got an
what we can say is that almost all the modern cartoons are political.
Furthermore, C.K. Lal, sees it from a Marxist point of view and adds
in the same article that all the stereotypical arts can not bring social and
political changes. We have to bring counter art like cartoons to change the
change, counter arts: pop music, one act play, short story or
To prove the above points, we can see some cartoons. In this first
connotes how these leaders are greedy for chair. They are die-hard snatchers
o power:
And this is the reality of the Nepali's any common minimum program
because all the parties are hungry for chairs. They are not doing politics for
the betterment of Nepal and its people, but only for name and fame. To
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satirise the same condition of Nepal, we can observe Rajesh K.C's cartoon
where he has shown Girija Koirala and Madhav Nepal reading a newspaper -
Sonia Gandhi Sacrifices Premiership. And they are telling to each other.
"you must read this news". Though theoretically both of them pretend of
being sage but in reality both of them are number-one greedy for the chair.
By this cartoon, Mr. K.C. wants to give a pinch for such political leaders of
Nepal which one of the major feature of political cartoons. The voyeur of
such political cartoons are the common people like us because we are the
Though the initial point of cartoon is not fixed, man began to sketch
cartoon from very ancient time at the Cave, where they used to live, on the
walls of Churches and temples, and other places to convey certain meaning.
and Rome. Rome had tradition to display satirical frescoes during the time
of festivals. Even in the churches this spirit was practices in the comic skill
we see fee at Pashupati and other famous Hindu temples. These are the
burning examples that cartoon is also an ancient genre which has been there,
in the human civilization, in different forms. While talking about the history
To talk about the history of cartoon, we can also bring The World
ancient Egyptian walls and Greek vases: “Comic art dates back to ancient
times. For example caricatures have been found on ancient Egyptiian walls
and Greek vases (219).” But it accepts that cartoon did not gain wide
popularity until the 18th century. It further talks about the early cartoons and
says early cartoons were also loaded by political and social connotation
which as it describes:
(220)
From above given citations what can we say is that this cartoon art,
though began from ancient time, was initiated systematically almost two
years back from Europe. In 1841 designs for wall paintings for the new
Among the most famous of Punch’s cartoonists was Sir John Tennial,
where political cartoons were a feature of the magazine for fifty years. In
the united states, Thomas Nast, whose work appeared in the magazine
characters, and a looser style than did magazine cartoonists. Using editorial
In the late 1800’s the strip cartoon (panel cartoons) evolved in the US.
The earlier comic strips featured wild, slapstick forms of humour. The use
between two U.S. newspapers, the New York World and the New York
“Hogan’s Alley.”
Today, many comic strips are syndicated to newspapers all over the world by
comment on political and social issues which regained popularity after world
war II (1939-1945).
already there, its political and social importance was reinforced by 2007
Nepali Newspapers also began to give cartoons with the motif of decorating
their newspapers since they didn’t know about the value of cartoons.
Though India exported this genre from British, it flourished in India widely
within a decade. Because of this, some cartoonists like Shanker and R.K.
Laxman got worldwide name and fame, Kundan Aryal, in his latest book
the role of those buffoons and the modern cartoonists are the
Even in Nepal there were some typical cultural practices to mock the
ills of society like Gaijatra but it would be better to talk about Indian
than R.K. Laxman of India”, Ram Kumar Pandey in his book Nepalese
Cartoons says “Infact, Vatsyayana has been found influenced by this Indian
giant (74). So, we are going to know R.K. Laxman and his cartoons.
best known for his “ The Common Man” (wearing dhoti and checked coat).
R.K. Laxman was born in Mysore, now a part of the South Indian
state of Karnataka. His father was a headmaster and he was the youngest of
8 children. His elder brother, R.K. Narayan, was one of India’s best known
Mysore.
Swarajya and Blitz. Whilst still at the Maharaja’s College, Mysore, he began
to illustrate his elder brother R.K. Narayan’s stories in The Hindu and he
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drew political cartoons for the local newspapers and for the Swatantra. He
went to Delhi to find a job as a cartoonist. The Hindustan Times told him he
was too young, that he should start with provincial papers. Then he went to
Mumbai and he began cartooning for the Free Press Journal, a newspaper in
Mumbai. It was his first full time job. Six month’s later he joined The
Times of India as a staff cartoonist which has spanned for over fifty years.
He is best known for his daily one panel comic “Pokcet cartoon” series You
Said It, which features The comman Man and chronicles the state of Indian
“You Said It” is a caroon series that he used to publish daily through
The Times of India. As in the cartoon of Rajesh K.C. that we find a lined
cap man, in the cartoon of Laxman we find a common man wearing dhoti
and checked coat. The Common Man is the creation of cartoonist R.K.
