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I - Introduction

1.1 What Genre is it?

Cartoon is accepted as a genre that employs lines, which are visible,

expressive, and bold. It also uses colors like paintings but the principal

stylistic features of cartoons are the lines and figures.

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.

These artists use lines and figures to exaggerate some attributes of a

character that become accentuated with the foregrounding of the unique

features of head, hands or feet. They show certain parts of the body

uncommonly large to draw viewers' attention on the subject that cartoonists

want to deliver oversized heads, oversized hands or oversized feet. These

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

giving certain messages to its observers. Taking cartoon as an important

way of leading political leaders in the good path, many cartoonists make

their cartoons on the front page of nationally famous newspapers and

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

Pandey, in his book Nepalese Cartoons, writes:

Cartoon differs from other picture in making amusement,

providing information and delivering reformation messages.


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As a simple and direct art, less beauty or grace it has much

strength and uniqueness. It is unique art form with a peculiar

purpose and paradigm. (15)

To prove cartoon as an art genre, we can also cite the definition of

cartoon in The World Book Encyclopedia where it is written that as other

forms fine arts, cartoon is also an art:

In the fine arts, the word cartoon refers to a drawing that an

artist sketches as a guide for a painting or some other work.

Such an artist differs from a cartoonist because the cartoon is

drawn only as a first step. A cartoonist, on the other hand,

works in the field of commercial art and produces cartoons as

finished drawings for publication. (217)

Cartoon is an art with a humorous or satirical intention. It is one of the

commonly taken definitions that many people and books give their views

about it. The Penguin Dictionary of Art and Artists introduce cartoon:

Now a days this normally means a drawing with a humorous or

satirical intention but the original meaning (from Ital. Cartone,

a big sheet of paper) is quite different. A cartoon in this sense

is full- size drawing for a painting usually worked out in

complete detail, ready for transfer to the wall, canvas, or panel.

The cartoon was rubbed on the back with chalk and the main

lines were then gone over with a stylus thus transferring them

to the canvas or panel; sometimes the main lines had their

contours pricked through and fine charcoal dust was then '

pouneed' through or a spolvero was used to preserve the


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cartoon itself. The procedure for Fresco was more complex but

essentially the same. Several cartoons still survive and it is

possible to tell which were used for transfer, from the presence

of pricking or the indentation of the lines. The most famous of

all, by Raphael, were for tapestries and therefore were not

transferred in this way. (66)

Ram Kumar Pandey, in his introduction to Nepalese Cartoons, also

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

world(sc)" (11). In the Preface to Rajesh K.C.'s Cartoon Collection , Abhi

Subedi believes: " A cartoonist, in his cartoon art, sometimes gives power

even to the powerless people. A person who sits feeling completely

powerless gets rebirth after bringing him/her in cartoon" (IX) . ( My

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)

Cartoon as a unique art form can be proved if we compare it with

different genres of literature because we can find a single genre of cartoon

similar to different genres of literature in various aspects.

Different scholars have defined literature differently. But what all of

them accept is that literature is the mirror of given society. It shows

whatever is happening in the society brings real and imaginative characters

to the fore. Sometimes, it also exploits non-living things like stone,

mountain etc. as characters and personalizes them. Speaking animals and

other living things as human beings is very common in literature. Since it


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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

primeval impulse of mankind. Anyway, we can see character's physical,

emotional, intellectual, moral, habitual attributes and clothing style. Readers

meanwhile, derive pleasure from literatures' power to imitate life. A truly

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

characters as if they were close friends.

Not only that while writing a story, the storywriter brings setting, plot

(action), atmosphere, tone etc in his craft. Among these, plot is another

important phenomenon of literature. It indicates the movements or actions

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

coherently only then the literature would be meaningful.

On the other hand, a cartoon is a performing art. It is deviated form of

art since it delivers the meaning that it wants to deliver with the help of some

grounding lines. Cartoon creates its effect through exaggerated amusing

illustration caricaturing satirically a person or event with some thought. A

special form of art to present amusing appearance with the help of colorful

exaggerated and satirical shape is a cartoon. To bring special meaning, it

makes twisting and turning of certain organs of its characters. Sometimes

they have big or long noses, big heads and so on. While taking about

cartoon, The World Book Encyclopedia says:


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Most cartoonists do not draw things as they appear in real life.

These artists use fewer details and may exaggerate some

feature of a character, such as the head, hands or feet. A

person's head actually measures only about an eight of the

length of the body. But the head of a cartoon character may be

a third or even half of the body length. Oversize heads help the

cartoonist direct the reader's attention to important facial

expressions, such as smile, a sneer, a squint, or raised

eyebrows. Oversized hands and feet are often drawn to stress

action. (216)

A good cartoon should be such by seeing which the person to whom

the satire is made, would not be angry. Great political figures desire to their

cartoon to be drown by good cartoonists. Though it is made to satire them, a

good cartoon includes satire which can be understood very easily. Cartoon

gives a special message exploiting only a few lines. It is a drawing or a

series of drawing that tells a story or expresses a message. Cartoon may

entertain, teach or comment about a person, event, or state of affairs. Most

cartoons combine words and drawings alone. The message that a cartoon

expresses is very simple and receptive. Even an illiterate person can

perceive a cartoon very easily and it expresses the similar lesson using few

lines as by a bulky book.

In this way, we can make a very simple comparative study between

literature and cartoon. Furthermore, we can take cartoon as a form of

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

cartoon. Labeling cartoon as militaristic literature would be quite

meaningful here since it obliviously expresses what it has to convey

consuming only a few lines, the ancestor of letters and words.

To crystallize the relationship between cartoon and literature, we can

separately make a study between cartoon and different genres of the

literature:

1.1.1 Cartoon and Drama

Cartoon and drama both need characters, action (Plot), setting, tone

etc. Both of them want to express certain messages to their audiences.

Though the given message might vary, they both express it through their

characters' actions and speeches.

As a cartoon a drama is an artificial representation of life that assumes

the audience will accept certain conventions of artifice. The audience

accepts, for example, compressions and expansions of time and space,

speeches that are supposed to be whispers, and soliloquies in which

characters reveal more about themselves than other characters know. It is

the time of naturalism than that of polished reality as in traditional literature

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

Kumar Pandey says:

Best cartoon is that which has no caption and speaks itself i.e.

wordless cartoon. A cartoon of less word is better and cartoon

with selected sentences is good. It becomes illustrative cartoon

while it goes to a long story or essay in the humor writing. It

becomes only illustration if caption is long in a cartoon. (74)

We can bring an example of a cartoon art drawn by Rajesh K.C. in

which the cartoonist has used as minimum caption as possible.

In this cartoon, an observer,

though the caption is not given,

becomes very aware about the fact

that police investigation is being

changed as revenues investigation.

As the norms of cartoon speaks itself, this above given

cartoon also is able to express the message that a cartoonist wants to express.

Similarly, in a drama, as a soliloquy, a character speaks

himself/herself rather than narrated by others. Just as a cartoon without

caption is near to naturalism, a character who speaks himself is near to

naturalism because by this phenomenon, an audience easily can perceive the

innermost desire of a character. We can clarify it by bringing an example of

the Hamlet, one of the most famous dramas by Shakespeare:

Hamlet: To be or not to be, that is the question:

Whether 'tis noler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,


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or to take arms against a sea of troubles,

And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep–

No more — and by a sleep to say we end

the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks.

That flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummation

Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;

To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the reals;

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil;

Must give us pause. There is the respect.

That makes calamity of so long life.

For who would bear the whips and scorns time,

The oppressions wrong, the proud main's contumely;

The pangs of despised love, the law's delay.

The insolence of office, and the spurns,

that patient merit of th' unworthy takes,

when he himself might his quients make

with a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,

To grunt and weat under a weary life.

But that the dread of something after death.

The undiscoveid country from whose bourn

No traveler returns, puzzles the will.

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Thus conscience does make cowards of us all


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And thus the native hue of resolution

Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,

And enterprises of great pitch and moment

With this regard their currents turns away,

And lose the name of action-soft you now,

The fair Ophelia. Nemph, in they orisons

Be all my sins remenb'red.

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

home their messages that they want to give to the

audience by the protagonist of the play.

The given cartoon by Rajesh K.C. published in

The Kantipur National Daily carries the matter that I

have talked above. The person with a lined cap can

realize the problem that he is shocked when he is

compelled to check his electricity meter with a candle

but what he finds is that his meter is running even

during the time of load shading. The man with lined cap represents the

personal of the cartoonist himself who is expressing his message of public

problem by this piece of cartoon art as a few protagonists of dramatists.

Furthermore, we can also bring other aspects of drama. The setting

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

facial expression of the meter checker is noticeable which is a kind of facial

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

effects in time. Whether they are like Hitler or like an ordinary

beggar, a good cartoonist brings these both types of characters

together and creates meaning. Such meaning becomes satirical

(VI) (My translation)

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.

1.1.2 Cartoon and Poem

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

messages that it wants to convey. Similarly, a poem is also one of the

strongest way of delivering one's ideas with musicality which gives the touch

of pleasure.

Poetry is distinct from prose mainly due to its emotional and

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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Dictionary Views: "Poem is a metrical composition, usually concerned with

feeling or imaginative description". Similarly The Norton Anthology of

Poetry explains:

A Poem is a composition written for performance by the human

voice. What your eyes see on the page is the composer's verbal

score, waiting for your voice to bring it alive as you read it

aloud or hear it in your mind's ear. Unlike our reading of

newspaper, the best reading—that is a poem involves a

simultaneous engagement of eye and ear: the eye attentive not

only to the meaning of words, but to their graociping and

spacing as lines on a page; the ear attuned to the grouping and

spacing of sounds. (IXI)

These above cited reference shows that a poem is an imaginative

phenomenon like cartoon which is not only to read rather also to see and

acquire meaning from them. Following is a visual or concrete poetry:


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It is an example of a poem that is made for the eye. The chief concern

of such a poem is with the physical appearance of poetry-not primarily with

ideas or emotions, not language as ordinarily used but with the "reduced

language" of the word itself as it appears on the page or elsewhere.

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

poetry and becomes figurative.

Similarly, we can find the expression of one's inner feelings in the

cartoon. For it, it is not necessary to give caption rather we can get

everything by the action that is given in the cartoon drawing. In a cartoon by

Rajesh K.C., the people of Bajura who are suffering form starvation get

some Relay hunger strike Banner dropped by a

helicopter telling to support the agitation. The

problem and torture of being such can be understood

by the people who are compelled to face such

problems. It is the tragedy of nation that instead of

giving food to the hungry, many political parties

taking negative advantage with them because of their

narrow self-centeredness: "political cartoons are for

the most part composed of two elements: caricature,

which parodies the individual and, allusion, which creates the situation or

context into which the individual is placed (1).".


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As a poem has its imaginative qualities, a cartoon's main device is

also to be imaginative. It plays with imagination while parodizing the

contemprorary political condition.

In a cartoon, some political leaders go to meat

shop and request the butcher to divide them equal

share of the ministers. Going to a butcher for

portioning ministers is really very imaginative. It

reveals the weakness of political leaders. The thrust

is the correction of the political ill of the nation.

To observe the cartoonistic character in a poem, we can also use

another poem by e.e. cummings:

Buffalo Bill's

defunct

Who used to

ride a watersmooth-silver Stallion

and break one two three four five pigeonjustlike that Jesus

he was a handsome man

and what want to know is

how do you like your blueeyed boy

Mister Death

Except the message that this poem gives, the running together of

words in this poem is a typical instance of cummings effort to convey

reading directions through typography. Contextually, it talks about the

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

of any poetry. Similarly, we can find, pleasure in a cartoon through its

exaggerated lines. Kundan Aryal in his book "Cartoon in Nepal Press"

presents his view:

Good cartoonist establishes his own fundamentality. Such

cartoon has beautiful graphics and lines. A cartoon should

include simple satire which can be understood easily. If such

cartoons are made for pleasure, that will be their additional

quality. (11) (My translation)

Thus, these comparisons proves that the cartoon is an unique art

which can express meanings just like poem.

1.1.3 Carton and Essay

An essay is a composition, usually in prose, of moderate, length and

on a restricted topic. It means any short composition in prose that talkes

about a particular idea indicated by its heading. While writing essay, an

essayist organizes his scattering ideas into a limited topic and tries to convey

a message to his/her readers. We can see M.H. Abrams' view on essay:

Any short composition in prose that undertakes to discuss a

matter, express a point of view, persuade us to accept a thesis

on any subject or simply entertain. The essay differs from a

"treatise" or "dissertation" in its lack of pretension to be a

systematic and couple exposition, and in being addressed to a

general rather than a specialized audience; as a consequence


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the essay discussed its subject in non-technical fashion and

often with a liberal case of such devices as anecdote, striking

illustration, and humor to augment its appeal. (82)

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

informal essay is subjective kinds of in which we can get the essayist's

interest in imaginative experience. It can be realized in the given table.

Formality Informality

Objectivity Subjectivity

Intellectual Interest Interest in Imaginative Experience

Essay

Treatise Editor Book Review "Character" Impressionistic

Monologue Article

Biographical, Personal,

Scientific, Playful,

Historical, Sketch

Expository,

Critical
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In formal essay, an essayist develops his writing being limited in a

certain topic. He gives his logic to describe and prove his topic. In this way,

the formal essay, or writing, is relatively impersonal: the author writes as an

authority, or at least as a highly knowledgeable person, and expounds the

subject in orderly way. Examples will be found in various scholarly

journals, as well as among the serious articles on current topics and issues in

any of the books or magazines addressed to a thoughtful audience- Harper's,

commentary, Scientific American and so on. On the other hand, an informal

essay is personal or familiar in which an author brings subjective feelings

and imaginative experience. The author assumes a tone of intimacy with his

audience, and tends to deal with everyday things rather than with public

affairs or specialized topics, and writes in a relaxed, self-revelatory and

sometimes whimsical fashion. Accessible modern examples are to be found

in any issue of The Kathmandu Post.

As essay, cartoons also can be realized as formal cartoon and informal

cartoon. Formal cartoons are those which are made according to the demand

of an editor. If any unwanted perspective comes that is neglected by the

editor, s/he can edit them. Talking about the history of formal cartoon,

Kundan Aryal in his book, Cartoon in Nepali Press says:

Early Nepali cartoonists like Goberdhan Shah and Shashi Shah

used to draw cartoons as directed by the editor. "Sanyukta

Prayas", and some other early newspapers. They drew

cartoons according to the demand and direction of the editors

of “Jauprays”. (28)
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For William A. Gamson and David Satuart, cartoonists are not autonomous

individuals who drew whatever is on their minds. Like a formal essay a

formal cartoon is also relatively impersonal art. Describing about it, they

write:

We do not mean to imply that these cartoonists are autonomous

individuals who draw whatever is on their mind. They are part

of the editorial staff of some newspaper, even when widespread

syndication gives them a national rather than local audience

and fame increases their freedom of action. (62)

The extreme example of an essay that satires the political situation of a

national is A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift where he gives bitter satire

to the indifferentness of the government towards the sufferings of children

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:

I propose to provide for them in such a manner as instead of being a

charge upon their parents or the ret of their lives, they shall on the

contrary contribute to the feeding, and partly to the clothing, of many

thousands. (178)

Similar kind of satire can be expressed even by a cartoon that's why a

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

Jonathan Swift satirizes an army barrack named Bharirav Natha Gulm.

Which hide 49 prisoners. Not only that, one of its captain kidnapped police

officers and beat them mercilessly. The given cartoon where Bhairav is

dancing with arms and ammunition, and a mother is making Namaskar to


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Bhairav is a very great satire for the contemporary political phenomenon of

Nepal. In this way, a cartoon has great power like that of a great essay.

1.1.4 Cartoon and Story

A story is always about something that might be imaginative or real. It

usually carries a theme that is dramatized or acted out by the subject matter-

a set of particular characters, actions, settings, and properties known as

dramatic symbols. The story is written exploiting certain characters who

involve themselves in action. Through the main characters a story writer

expresses his point of view. For it, he chooses an appropriate setting,

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

rather than factual. M.H. Abrams's view about story is:

In an inclusive sense, story is any literary narrative, whether in

prose or verse, which is invented instead of being an account of

events that in fact happened. In narrower sense, however, story

denotes only narrative that are written in prose (that novel and

short story), and sometimes is used simply as a synonym for

the novel. (94)

Similarly, a cartoon is also an invented drawing rather than an actual

drawing to bring his intention; a cartoonist exaggerates a person's different

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

oversizes hands or feet to express action. As a story writer uses symbols, a

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

believes that a cartoonist uses symbols to tell a story.

Sometimes 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 show despair. (216)

To prove a cartoon as an invented one rather than factual one, we can

also see Ram Kumar Pandey's definition in his book Nepalese Cartoons

which is:

An exaggerated amusing illustration carcaturing satirically a

person or event with some thoughts is cartoon. A special form

of art that presents amusing appearances with the help of

colourful exaggerated and satirical shapes is a cartoon. (11)

Generally, a story used to take a narrator who witnesses

all the events and persons, and narrates everything.