Laxman. For close to half a century, the common man has represented the
hopes, aspirations, troubles and perhaps even foibles, of the average Indian.
The common Man generally acts as a silent witness to all the action in
the cartoons. Since he is the witness of all the actions, he is the eye witness
of all the activities of India. The common Man balances all the faults of his
lava burst-Laxman is too cozy, pleasant decent and gentle. So, Ram Kumar
lines:
46
of India. (26)
values of the society. When he began to draw the cartoons in The Times of
characters, until finally he found only one remaining the now familiar
put up here.
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It is the great satire that they are chopping down the beauty of nature
and saying that they are beautifying the place. Everyone knows the fact that
there is nothing more beautiful than the nature. Nature is the mother of all
beauties. She is the Goddess of beauty that’s why Romanticists always say
back to the nature. These late eighteenth and early nineteenth century
scholars came to know the importance of nature but those modern Indian
aren’t aware.
But there isn’t such black humour by which someone has to lost his
many awards for his cartoons including Asia’s top journalism award, The
sketches there have existed religious base (at different temples) and cultural
unconsciously we have been using cartoon in our day to day lives because
Nepal is religiously and culturally rich in this field. Ganesh and Kumar are
the sources of Nepalese humour and satire. An epic book of religious field
in Nepal, the Swostani, presents Ganesh, the fat God, with his vehicle mouse
and Kumar with peacock. Mahadev wanted to taste their wisdom. So, he
ordered them to revolve round the Sumeru and Kumeru. Kumar went out to
take round of the Sumeru and Kumeru but Ganesh was very fat and his
vehicle was a rat that’s why he began to round his parents (Mahadev and
round out. But Ganesh became wise and tricky with his big belly and
elephant head and Kumar, a normal and sincere one, became dull in this
characters of this epic present the picture of cartoon with satire like Daksha
myth, but our oriental culture has more than others. Gods and Goddesses
with many hands and heads represent the picture of cartoons in our epics.
For it, we can see the cartoons those are made at different temples on the
wall as well as on the doors and window pans. While talking about
Cartoons views:
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To talk about the ancient cartoon, we can talk about the sculptures of
humorous mood and gesture. Old Sculpture of such nature are interesting.
12th. Century, Samvara of National Museum, 17th century are some of them
and all these are based on religious stories. Regarding the tradition of
and Gathe Mangal tradition in Nepal also helped to promote cartoon shape
and figures of various nature” (34). Although these figures cartoon features,
they are in fact not real cartoons. The history of modern and real cartoon
growth of press nad paper. Not only this, cartoon began to florish in Nepal
and so on. Talking about this tradition Kundan Aryan, in his book Cartoon
published cartoon for the first time. And some people claim
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translation)
written books with illustration of water colour and Ink. There was also the
tradition of wood cut print and engraving. There was the traditional art of
After 19th. Century, cartoon like illustration strated to print with the help of
wooden block. Anyway, the concept of cartoon flourished only after 1950.
like Samyukta Prayas, Naya Sandesh, Samiksha, Rastra Pukar, Aarati and
Gobardhan Shah, Shashi Shah, Naresh Kausis were some of the noted
root the foundation of the democracy. So, the main credit to flourish cartoon
goes to political newspapers. Because before 1960 there has been prepared
Balaram Thapa, Durga Baral and Mohan Shyam Maharjan. They made
were wooden. So the wood block maker distorted original shape of the
cartoon. The quality of the then cartoon as such was some time quite
deferent than what the cartoonist's original one. Though zinc-block began
after 70's, it couldn't remain longer due to the development of offset press.
humour genres like comic, cartoon and literature got chance to florish. This
Nepal. It was published since 1984 (2041 B.S). It broke record in having
Academy Award three times. Abhi subedi, to the preface of Rajesh K.C.'s
Cartoon Collection, views that "Bhandvailo" united the words and cartoons.
Translation)
Kamana is the most famous which is also used to publish during the
occasion of Gaijatra. It also won Academy Award for three times. All the
cartoons in their humour issue that's why they are helping for the
development of cartoon.
cartoon creating phenomena prove that there are many cartoonists in Nepal.