Sometimes even the narrator involves himself or

herself in the incident. We can also trace similar

kinds of features in cartoon art. In Rajesh K.C.'s

cartoon, we can see a man with lined-cap who

sometimes just sees an event and another time, he

himself is the active character who involves himself

in the action. In this given cartoon the lined cap man is an actor who's

compelled to walk due to bandha but a policeman sitting behind a bicycle

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

cartoon art which is very appropriate and self-speaking according to the

contemporary political condition.

Now we can clearly say that as in a story, a cartoon also has

characters who play various roles. In a cartoon by Rajesh K.C., a student is

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

expressions of every genres of literature. The characters who are figured in

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

powerful. That is why a cartoon is an intervening art between figure and

letters. So, cartoon is an art, not like common art, it expresses the motifs that

it wants to launch very humorously and satirically.


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II - Who is the "Voyeur"?

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

be "seer" or "observer", who observes the incidents. Though voyeurism

denotes to a practice in which an individual derives sexual pleasure from

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

Rajesh K. C.'s. cartoons. Except in some cartoons, he is just an observer of

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

Book Encyclopedia takes voyeur as an observer and defines:

Voyeurism is a practice in which an individual derives sexual

pleasure from observing other people. Such people may be

engaged in sexual acts, or be nude or in underwear or dressed

in whatever other way the "voyeur" finds appealing, A literal

translation of the word "voyeur" is "seer" or "observer" who

sees but doesn't interact with the object of his voyeurism. (406)

So, the voyeur of any cartoon can be discussed in the following

topics:

2.1 Cartoonist

Since the voyeur is an observer who watches the events. In a cartoon,

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

cartoonist is absolutely powerful. They sometimes also make cartoon


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according to the demand of the editor. Though a cartoonist sketches to

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.

A cartoonist's cartoon reveals his motif. If the cartoonist is a male, he

unknowingly shows his dominating attitude towards the female because like

a poem, a cartoon is also an expression of one's inner being. As literature, a

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

an example, we can cite prophet Mohammad's cartoon that was made in

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

civilization. Mohammad's cartoon shook thewhole world because it is solely

related to culture. Talking about the conflict and power of culture, Samuel

P. Huntington, in his book, Clash of Civilization and the Remaking of World

Order, writes:

Culture and cultural identities which at the broadest level are

civilization identities, are shaping the patterns of cohesion,

disintegration, and conflict in the post cold war world. People

define themselves in terms of ancestry, religion, language,

history, values, customs, and institutions. They identify with

cultural groups: tribes, ethnic groups, religious communities,


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nations and at the broadest level, civilizations. People use

politics not just to advance their interests but also to define

their identity. We know who we are only when we know who

we are not and often only when we know whom we are against.

(20)

Since, everything, according to Huntington, is related with cultural

identity, cartoon of this modern world, is also deeply related with culture and

civilization. So, the voyeur of each cartoon is the cartoonist or seer of

his/her culture itself. That is why a cartoon made by a Christian artist shows

his own interest, sometimes even dominates his opponent as in Mohammad's

cartoon. A cartoon also plays vital role like that of a bulky canonical book

(i.e. Bible, Ramayana etc.) to express something because in this postmodern

world, there is no high and low art, all the arts have the same stands. That is

why it is related to modern cultural studies. M. H. Abrams, in his A Glossary

of Literacy Terms, supporting it writes:

A prominent endeavor in cultural studies is to subvert the

distinctions in traditional criticism between "high literature"

and "high art" and that were considered the lower forms that

appeal to a much larger body of consumers. Typically, cultural

studies pay less attention to works in the established literary

canon than to popular fiction, best selling romances (that is,

love stories) journalism, and advertising, together with other

arts that have mass appeal such as cartoon comics, films,

television "soap opera", and rock and rap music and within the

areas of literature and more traditional arts, a frequent


24

undertaking is to move to the center of cultural study works

that, it is claimed, have been marginalized or excluded by the

aesthetic ideology of white, European or American males,

particularly the products of women, minority ethnic groups,

and colonial and post-colonial writers. (54)


25

If a cartoon, as the above quote mentions, is similar to so-called great

colonial tasks, the voyeur of a cartoon certainly plays one of the major roles

in the society. The message or the communication that is given by a cartoon

is the view of a cartoonist. If a cartoonist is from the Islamic world, these

possibilities of his lampooning the western and sometimes even to other

societies because it is the society that shapes one's mind. That is why it is

important to see who the voyeur in a cartoon is. Signs, exploited by a

cartoonist, should be studied to dictate the voyeurism in a cartoon. The

consideration of signs, conveyors of meaning, is not limited to explicit

systems of communication such as language, the Morse, code, and traffic

signs and signals; a great diversity of other human activities and

productions-our bodily postures and gestures, the social ritual we perform,

the kinds of clothes we wear, the meals we serve, the buildings we inhibit,

the object we deal with-convey common meanings to members who

participate in a particular culture and so can be analyzed as signs which

function in diverse kinds of signifying system. Here we can bring a cartoon

drawn by an American artist to prove that the cartoonist is the voyeur of the

cartoon drawn by him.

In this cartoon, an American cartoonist has shown their opponent 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

that the cartoonist himself is the voyeur in his cartoon.

At the same time, it reveals the American prejudices towards Russia

during post-war American society because after 1945 A.D., U.S.A. provided
26

different kinds of scholarship to be researched in such fields by which they

could prove that their policy was better. This weapon cartoon, dominating

and satirizing the Soviets, was made after the launching of the first Soviet

satellite in 1957. Putting a satellite in orbit was a great threat to America.

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

made by an American is an example of this psychological clash between

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.

To strengthen the point that cartoonist himself is the voyeur, we can

ask certain questions: why an American cartoonist gave American interest

not Soviet? Why did he satire the launching of first Soviet satellite in 1957

though it was the great human achievement? Because cartoonist himself is

the voyeur of the cartoon, he gives his personal view in the cartoon. Abhi

Subedi, in his preface to Rajesh K.C's. Cartoon Collection, believes that it is

the cartoonist’s interest that he brings in the cartoon:

Sometimes a cartoonist gives dynamism even to a static object .

A person who has taken a resigned attitude to life gets a new

lease of life once s/he is represented in the cartoons. [. . .]

A cartoon bears the burden of history. It is a clause or

paragraph in the text of the grand narration. A cartoon is such


27

a moment where the irony inherent in the history of the narrator

and the grand narration narration becomes forgrounded. (VI)

(Trans. By Abhi Subedi)

Furthermore, we can bring socio-cultural picture of characters to

locate who the voyeur is in the cartoon.

2.2 Socio-Cultural Picture of Characters

Characters are the exaggerated pictures of the cartoon drawn by a

cartoonist to express some messages through it. A cartoonist is the member

of the society and whatever he draws that is all about the society. It means a

cartoonist brings his socio-cultural picture in his cartoon since he is of 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

social beings that determines their consciousness" (194). If the cartoonist is

from a higher class, we can trace out his domination towards the lower class.

Unconsciously, he brings class discrimination. He gives voice to his 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

Any set or persons of things grouped together or differentiated from

others especially by quality: economy, education etc. are called a class. It

means it is a division of the society where there lies upper class, lower class,

professional class and so on. If we minutely observe a cartoon, we can even


28

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

to the upper class people.

Although many people try to pretend themselves as neutral, but

knowingly or unknowingly he brings his class interest. Except above

mentioned classes, there are also many other classes in the society. Educated-

uneducated, Madhesi- Pahadiya and other many more. Due to Maoist

movement, Nepalese society has become the witness of some other new

classes too: armed-armless, old generation-new generation and so on.

In this given cartoon by Rajesh K. C., the

ruled or the lower people are the voyeurs. People are

drawing (sinking) into the flood. They are losing

their lives and property but a government official is

trying to give a book which has lessons of

swimming, drinking contaminated water etc. He is

telling- for immediate relief, the government has

imported this for you.......... It contains lesson on

how to swim, drinking contaminated..... Though this is a satire to the

government, it equally talks about the condition of the lower class people.

Puzzled, hey are observing this situation.


29

Another appropriate cartoon that shows the voyeur of lower class is of

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

lower class people.


30

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

voyeur is an observer who sees events from his subjective as well as

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

division saying- it is widely held that while one's sex is determined by

anatomy, the prevailing concept of gender-of the traits that are conceived to

constitute what is masculine and feminine in identity and behavior is largely

if not entirely, cultural constructs that were generated by the pervasive

patriarchal biases of our civilization. We only talk whether male or female

is the voyeur of the cartoon. Because naturally males want to view female

and vice-versa.

The cartoon by Paul Conrad published in Denever Post, sep-6, 1961

is a burning example of male voyeurism where a girl is shown necked.

Though it carries a weighty political issue of nuclear test where many

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
31

activities is that the voyeur of it is a male, that's why, he wants to view

female.

Not only in the

foreign arena, we can also

take a cartoon done by a

leading Nepali cartoonist

Vatsayayana "Timepass"

(Basibiyalo) in The

Kantipur daily where he

has shown a lady, quite

old, in very modern

uniform who is criticizing

her husband for wearing

the clothes worn by an old man. The paradox is that the man is really an old

one though it is a kind of satire on women, especially on the so-called

modern women, but here is a big plan behind showing a woman in such

uniform.

It is because the cartoonist is a male. It means the voyeur of this

cartoon is also a male who takes gratification by watching such women.

There are many cartoons where female are shown clothless with big and

pointed breasts or engaging in sexual activities. It is because many

cartoonists are the male. They take pleasure in seeing women in such

conditions. Though some male cartoonists draw male cartoons, they show

themselves active, adventurous, rational etc. Because by this cultural

process, the masculine in our culture has come to be widely identified as


32

active, dominating, adventurous, rational, creative; the feminine, by

systematic opposition to such traits, has come to be identified as passive

acquiescent, timid, emotional and conventional. Talking about this cultural


33

process, great feminist Simon de Beauvoir says; "One is not born but rather

becomes, a women ...... It is civilization as a whole that produces this

creature .......... which is described as feminine."

Anyway we can, here, claim that if a female cartoonist draws a

cartoon, she shows male characters quite negatively: drunkard, rapist etc. I

mean to say that a female voyeur generally wants to see male negatively

showing bias towards them.

2.2.3 Race

Race indicates the major divisions of humankind, having distinct

physical characteristics than the other. Talking about race, we can bring

black and white races of America which are the most opposite in physical

characteristics and have a long history of their antagonism. Another very

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.

That is why there comes the issue of race.

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

in this world. So, sometimes certain cartoonists draw or sketch cartoon

criticizing others to establish themselves a superior. If the voyeur is from

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
34

scene where blacks are making their own identity against the white

domination and exploitation, because he pleases in doing so.

To prove it, we can see a cartoon

drawn by a great Indian cartoonist R.

K. Laxman in The Times of India in his

"You Said It!" series. In this cartoon,

Laxman has shown the new officer

appointed under the job reservation

scheme who is an important member

of a local tribe. But he is sitting on the

table of office placing his stick at the

chair. It is an extreme satire to the

government of India's job reservation

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

entertainment as shown in this cartoon where the cartoonist makes fun by

placing him on the table. Thus, we trace some racial prejudices in the

voyeur of such cartoons.

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
35

with one's psychology which

unknowingly reveals out through

various sources.

Even in the cartoon, the voyeur

achieves his pleasure watching the thing

which is according to his faith. We can

come to realize this fact if we study its

semiotics. In this given Moroccan cartoon

by Filali, In Al-Aqrab (Feb-4, 1991),

he shows Bush a as a prostitute

who is dancing in fronts of a

Saudi-Israeli customer with

alcohol and money. It is the

great pleasure of a Muslim or

Islamic voyeur to see the leader

of the Christian power Bush as a prostitute who dances for money in a sexy

pose.

Another great example of faith voyeurism can be seen in the cartoon

by Derquaoui published in Al-Aqrab (March-3, 1991) where four vultures

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
36

European cartoon of Mohammad with bomb on his head which brought

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

voyeurism of any cartoon.

2.2.5 Rebellion

Rebellion means the open resistance to authority or government with

arms. It means it is related with politics. So, it is the political aspect of

cartoon where a cartoonist uses cartoon as arm, an intellectual arm which

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

satirise the political disparity. Talking about this Encyclopedia Britannica

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

Kathmandu Post by Vatsyayana and Rajesh K.C.

Abhi Subedi, in the preface to Rajesh K.C.’s Cartoon Collection,

clarifies that cartoon has great political connotation which brings social

change through satire. He says:

Autocrats fear the cartoons. People who snatch other’s rights

get afraid too. They also get afraid who don't want to improve

their characters by listening to people’s criticism.

Antireductionists who don not want to improve their society

also fear with it. Cartoon got its space in India after it became
37

independent from British. Jawaharlal Neharu understood the

value of Shankar's cartoon and independent India accepted its

importance. He made cartoons satirizing politics and the

maladjustments of the society. To introduce cartoon as a an

important genre, they established "Shankar’s Doll's Museum"

in New Delhi. In this way, cartoon is used to project the sense

of liberation, democracy and social improvement with humor.

(VIII) (My Translation)

Cartoons are directly link with politics and with the developments

after 1990 movement for the restoration of democracy in Nepal. Before

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

opportunity of growing and developing only after the movement of 1990.

And simultaneously began the period of professional journalism (5)" Here,

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

stereotypical situation. He views:

Where art is prevailed, according to Marxist theory, there is

rooted status que to the deep. The society where classical

music, philosophy, literature or arts are spread, whether there


38

wouldn't be any political change, if it would be, that will be

with great violence like Voltaire in France, Nietzsche in

Germany or Tolstoy in Russia. For long and permanent

change, counter arts: pop music, one act play, short story or

cartoon would be more effective. The counter arts movement

those flooded after 046 tried to show the hope of organizing

democratic custom. (4) (My Translation).

To prove the above points, we can see some cartoons. In this first

cartoon with political connotation, leading cartoonist Durga Baral

(Vatsyayana) shows the bitterness of Nepali politics. Very obliviously it

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
39

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

wittness of such custom in Nepal.

Thus, voyeuristic practices

may taken a number of forms but

their main characteristic feature is

that the voyeur does not directly

interact with the object of their

voyeurism, instead observing that

act from a distance by peeping

through an opening or using aids.

Not only this, sometimes we have to

guess who might be the voyeur of a particular cartoon because it is not

oblivious there. But we become able to get it if we go minutely through it.


40

III - Historicist Mode of Cartoon

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.

It means man since the beginning of civilization is presenting some sorts of

exaggerated forms knowingly or unknowingly. Egyptian artists drew

amusing animal cartoons in 3000 B.C. Distorted and exaggerated figure of

such nature were primary creation of mankind. This is evident in Greece

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

sculptures during 13th century.

Similarly in the Hindu Culture, there was a tradition of placing

varieties of cartoons (Caricatures) on the walls and doors of temples which

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

of cartoon, Ram Kumar Panday, in his book Nepalese Cartoons, writes:

The first satirical engraving was done by a German artist E.S.

Master in the middle age around 15th Century [. . .] England in

18th century and France in 19th century adopted this cartoon.

The 19th century English Cartoonists such as Gorge Du

Maurier, John, Leech, John Tenniel expressed short comings of

the then British system both social and political. It was

inherited from Hogarth which has been carried out effectively


41

in the France around 19th century. Dummier became

outstanding in France. Other cartoonists were Garvarni,

Grandville, Monnier, Travies etc. (12)

To talk about the history of cartoon, we can also bring The World

Book of Encyclopedia where it is supported that the origin of cartoon is

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:

During the 1700’s and early 1800’s, several British artists,

including George Cruikshank and William Hogarth, drew and

sold print of caricatures. In

1754, Benjamin Franklin

drew one of the first cartoons

in the American colonies.

Franklin’s cartoon urged the

colonies to unite against the French and Indians. It showed

each colony as a part of a snake, with the caption “Join, or

Die”. Paul Revere engraved a version of this cartoon in 1774.

I urged the colonists to unite against England [. . .]

A French artist, Honore Daumier, who worked from the

1830’s to 1870’s, became known as the father of modern


42

cartooning. He drew caricatures of French leaders for French

news papers and magazines. Daumier served six months in

prison in 1832 because of a caricature he drew of king Louis

Philippe. In England, Thomas Rolandson and James Gillray

were as scathing as Daumier about British royalty and

statesmen, though they did not go to prison for their work.

(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

house of parliament, then being rebuilt after a destructive fire, were

exhibited as cartoons in the artistic sense. The newly launched comic

magazine Punch promptly published a series of sketches which is called

“Punch’s Cartoons.” From then on caricatures were known as cartoons.

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

Harper’s Weekly greatly influenced public opinion.

Towards the end of the 1800’s, editorial cartoon became regular

feature of daily newspapers. Newspaper cartoonists used less detail, fewer

characters, and a looser style than did magazine cartoonists. Using editorial

cartoons in magazines declined because daily newspapers were able to

comment on news more quickly.


43

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

of comic strips in newspapers grew quickly as a result of circulation wars

between two U.S. newspapers, the New York World and the New York

Journal. The two newspapers competed Richard Outcault’s comic strip

“Hogan’s Alley.”