But only a few cartoonists are abele to create their name and fame in this fun
field. Among them we are studying abale two pioneer cartoonists Durga
of this field:
Baral. He has a long experience in this field because he started his career
B.S.). He passed his childhood in Pokhara. He also done his schooling form
Pokhara.
training in graphic art from Japan in 1968. He has also participated in the
working for a vernacular weekly “Naya Sandesh”. The title of his column
given title according to the demand of his editor. So, those cartoons were
job oriented than his original creation. He has also contributed to develop
Matribhumi are some vernacular weeklies in which his cartoons were mostly
published. Not only this, his cartoons have been publishing in different
cartoons under Pokhareli Yuba Sanskriti Paribar for the first time in the
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early 1980’s with ticket show in Pokhara. Similarly, Pale Punya Bahadur
“Batsyayana and His Barbs” in which post 1990’s cartoons are collected.
His cartoons mainly attack on political and social injustice. He plays with
the every shade of humour, wit, satire, irony, slapstick, buffoonery and
Through the long, prolific years the man from Pokhara has never hit anyone
below the belt. And that makes him Nepal’s most beloved cartoonist.
People say that his cartoons give political and other consciousness with
smile. Praising the theme of his cartoons, Ram Kumar Panday, in his book
atmosphere and (c) humors touch gives it life. His works are
some cartoons drawn by him. In this cartoon, two veteran political leaders
of Nepal: Man Mohan Adhikari of NCP (UML) and Girija Psd. Koirala of
Nepali Congress are pulling a baby seat (Jhalunga) from two ending: Due to
it, a small baby democracy (refrence of 046 B.S. when democracy was just
come in Nepal) is falling down on the ground. On the one hand, it is a great
satire to those political parties and leaders who are involving in the such
its garden that’s why it is uprooting. On the other hand, it gives a kind of
awareness to the political leaders and they get a chance to realize their
returning from India taking 100 millions donation but he doesn’t find any
detoriated. There is great political crisis in the nation. It throws mild irony
upon these political leaders who go in foreign without solving the political
problem of the country, they don’t get any space into the nation since the
a kind of realization that before they do anything for the nation, firstly they
should bring a kind of political solution in the nation. Only after that their
activities will be fruitful otherwise, it will just like in the given cartoon.
So, due to the use of signs and symbols, it becomes ten times more
effective. Due to the good combination of satire and time, it gives very
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to its viewer with smile. Making happy even in the difficult time is the
time, it will be easy to face the sadness. In this way, the cartoon made by
Batsyayana makes it’s audience conscious about political and social facts
Batsyayana’s cartoons:
a. Political awareness, [. . .]
b. Humour, [. . .]
c. Historical aspects, [. . .]
e. Creation of culture, [. . .]
Translation)
know three things: (a) an artist should have general knowledge about
painting, (b) capacity of bringing humour, and (c) beat. He came to know
bringing good news. In this given cartoon too, we can find a black crow at a
corner.
they made them conscious with smile as well as make easy to face the
making cartoon art popular, in new generation, goes to him. Because his
single panel funnies: “Gajab chha Ba!” in Kantipur and “This Aside!” in The
Kathmandu Post have been churning out for more than a decade now.
middle class family. From very childhood, he was interested as well as good
competitions and used to get postitions and prises. During his calss three
when he saw it at a newspaper. And his first cartoon that the published for
the first time in “The Rising Nepal”, after great struggle, he says. But his
in Phagun-7, 2049 B.S. He began to publish one strip panel cartoon daily.
Though his cartoons, in the beginning, were not effective. Even people did
not pay attention on cartoons because the cartoons made by him were not
initial period of his career, there wasn’t any fundamental creation by him.
draw cartoon related with the recent hot news. So, people began to
appreciate his cartoons people began to send him their comments regarding
his cartoon. With the span of time, he became more and more famous.
People began to take him as a cartoonist. Mainly he became famous for his
published more than twenty five hundred cartoons. And he worked for
through cartoon. He has also published a cartoon collection with 156 of his
important aspects of his cartoons. His cartoons are very powerful. Though
they appear in a small size, they fire a salvo. The cartoonist’s subject matter
drawing attention to social ills like child labour and corruption. To express
Rajesh K.C.’s Cartoon Collection, finds three aspects behind Rajesh K.C.’s
Translation)
finds Rajesh K.C. one of the possible great cartoonist and writes:
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the name that comes at the very first is Rajesh K.C. using very
contemporary events with the bunch of laugh. He flashed of insights into the
Nepali ethos provide both a welcome break and a catharsis: they offer a
glimpse of the way things are and for once people can laugh at the expense
of high and mighty. His cartoons are mainly political. It means he gives
political awareness to the common people with laugh. His cartoons can be
language. Not only this, his cartoons equally make realize the faults to
political leaders. Because his main characters are the political leaders who
are corrupt and crazy of chair. Abhi Subedi, in the same book, further
comments:
positive effect in the time. Whether they are like Hitlar or like
The misunderstanding of this new minister measures his intellect. How dull
he is. How can a nation get prosperity from such kinds of ministers. On the
other hand, it satirizes the previous corruptions in the nation from those
ministers. So, general secretary doesn’t want such notoriousness from his
colleagues again.
hand.