By 1900, editorial and comic cartoons had firmly established

themselves in U.S. newspapers, and comic strips quickly spread to Europe.

Today, many comic strips are syndicated to newspapers all over the world by

agencies specializing in such features. And those comic strips used to

comment on political and social issues which regained popularity after world

war II (1939-1945).

Slowly and gradually this wave came up to Nepal. Although it was

already there, its political and social importance was reinforced by 2007

B.S., after democracy. Because due to the impression of Indian newspapers,

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

Cartoon in Nepali Press writes:

Within a decade of cartoon art’s entry in India from British, it

started to strengthen its root. India was rich in sculpture,

drawing, poem and so on from centuries. In the ancient time,

the buffoons used to mock indicating many things. Somehow


44

the role of those buffoons and the modern cartoonists are the

same. (18) (My Translation)

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

cartoonists before Nepalese because as I mentioned above, Nepali

cartoonists are deeply influenced by Indians. Vatsyayana is no less skilled

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.

3.1 R.K. Laxman and Theme Analysis of His Cartoons

Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman is an Indian cartoonist and

humorist. He is widely regarded as India’s greatest ever cartoonist and is

best known for his “ The Common Man” (wearing dhoti and checked coat).

3.1.1 Birth and Childhood

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

English language novelists. He has completed his schooling form Mysore.

He, then, studied politics, economics and philosophy at Maharaja’s College

Mysore.

3.1.2. His Career

Laxman’s earliest work was for newspapers and magazines such as

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
45

drew political cartoons for the local newspapers and for the Swatantra. He

held a summer job at the Gemmini Studios, Madras. After graduation 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

life. The strip began in 1951.

3.1.3 Theme Analysis of his Cartoons

“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

colleagues cartoonists like neivete, inaccurate caricature old-fashioned style,

lack of experimentation, repetitiveness and verbosity. No acid-throwing or

lava burst-Laxman is too cozy, pleasant decent and gentle. So, Ram Kumar

Pandey, in his book Nepalese Cartoonists, praises Laxman in the following

lines:
46

R.K. Laxman is an established cartoonist when worked in

developing both quantity and quality [. . .] he is popular in his

single column cartoon “You Sai It” series in The Times of

India. He has presented mood of the people through his

‘Common Man’ commenting socio-political and economic

dimensions of Indian life. (26)

Panday further brings Laxman’s personal view on carton and writes:

“Cartooning is the art of disapproval and complaint. It treats

man and matters with a certain skepticism and good humoured

ridicules, but never malice. A cartoon attempts to preserve the

sense of humour of the community which is so essential to

survival in day to day existence.” He is best known cartoonist

of India. (26)

So, Laxman is the humanitarian cartoonist because he respects human

values of the society. When he began to draw the cartoons in The Times of

India, he attempted to represent different states and cultures in India. In the

rush to meet deadliness, he began to draw fewer and fewer background

characters, until finally he found only one remaining the now familiar

Common Man. To strengthen the above given thematic analysis regarding

Laxman’s cartoon, we can see a cartoon by him where a man is chopping

down a tree and seemingly a supervisor or an engineer says-we are

beautifying the place. A statue of one of our national heroes is going to be

put up here.
47

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

character. So, he is the most beloved cartoonist of India. He was awarded

Padma Bushan by the Government of India. The University of Marathwada

Conferred an honorary Doctor of Literature degree on him. He has won

many awards for his cartoons including Asia’s top journalism award, The

Ramon Magsaysay Award, in 1984.


48

3.2 History of Cartoon in Nepal, and Nepalese Cartoonists

In case of Nepal, although there lacks the record of ancient cartoon

sketches there have existed religious base (at different temples) and cultural

practices (like Gaijatra) in presenting cartoons. Consciously or

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

Parbati) supposing everything to them while Kumar went so fast to take a

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

competition of wisdom representing a kind of satire. The imaginative

characters of this epic present the picture of cartoon with satire like Daksha

Parjapati with goat head.

No doubt every country and culture might have some mysterious

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

cartoon’s history in Nepal, Ram Kumar Panday, in his book Nepalese

Cartoons views:
49

The tradition of cartoon has rooted deeply in the culture of

Nepal. Nepalese are lough loving people. There are many

religious and social tradition of merry making Gaijatra is one of

them specially devoted to entertainment to release all pressures

of life. In Gaijatra fun festival people, taking part in the

procession, hide themselves in the funny feature. The figure of

cows head painted like a mask might be first cartoon figure

well known to all. (33)

To talk about the ancient cartoon, we can talk about the sculptures of

humorous mood and gesture. Old Sculpture of such nature are interesting.

Varaha of Dhumvarahi made in 5th century, Narasimha of Changu 11th or

12th. Century, Samvara of National Museum, 17th century are some of them

and all these are based on religious stories. Regarding the tradition of

cartoon, Ram Kumar Panday further comments: “The scarecrow tradition

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

begins from 1950 A.D, after democracy.

Because the development of Cartoon in Nepal is closely related to

growth of press nad paper. Not only this, cartoon began to florish in Nepal

after the publication of political newspapers like Aawaj, Sanyukta Prayas

and so on. Talking about this tradition Kundan Aryan, in his book Cartoon

in Nepali Press views:

Some people claimed that it is “Aawaj” daily newspaper which

published cartoon for the first time. And some people claim
50

that many years before than "Aawaj" daily, Chandra Man

Maskey had to face imprisonment due to his satirical cartoon

about Judha Shamsher. But while talking about newspapers,

we didn't get any cartoon published before Sanyukta Pryas

Weekly. No one has climed with proof as well. (21) (My

translation)

Before the introduction of hand press, there was tradition of hand

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

fresco up up to 19th century. First electric press was established in 1901.

After 19th. Century, cartoon like illustration strated to print with the help of

wooden block. Anyway, the concept of cartoon flourished only after 1950.

There were many newspapers and magazine durings 1950-60 decade

like Samyukta Prayas, Naya Sandesh, Samiksha, Rastra Pukar, Aarati and

so on. Some of them published nice cartoons even at that period.

Gobardhan Shah, Shashi Shah, Naresh Kausis were some of the noted

cartoonists of that period. Gobardhan Shah is the first cartoonist of Sangukta

Prayas. A cartoon made by him is given here where


51

Nepali Congress is shown in the form of a bull which is attempting to up

root the foundation of the democracy. So, the main credit to flourish cartoon

goes to political newspapers. Because before 1960 there has been prepared

cartoons to protest political and social injustice.

During 1960s there emerged Cartoonists like Tek Bir Mukhiya,

Balaram Thapa, Durga Baral and Mohan Shyam Maharjan. They made

cartoons at differents magazines and newspapers like Mayalu, Rastra Pukar

and so on. Durga Baral started working in Rastra Pukar, a vernacular

newspaper in the last of 1960s. Up to 1970s most of the block of cartoon

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.

As the Royal Nepal Academy began observing Gaijatra Festival, all

humour genres like comic, cartoon and literature got chance to florish. This

festival started of doing cartoon competition and exhibition. Due to this

there emerged different kinds of society like Humour-Satire society Nepal

(HASANE) young Artist Group (YAG) and so on.

YAG group published a model magazine in Nepalese cartoons-

"Bhandvailo". It is a magazine which was used to published in the Gaijatra

occastion. It broke the record in producing quality cartoons of all shorts in

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.

He, bringing refrence of words and cartoon, further says:


52

Word figure got more importance than the cartoon picture in

Nepal. In the writing of Bhairav Aryal and Keshav Raj Pidali,

they especially created word picture. Later a magazine

"Bhanvailo" published by Young Artists Group (YAG) in 1984

brought amazing amalgamation between lines and words [. . .]

It was a historical action. Any way, after this magazine artists

focused on the exibitionary aspect of cartoons. (IX) (My

Translation)

At the sametime, Kamana, Mayalu, Phoo-Mantare and other some

good magazines which focused to the development of cartoon. Among them

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

magazines and newspapers publishing in Gaijatra include different types of

cartoons in their humour issue that's why they are helping for the

development of cartoon.

In this way, above given list of newspapers, magazines and other

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

Barral (Vatsayayan) and Rajesh KC as the representatives of two generations

of this field:

3.2.1 Durga Baral (Vatsyayana) and Theme Analysis of His Cartoons

Batsyayana is the nick-name of leading cartoonist of Nepal, Durga

Baral. He has a long experience in this field because he started his career

since 1960's A.D.


53

3.2.1.1 Birth and Childhood

Durga Baral was born in Arba, Pokhara in 1943 (Chaitra-25, 1999

B.S.). He passed his childhood in Pokhara. He also done his schooling form

Pokhara.