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To sum up, Rajest K.C.’s cartoons are able to convey what the news
can’t, by giving voice to everyman, the everyman who is above petty party
their messages through lines (drawing) alone. Because lines, exploited in the
may speak a thousand words but cartoons sometimes say even more. It
means a cartoon speaks with the help of lines (drawing) and language
(words). While talking about the message of cartoon, The World Book
Encyclopedia writes:
Though some cartoons speak itself without taking the help of words,
but words (language), given in the caption, play the role of pickle” to the
delicious meal of cartoon. But I don’t mean to say that only cartoon can’t be
combining the caption because lines are the ancestor of the words. C.K. bal,
combination between lines and words (drawing and caption) make a cartoon
we can see some cartoons in which we can observe the capacity of lines.
Firstly we can see the facial expressions of the cartoon by which we can
easily and immediately guess how a cartoon character feels: happy, sad,
than
developed countries which are exploiting the people of different nations and
making them their servant like dog in the name of various kinds of praises
and gifts.
This is another simple but witty cartoon of caps reveals how there
might come revolution and evolution. A king or a very rich man can turn in
a beggar according to the process of time. These cartoons are the examples
drawing and words. Because caption makes a cartoon bunch of punch if the
caption is very simple and related with day to day affairs. Not only this,
understand for each and everybody. Rajesh K.C., one of the leading
that every one will understand and at the same time it has to pack that
is written” Democracy (Pvt.) Ltd.” We can guess the role of the caption in a
know! Who will be the winner, that “vice” will be the acting prime minister!
to show despair and so on. The World Book Encyclopedia describing about
Cartoonists use symbols as a type of shorthand to help them tell the story.
For example, they use a light bulb above a character’s head to indicate a
bright idea. A dark cloud over a character’s head shows despair. (216)"
attract attention of their observers very fast and easy that’s why they use to
oversize like head, fact, rose etc. Anyway due to this oversizing
accepts that the cartoonists don’t draw the things as they appear to them but
they bring turning and twisting over the real one because:
action. (216)
cartoonists add action, speech balloon and other major objects to make the
related drawings are called comic strips. In creating a comic strip, the
cartoonist must present the action so that the reader can easily follow the
story from drawing to drawing. Such kinds of cartoons are made while
Mood Movement
(Character) (action)
CARTOO
Movement
(Situation) N Magnitude
(Dimension)
speaks the massage that a cartoonist wants to express. All arts show the
drawing board’s upper and lower concaves are just like the lens, like the
big belly some have short body. These verities of reflections of a cartoon
because chosen words make a cartoon more lively than without words.
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Although the cartoons were used in the ancient time like the
illiterate people towards their religion, but cartoon in this modern time, is
one of the main means in the media to spread social and political awareness
to common people. It means a cartoon speaks through media that’s why its
theater is media. To strengthen the point that the theater of the cartoon, in
this modern time, is media, we can see few lines of The World Book
effectively. (216)
cartoons are presented through different kinds of media, media is the theater
of the cartoon. Even Ram Kumar Pandy, on his book Nepalese Cartoons
books begin in 1960s” (Iv). Because the cartoons got space in Nepal from
1960s and whenever it got space here, it is media that has been working as a
theater to perform different kinds of cartoons. The main medias which work
i) Newspaper
iii) Television
separately because only then we can easily realize how cartoon speaks in
5.1 Newspaper
newspaper which carries a cartoon up to common people and only then the
cartoon is able to leave its impression and expression upon them. It means
the newspaper is the main theater of any cartoon where it performs its role
making cartoon very popular goes to the newspapers. If we talk about the
context of Nepal, it is newspapers which gave space to the cartoons and has
been giving more and more. So, we can easily claim that it is newspapers
which make the cartoon a very powerful genre which speaks about social
relation cartoon with press media, Ram Kumar Panday further views:
the front line which gave front space to speak the cartoons. And the cartoon
characters like The Common Man, Netaji and Guruchela left their identity
among people due to the newspapers like The Times of India. Despite
Rajesh K.C., one of the leading cartoonist of Nepal, while talking about the
which have been placing our creation in the very front. (xiv)
are being more prominent in this modern time. Because the main theater of
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the cartoon is the newspapers where they speak to give social and political
awareness to the people. To prove that the newspaper is the theater of the
cartoon, we can see cartoons those are spoken from the newspaper or cartoon
5.2 Magazines
plays vital role to develop cartoon in the other parts of the world. But in the
when Royal Nepal Academy started observing Humour Festival during the
names of the magazines is the proof that is also one of the major theaters for
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the cartoon. So, cartoons speak through the magazines. Abhi Subedi, to the
Bhandvailo (1984) which gave good voice for the cartoon:“Later on, Young
B.S.’s Gaijatra festival which made good combination between cartoon and
words” (ix). Ram Kumar Panday, in his book Nepalese Cartoons, is another
man who focused on the subject that magazine is the theater of the cartoons:
In this way,
Magazine is another
shown where people have tough competition in their lives to leave. Anyway
These other
cartoons are
also from
magazines.