3.2.1.2 His Education and Carrer

Baral (Batsyayana) is a graduate from T.U., Nepal. He has got

training in graphic art from Japan in 1968. He has also participated in the

Asia/Pacific cartoonists working seminar held in Thailand in 1992.

It is said that Baral began to draw pictures before he knew

alphabetical letters. He started his cartoon career in 1064 (2021 B.S.)

working for a vernacular weekly “Naya Sandesh”. The title of his column

was “view of Naya Sandesh from Baral” (Naya Sandesh Ko Dristikon

Baralbata). From 1964-1967 he has published his cartoons under above

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

“Changba Series and Development” (Chyangba Srinkhala ra Bikash) from a

literary magazine “Prangan”. Rastra Pukar, Deshantar, Suruchi,

Matribhumi are some vernacular weeklies in which his cartoons were mostly

published. Not only this, his cartoons have been publishing in different

national daily newspapers: Gorkhapatra, Kantipur, and The Kathmandu Post

by which he is on the peak of discussion. Almost all people believe that he

is the most famous and leading cartoonist of Nepal.

Despite these above given achievements he has contributed to exhibit

cartoons under Pokhareli Yuba Sanskriti Paribar for the first time in the
54

early 1980’s with ticket show in Pokhara. Similarly, Pale Punya Bahadur

has been a regular strip in the Nawadrishya Published from UNICEF.

Recently in 2006, Fine Print has published his cartoon collection

“Batsyayana and His Barbs” in which post 1990’s cartoons are collected.

3.2.1.3 Theme Analysis of His Cartoons

Baral is an experienced cartoonist among the cartoonists of Nepal.

His cartoons mainly attack on political and social injustice. He plays with

the every shade of humour, wit, satire, irony, slapstick, buffoonery and

tragicomedy. Such versatility dazzles as does his unwearied discipline.

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

Nepalese Cartoons, comments:

He has special role in the field of Nepalese cartoons. He has

been influenced by R.K. Laxman of India. Baral has three

unique things in his cartoons: (a) he presents Nepalese

characters, (b) selects meaningful objects in the clean

atmosphere and (c) humors touch gives it life. His works are

limited in quantity but quality is highest than any cartoonists in

Nepal. Some of his cartoons created controversies in the

parliament and court. His cartoons are to the point and

touching. But cartoons published in newspapers are mostly of

political nature and based on party politics. Vatsyayana can be


55

a great “Guru” (teacher) in the field of cartoons if he could

concentrate himself in the broad field of cartoon creation. (51)

To prove above given claims about Batsyayana’s cartoon, we can see

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

unhealthy competition by which just arrived democracy is in great crisis. It

is in the process of being established but so-called grandness are fighting at

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

mistake. They might improve their faults.


56

In another cartoon by Batsyayana, PM Girija Prasad Koirala is

returning from India taking 100 millions donation but he doesn’t find any

place to put luggage of donation because the condition of Nepal is very

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 within nation. If leaders go in the foreign without caring the

problem of the country, they don’t get any space into the nation since the

condition of the nation will be very detoriated. Simultaneously, it also gives

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
57

forceful message. The main advantage of cartoon is that it makes conscious

to its viewer with smile. Making happy even in the difficult time is the

salient feature of a cartoon. Because if we could laugh even in the difficult

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

taking very little time.

Netra Aryal, in an article “Satirical Arrow of Batsyayana” published

in The Kantipur of dated-22 July, 2006, finds five characteristics in

Batsyayana’s cartoons:

a. Political awareness, [. . .]

b. Humour, [. . .]

c. Historical aspects, [. . .]

d. Satire on social pollutions, [. . .]

e. Creation of culture, [. . .]

In short taking entertainment standing representative character

humourious way, express all peoples’ hatred or anger towards

him and giving hope of improvement applying cartoon as a

weapons is the main feature of his cartoon. (7) (My

Translation)

Batsyayana himself says to be a good cartoonist, a cartoonist should

know three things: (a) an artist should have general knowledge about

painting, (b) capacity of bringing humour, and (c) beat. He came to know

about it due to his four decades experience on this field. As different

cartoonists choose different signs and symbols, batsyayana selected “black


58

crow.” Because in our culture black crow is taken as a messenger of

bringing good news. In this given cartoon too, we can find a black crow at a

corner.

Thus, the cartoons made by Batsyayana connote strong political and

social meanings which can easily perceive by an average Nepali because

they made them conscious with smile as well as make easy to face the

difficult time, they learn to smile even in the difficulties.

3.3 Rajesh K.C. and Theme Analysis of His Cartoons

Rajesh K.C. is another leading cartoonist of Nepal. The credit of

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.

3.3.1 Birth and Childhood

Rajesh K.C was born in Asan, Kathmadu in 1968 (2024 B.S.) at a

middle class family. From very childhood, he was interested as well as good

in drawing. He has taken his primary education from Aadarsha Primary

School, Lainchaur. While he was at school, he used to draw different

paintings. He always used to participate at different kinds of drawing

competitions and used to get postitions and prises. During his calss three

studying, he was selected as a representative of his school to participate at

inter-school drawing competition in Durbar High School. He has taken his

college level education from Trichandra College, Kathmandu.


59

3.3.2 His Career as a Cartoonist

When he got second position in poster designing competition

organized by UNICEF, his competent towards drawing grew. He was and is

the fan of R.K. Laxman, an Indian cartoonist. His initiation to sketch

cartoon begins from Indira Gandhi, whose cartoon he made unknowingly

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

professionalism, in this field, began with the establishment of The Kantipur

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

easy to bring meanings on those days. Because cartoons weren’t related

with time and place. He went on giving concentration on cartoons. During

initial period of his career, there wasn’t any fundamental creation by him.

He was totally influenced by R.K. Laxman of India.

But slowly and gradually, he brought his own creation. He began to

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

cartoons on The Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post. But in a decade, he

published more than twenty five hundred cartoons. And he worked for

Shree Sagarmatha, Independent, Gatibidhi, Sambodhan, Dristi and Himal

also, Now he is one of the most established cartoonist in Nepalese media.

He is honored from different sectors for his contribution to the society


60

through cartoon. He has also published a cartoon collection with 156 of his

best cartoons published in The Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post.

3.3.3 Theme Analysis of His cartoons

Exploiting minimum lines and points, Rajesh K.C. presents his

characters with different physical and facial expressions which is an

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

ranges from Lampooning authority, poking fun at shoddy services and

drawing attention to social ills like child labour and corruption. To express

everything, he brings a passive (sometimes active also) witness, a lined cap

man, in each cartoon, who is the cartoonist himself as well as the

representative of all average Nepalese. Abhi Subedi, to the preface of

Rajesh K.C.’s Cartoon Collection, finds three aspects behind Rajesh K.C.’s

popularity, and views:

There might be many answers as the reasons of Rajesh K.C.’s

popularity as cartoons. Frist might be that he used to publish

his cartoons at the biggest daily newspaper of the nation. Yes

it is due to that, we’ve to support it. But in my view it is due to

the inauguration of internal line’s dramatization of the

contemporary time in the hidden portion. And third cause isthe

application of day to day language in his cartoon. (vi) (My

Translation)

Similarly, Durga Baral (Batsyayana), a leading cartoonist of Nepal

finds Rajesh K.C. one of the possible great cartoonist and writes:
61

While we have to talk about the cartoonists of new generation,

the name that comes at the very first is Rajesh K.C. using very

minimum lines and points, he presents different physical and

facial expressions which is an important feature of his cartoon.

At the same time, more focus on humour than on satire is

another feature. Due to these features, Rajesh has established

himself as the possible great figure. (v) (My Translation)

So, Rajesh K.C.’s cartoon has great capacity of bringing related

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

realized by even an illiterate person or by the person who speaks other

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:

Cartoon can put the events that need thousands of words to

describe in only a few lines. The imaginative power of

cartoonist, his capacity to perceive the satire and the power of

showing main sensitiveness of time in th lines gets fame.

Cartoon is the most effective means to bring both negative and

positive effect in the time. Whether they are like Hitlar or like

an ordinary beggar. A good cartoonist brings these both types


62

of characters together and creates meaning. Such meaning

becomes satirical. One of the main feature that I get at Rajesh

K.C.’s cartoon is the same. (vi) (My Translation)

To realize above given thematic analyze

about his cartoons, we can see some of them. In

a cartoon, a husband, who is just appointed as a

minister, is trying to maintain gap from his

relatives. Because his general secretary has said

it, but poor wife puzzles very much. The

caption goes-give me a pillow our general

secretary has said all the ministers must

maintain distance from friends and relatives.