These cartoon
characters are
also speaking
from the
magazine that's
why what we
5.3 Television
media also plays vital role in this modern age because it is the time and
computer and other electronics. It means cartoons are animated or given life
walk and do other human phenomena, it is very effective one. Such cartoons
speak through T.V. and computers that's why their theater is television
children. Famous cartoon channel are Disney Channel and Toon Disney
which are made and broad-cast by popular American Walt Disney. From
Disney Channel, cartoons are shown for very small kids like "Play House
Disney". In this programme, there are many cartoons like "Roli Poli Oli".
"The New Adventures of Bini the Poor", "JoJo's Circus and so on. And from
another channel Disney channel" shows "Feel of future", The Proud Family",
and so on. These all animations are very entertaining and meaningful.
These cartoons deliver their speech through T.V. that's their theater is T.V.
T.V. to entertain train the people, especially children. So, their theater is
very important theater, in this modern time, from where cartoons speak.
To sum up, newspaper, magazine and T.V. are the main Medias which
work as the theaters to speak any kinds of cartoons that is why cartoons
VI - Range of Cartoon
Range of the cartoon is extended from a very small event to the state
related with social and political power of a state. So, a single cartoon can
include the different genres like painting, literature, political and so on. It
means the cartoon is so wide that it captures each and every aspect of the
human world with the help of lines and words. Abhi Subedi, in his Preface
“using cartoon, a cartoonist brings all contemporary ruins and puts in one
capacity of cartoon which proves the range of the cartoon. He further writes:
the body to his high shoes a cartoon was made making his head
on the hole of the boot. Then such high heel shoes were named
It shows that the range of a cartoon is very wide that covers each and
every corner of social and political happenings. It catches the female hobby
what was the mistake in the past, what should be done in the present and
what might be in the future at the same time. So, it is a critic, a leader and
published in The Himal, 1-15 Asar, 2062, believes: “The role of a cartoon is
very vast. A good cartoon teases you, stares at you, mocks you, warns you,
improves you, educates you scolds you, threatens or makes you weep, laugh
and mourn at the same time"(3) (My translation). It is another oblivious view
often brings national actors in the cartoon, but he also brings a child or a
beggar the ordinary citizen of the nation. Because the range of the cartoon is
very wide, it covers from the national hero to an ordinary citizen. It also
covers the issue of nuclear bombs to the common issue of the quarrel
have not only their staff cartoonist available but can select
The vast range of cartoon is also approved from this above given
bowl of salad due to the people of different cultures and identities, a cartoon
In a cartoon by Flannery
vastness of a cartoon’s
campaigners of neutral countries, are just like a yam between two stones. It
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shows the range of the cartoon that catches even the great issues like unclear
war.
international issue like nuclear weapon and cold war, in this another cartoon,
it talks about a local issue that’s why what we can say is that the range of a
its powerful lines. It can condense everything into its lines that’s why
A cartoon image is short and direct and does not move when
single frame. It can play with every shade of humour, wit, Satire, Irony,
representing the hopes, aspirations troubles and perhaps even foibles of the
frame of cartoon.
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VII - Conclusion
Every thing depends upon the amalgamation of lines and words. So cartoon
literature, it is a unique art. Because a cartoon gives its message just like
drama, poetry, essay and story. As in a drama, it has characters and settings.
projects great satire. On the other hand, like poetry and story, a cartoon
himself. If we see the cartoon of R.K. Laxman and Rajesh K.C., they
cartoonist himself. Not only this, the voyeurism also affects by a cartoonist's
class, gender, race, faith and politics. For example, a Christian's cartoon of
Any cartoon speaks exploiting lines and words. And it speaks in medias like
modern medias, the rang of cartoon is vary wide. It can capture past,
beauty and pleasure. At the same time, the practicality of cartoon is related