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.

In another cartoon, we can see that a oil

filler at a petrol pump is waiting to the news up

to it ends because the price may rise again. It is

the very burning issue of Nepal which indicates

on the flexibility on petrol rate in one hand and

the behave of petrol pump owners on the other

hand.
63

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

politics and political grand designs render a democratic service. His

cartoons afflict the comforted and comfort the afflicted.


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IV - How does it Speak?

Cartoon is a text inscribed by lines and language but some express

their messages through lines (drawing) alone. Because lines, exploited in the

cartoon drawing, are the condense form of thousands of words. A picture

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:

Cartoon is a drawing or series of drawings that tells a story or

expresses a message. Cartoons may entertain, teach, or

comment about a person, event or state of affairs. Most

cartoons combine words or drawings, but some express their

messages through drawings alone. (216)

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

delicious one. It can be equally interesting and appropriate even without

combining the caption because lines are the ancestor of the words. C.K. bal,

in Himal magazine, Asar-1-15, 2062, B.S., also believes that the

combination between lines and words (drawing and caption) make a cartoon

specialized. He further views:

People had began to draw picture before they established the

script. Wall pictures of the caves are the representative of

ancient society. Lines have their own rhymes, rhythms and


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tone in colour. And with the combination of them born

geometrical music. Although painting is complete expression

in itself, but additional caption makes it lively. The

combination between lines and words gives specialization to

the cartoon. (2) (My Translation)

To prove that how a cartoonist expresses his messages through lines,

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,

angry, dizzy, worried, crafty, serious or frightened. A cartoonist can

illustrate almost any mood by drawing a character’s eyes and mouth in a

certain way which can be realized in the following cartoons:

Similarly, movement makes a

cartoon lively like movie; magnitude

depends on its presentation of length,

bredth, height and time. Movement is

illustrated largely through the use of

lines of different sizes. For example,

long thin lines trailing a running horse

show speed. Short broken lines

indicate a jumping frog. Another

important thing that helps to speak a cartoon is the presentation of senses

which are illustrated by lines, symbols, and words.


66

The lines and stars around the thumb suggest

pain. The word “snif-snif” and the lines

leading form the dog’s nose represent sound.

Now we become clear how even lines alone

speaks in the cartoon. For it, we can also see

some other cartoons without caption but

gives great massage and knowledge more

than

by bulky books. In this cartoon of six

strips proves that a medal detoriates

one’s dignity. In the first strip we can

immediately realize that how the

person is self-confident and dignified.

But as he begins to receive the

medals, he begins to loose his dignity

which we can see in the strips. At last

he becomes like a dog. It is the great

satire to these government and

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

to show that how the cartoon is very powerful.


67

But caption cartoon expresses its message through the combination of

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,

caption makes a cartoon lively because it makes easy and obvious to

understand for each and everybody. Rajesh K.C., one of the leading

cartoonists of Nepal, once in our conversation: “I have to create a caption

that every one will understand and at the same time it has to pack that

punch”. To prove the liveliness of caption while expressing it’s message, we

can see some cartoons by Rajesh K.C. with caption.

In a cartoon (see illustration), the caption is given-being the

proprietor, I may grant “space” in this company to anyone I want-And above

is written” Democracy (Pvt.) Ltd.” We can guess the role of the caption in a

cartoon how it makes a cartoon speaking more. If there wouldn’t be any

caption in this given cartoon, it would be

very difficult for us to get the meaning of this one

strip cartoon. But now we can easily understand

that it is a great satire to our P.M. Girija Prasad

Koirala who always talks about the space for the

king in the democracy as if it is his property.

Though people are against it be is forcing about

just a M.D. used to do in a company. In this way


68

the amalgamation between lines and words or language makes a cartoon

lively and more speaking.

In Rajesh K.C’s another cartoon, the caption is given- Now it will

know! Who will be the winner, that “vice” will be the acting prime minister!

(My translation). It is the great satire to Nepalese politics how political

leaders are fighting for the chair.

And it be comes more connotative due to the use

of caption. So, we can say that caption (language)

also plays vital role to make a cartoon more lively

and speaking. It means a cartoon also speaks

through the help of language.

Not only this, a cartoon also speak with the

help of various kinds of symbol like a light bulb

over a character’s head to show idea, dark cloud

to show despair and so on. The World Book Encyclopedia describing about

the symbol writes: "Sometimes

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)"

Similarly, a cartoonist also oversizes the different organs of his

characters to bring special and humorous meaning. The cartoonist wants to

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

phenomenon, a cartoon speaks more. The World Book Encyclopedia again


69

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:

Most cartoonists do not draw things as they appear in real life.

These artists use fewer details and may exaggerate some

feature of a character such as head, hands, or feet. A person’s

head actually measures only about an eight of the length of the

body. But the head of a cartoon character may be a third or

even half of the body length Oversized heads help the

cartoonist direct the reader’s attention to important facial

expressions such as a smile, a sneer, a squint, or raised

eyebrows. Oversized hands and feet are often drawn to stress

action. (216)

Another important faculty of cartoon is comic strip in which the

cartoonists add action, speech balloon and other major objects to make the

cartoon panel lively and speaking. Because cartoons consisting of several

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

making children’s comic book and other time.

At the same time, Ram Kumar Panday, in his book Nepalese

Cartoons, presents a diagram to crate a successful cartoon which is:


70

Hemorous Motif (message) Satirical

Mood Movement
(Character) (action)

CARTOO
Movement
(Situation) N Magnitude
(Dimension)

Social Motivation (style) Political

Source: Nepalese Cartoons (Pg. 76)

So, if all the components of a cartoon is appropriate, that cartoon

speaks the massage that a cartoonist wants to express. All arts show the

mirror to its represensive society reflects the reality. But cartoonist’s

drawing board’s upper and lower concaves are just like the lens, like the

magic-mirror of a circus-though faces seem alike, but some cartoons have

big belly some have short body. These verities of reflections of a cartoon

present the different dimensions of reality together. Without combination of

sensitiveness and knowledge, exaggeration can not present the reality.

Thus, a cartoon speaks through lines (drawings) and language (words

those are given as caption). Though a cartoon can be wordless, but

appropriate combination of lines and words gives a cartoon specialization

because chosen words make a cartoon more lively than without words.
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V - Where does it Speak? What is its Theater?

Although the cartoons were used in the ancient time like the

sculptures on the wall and other places at different Hindu temples,

exaggerated drawing poster and wall-painting by Christians to attract

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

Encyclopedia where it is written that a cartoonist creats cartoons for different

kinds of media to attract people’s attention quickly and effectively:

Cartoonists create cartoons for books, magazines, newspapers,

and films. Advertisers, teachers, and governments often use

cartoon messages because they attract attention and are easy to

read. Cartoon messages also communicate quickly and

effectively. (216)

It means a cartoonist creates cartoons to present through different

means of media: newspapers, magazines, books and films. Since the

cartoons are presented through different kinds of media, media is the theater

of the cartoon. Even Ram Kumar Pandy, on his book Nepalese Cartoons

vews: “Presentation of cartoons in newspaper literary magazines and humour

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

as a theater to perform cartoon can be traced out as given:


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i) Newspaper

ii) Magazines and

iii) Television

Now we can describe these different kinds of cartoon’s theater

separately because only then we can easily realize how cartoon speaks in

these different aspects of Medias.

5.1 Newspaper

Newspaper is the main place from where a cartoon speaks. It is the

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

according to the direction of the director, cartoonist. The main credit of

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

and political phenomena of society as wall as nation. Talking about the

relation cartoon with press media, Ram Kumar Panday further views:

Development of cartoon in Nepal is closely related to the

growth of press and paper. Before the introduction of hand

press there was tradition of hand written books with illustration

of water colour and ink. There was also tradition of wood-cut

print and engraving. There was traditional art of fresco up to

19th century [. . .] the paper and magazine published after the


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dawn of democracy helped to develop foundation in this sector.

Samyakta Prayas published cartoon during 1950s. (34)

It means it is newspaper by which cartoon began to perform it’s role.

If we see the world cartoon history, the contribution of the newspaper is in

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

cartoon’s identity, it is the newspapers by which they speak with people

Rajesh K.C., one of the leading cartoonist of Nepal, while talking about the

role of newspapers to make cartoon speak believes that it is due to

newspapers that the cartoons got stage to speak:

Before a decade, except in some weeklies, it was very difficult

to get cartoon. Professional cartoon was in zero. Perhaps I am

the first to began cartoon as a profession and depend upon it

after the growth of private newspapers. We can easily guess

the demand of it now. We can not even imagine a newspaper

without cartoon. Cartoon has become an indispensable organ

of a newspaper. We can also guess its impression among

people. Cartoon is begun to take as short, direct and attractive

way of saying something than a news or picture. And this

achievement of the cartoon is the fruit of the development of

democracy. We are very grateful towards the newspapers

which have been placing our creation in the very front. (xiv)

This view of a cartoonist proves that it is due to newspapers cartoons

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

characters mainly speak in the stage of newspapers.

In a cartoon (given illustration) we

can see characters and their theater is a

newspaper, The Kantipur. So, the main theater

from where the cartoon character speaks is the

newspaper. As in this illustration, cartoon

characters are speaking about the problem of

Maoists weapon management in Nepalese

politics. Thus, the newspaper is one of the main

theaters from where cartoon characters speak.

5.2 Magazines

Despite newspapers great role to given space cartoons to talk,

magazines, especially humour, have another important part in the history of

cartoon. If we have to talk about the history of the world, PUNCH” a

cartoon magazine published in London, England during early 19th century

plays vital role to develop cartoon in the other parts of the world. But in the

context of Nepal, cartoon in magazines developed during 1960s and 1970s

when Royal Nepal Academy started observing Humour Festival during the

Gaijatra festival. Main Magazines which gave space to cartoon to speak

were mayalee, Muskan, Bhandvailo, Kamana, Phoo Manter, Kaliyug,

Sanchai Chh?, Charkhutte Ko Chamatkar and others. These lengthy data of

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

preface Rojesh K.C.’s Cartoon collection, also accepts that it was

Bhandvailo (1984) which gave good voice for the cartoon:“Later on, Young

Artists Group (YAG) had published a magazine “Bhandvailo” during 2051

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:

Although there are limited humour magazines, some of them

have contributed much in the field of cartoons. Cartoon

consciousness have been found in the newspaper and some

literary magazines [ . . .] Phoo- Mantar (1995) like humour

journals are trying to publish cartoons of various categories.

The contemporary Nepal felt the power of cartoon in

motivating all readers and its need in publication. So, cartoon

became one of the essential matters in the publication of

humour magazines. (40)

In this way,

Magazine is another

theater for cartoons from

where they speak to know

that magazine is also a

theater. We can see some

cartoons published in the


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magazines like Kaliyug (1971). In this illustration, the flash of Kaliyug is

shown where people have tough competition in their lives to leave. Anyway

it is an illustration which is speaking through magazines.

These other

cartoons are

also from

magazines.

These cartoon

characters are

also speaking

from the

magazine that's

why what we

can say is that

cartoons also speak from magazine making it their theater.

5.3 Television

Although press media is the major theater of the cartoon, electronic

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

or motion by photographing a series of drawings. Since such cartoons talk,

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

Medias. To do such animation, an animator use 2D CEL animation, 3D

computer animation, visual special effect and others.


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Now - a- days, animated cartoon is very famous specially among

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.

Not only this, we can also see

cartoon film in this modern era. They are

also shown from screen of T.V. & cinema

hall. But generally they are given from

T.V. to entertain train the people, especially children. So, their theater is

T.V. because they speak through T.V.

Sometimes advertisement is also

given in cartoon through T.V. which moves

very special effect on common people. Thus

what can we say is that T.V. is also another

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

mainly speak through medias like newspapers, magazines and televisions.


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VI - Range of Cartoon

Range of the cartoon is extended from a very small event to the state

power that’s why it is very wide. Since it is extended up to state power, it is

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

to Rajesh K.C.’s Cartoon Collection, views about the range of cartoon:

“using cartoon, a cartoonist brings all contemporary ruins and puts in one

place very obviously. Time, place, possibilities of tomorrow and necessity

of improvement everything is kept in one place there” (x). It shows the

capacity of cartoon which proves the range of the cartoon. He further writes:

Cartoon is used to carry the load of history. That is a part of

the national narration, theme of the main chapter. Cartoon is

such a time where the internal satire between national history

and grand narration is inaugurated. The most powerful

contemporary man and woman are figured in this grand

narration. Prime minister of Britain (1828-30) and the English

hero Duke Welington was a short man. That is why, supposing

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

as Welington. As a cartoon clearly depict the 18th century’s

satirical English society that is described in the English

literature, even Alexander Pope’s poem can not show so

effectively. (x) (My translation)


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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

of decorating herself as well as the mistakes of a prime minister. It reveals

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

an astrologer. C.K. Lal, in an article “Easy Art of the Difficult Time”

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

to prove that a cartoon is as wide as human brain; the measurement of its

range is very difficult though not impossible.

To cover the wide national and international range, the cartoonist

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

between husband and wife. William A. Gamson and David Stuart, in

"Media Discourse as a Symbolic Contest: The Bomb in Political Cartoons",

an article in Sociological Forum, vol.1 (Mar, 1992), also believe that a

cartoon doesn’t limit within local or regional boundaries rather it takes of

wide boundary as its audiences are very extended. They view:

Cartoonists, like field-goal kickers, are still part of a team and

reflect broader media norms about who are considered serious

players on issues of nuclear arms policy and what assumptions


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are taken for granted. With syndication, editorial page editors

have not only their staff cartoonist available but can select

among the wide array of offerings: hence editorial cartoons

become a national forum, with no meaningful regional

differences. Drawing for a national audience also means

observing the boundaries of national discourse lest cartoonists

find very few editors selecting their offerings. (62)

The vast range of cartoon is also approved from this above given

American researchers view because even in America a country known as

bowl of salad due to the people of different cultures and identities, a cartoon

captures not regional but national and international sprit.

In a cartoon by Flannery

(Balimore Sun, Mar-29,

1983), we can see the

vastness of a cartoon’s

range. It vomits the very

burning international issue

of the time. Two

superpowers are engaging

in nuclear competition but

its effect has to bear by

small neutral nations. The

Peace movement slogan of neutral nations still appear as dismayed observer

rather than active campaigning for change. They, peace movement

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.

Furthermore, a cartoon also catches very common

incident like smoking. In a cartoon by Rajesh

K.C., two smokers are smoking in a public place

and talk- it is said not to pollute public place by

smoke .… smoke of vehicle or that of cigarette?

Capturing even such a tiny issue, a cartoon makes

people aware regarding their public duty. In one

above given cartoon, it talks about great

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

cartoon is very vast and wide.

Cartoon is very powerful. It attacks on great tyrant and emperor by

its powerful lines. It can condense everything into its lines that’s why

cartoon in one hand is all knowing. Seisan Slyomovics, in “Cartoon

Commentary: Algerian and Moroccan Caricatures from the Gulf War”

Middle East Report, Jan-Feb, 1993, also views.

A cartoon image is short and direct and does not move when

you look at it. Condensing history, culture, and social

relationships within a single frame, a cartoon can

recontextualize events and evoke reference points in ways that

a photograph or even a film can no. Like graffiti, jokes and


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other genres of popular culture, cartoons challenge the ways

we accept official images as real and true. (21)

Thus, a carton is so wide in terms of its range that it can condense

politics, history, culture, society and other human phenomenon within a

single frame. It can play with every shade of humour, wit, Satire, Irony,

slapstick, buffoonery, tragicomedy to make people aware about the on going

circumstances of any nation. In this modern world, it has been even

representing the hopes, aspirations troubles and perhaps even foibles of the

average people bringing a common citizen and a national hero in a single

frame of cartoon.
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VII - Conclusion

Cartoon is a form of performing art. It performs through lines and words.

Every thing depends upon the amalgamation of lines and words. So cartoon

is a unique art. Because single cartoon can express as different genres of

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.

Similarly like an essay A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift, a cartoon also

projects great satire. On the other hand, like poetry and story, a cartoon

presents imaginative characters and tone. That is why it is a unique art.

Further more, the voyeur of a cartoon generally is the cartoonist

himself. If we see the cartoon of R.K. Laxman and Rajesh K.C., they

present a silent witness in each cartoon who is a the representative of the

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

prophet Mohammad brought a great volcano in the Islam world.

Because prophet Mohammad's cartoon speaks a Christian's feelings.

Any cartoon speaks exploiting lines and words. And it speaks in medias like

newspaper, T.V., magazine and others. Since cartoon speaks through

modern medias, the rang of cartoon is vary wide. It can capture past,

present, and future in a single frame.

Therefore, cartoon gives pleasure to its viewers through its structure,

style and pattern. It is the aesthetics of cartoon because it is related with

beauty and pleasure. At the same time, the practicality of cartoon is related

with pragmatics. A cartoon always projects certain types of messages. That


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may be social, political, historical or others. Every cartoon has it aesthetics

and pragmatics. So much depends upon aesthetics and pragmatics.

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