Having the last laugh – Cartooning in SA today.

Zapiro: Assisted Suicide-Press Laws Immenent. © 2010 Zapiro - Reprinted with permission - For more Zapiro cartoons

visit www.zapiro.com.

Having the last laugh – Cartooning in SA today. Written by V.C.Wilkinson.

Incisive wit combined with skilled technique - a lethal combination and essential prerequisite for

successful political cartooning. Some of South Africa’s best political cartoonists presented their takes

on reality and cartooning history at the Iziko South African National Gallery Annexe in July and

August.

Head of the newly founded Centre for Comic, Illustrative and Book Arts (CCIBA) at Stellenbosch

University; cartoonist and historian Andy Mason with Iziko’s Kathy Coates facilitated a political

cartooning Master Class and Kids Toonlab. The programme featured Jonathan Shapiro, Brandan

Reynolds, Jeremy Nell, John Curtis - managing editor ofAfricartoons accessible through a website

currently hosting a petition signed by leading editors opposed to the threat of a media tribunal and

legislation curbing press freedom in South Africa.

Respected cartoonist Stacey Stent believes that this challenge will encourage cartoonists to inform the

public in alternative ways through the comic medium. As a veteran of the former Weekly Mail’s

‘Who’s Left’ and currentlyNoseweek cartoonist her sensitive intellectual interpretations deal with

issues like education, politics and the double standard. Informal discussion with Argus cartoonist Chip

Snaddon provided insight into working methods and sensitivities employed when creating cartoons

that link to news on a daily basis. Networking and professional proactivity among these hypertalented

and well informed artists is paramount to the success of their comic humour. Cartoon genres targeting

different sectors of the community were discussed by the Treknet partnership of Gavin Thomson and

Dave Gomersdal who publish internationally and have developed characters based on their

neighbourhood in Fish Hoek and Kalk Bay. These have stereotypical qualities that reflect the human

condition in a multitude of guises that are widely recognizable. Thomson and Gomersdal provided

insight into the freelance position where so much depends on perseverance, courtesy and the

willingness to negotiate in order to make a living.

The Master Class was the first to be held in Cape Town. Mason is very pleased with results having

just completed 3 consecutive weekend Master Classes/ Toonlabs in Stellenbosch, Johannesburg and

the mother city. His purpose is to identify and select cartoon artists in SA to work with and mentor.

Pointing out that the discipline is regarded as formal in the fine art field, Mason emphasized the

importance of drawing skills for some types of comic rendition. The internationally successful Supa

Strikas soccer themed comic and TV series which is distributed locally and internationally and

supported by corporate sponsorship is produced by the Woodstock based Strika Entertainment team.

Here 45 to 50 people work in a ‘bull-pen’ environment like DC and Marvel comics in the USA, a

stimulating environment where ideas are shared. This practice became less common in the early

nineties when technology made it easier for artists and writers to work alone from home.

For the Supa Strika soccer series accurate rendition of figurative models is integral to the quality of

the cartoons. Painstaking attention to detail and production of other cartoons for the masses including

the popular animé/Disney hybrid Arcadia, which appears in Huisgenoot, give examples of Alex

Kramer’s success since the inception of Strika Entertainment in 2000. In April this year they launched

‘Unleashed’ for National Geographic cartoon fans.

The value of historical models was illustrated by power point presentations that introduced visual

examples in text and image since the 16th century. These days in Europe the production of

contemporary dialogue-free cartoons rely on a cultural commonality of experience and history much

as religious narratives painted on walls and ceilings in churches and temples do. The communicative

power of cartoon images to convey information in symbols and signs requires less reading time. This

can be a valuable source of humour and insight into prevailing sentiment and prejudice.

For more information visit www.cciba.sun.ac.za and www.africartoon.com

wilkinson.veronica@gmail.com Tel/fax: 021 797 4882.

Chip Snaddon shows his work. Photo by V .C. Wilkinson

Zapiro en die Groot Krokodil . Photo by Venessa Smeets

Zapiro: Press Freedom. © 2010 Zapiro - Reprinted with permission - For more Zapiro cartoons

visit www.zapiro.com.

Chip Snaddon Argus cartoonist hanging work at SANG Annexe . Photo by V .C. Wilkinson

John Curtis and Jerm (Jeremy Nell). Photo by Venessa Smeets

Jerm (Jeremy Nell), John Curtis and Brandan. Photo by Venessa Smeets

Xolisa Pezisa and Thobelani Maloyi compare notes at the Cartooning Master Class Photo by V.C. Wilkinson

Christopher Fatman Supa Strikas cartoonist at the Cartooning Master Class Photo by V.C. Wilkinson

Strika Ent Supa Strikas comic - Alex Kramer team

Strika Ent Arcadia comic - Alex Kramer team

Chip Snaddon and Andy Mason photo by Vanessa Smeets

Chip Snaddon, Andy Mason and Zapiro. Photo by Vanessa Smeets

Chip , Andy and Piet. Photo by Vanessa Smeets

© 2010 Zapiro - Reprinted with permission - For more Zapiro cartoons

visit www.zapiro.com.

© 2010 Zapiro - Reprinted with permission - For more Zapiro cartoons

visit www.zapiro.com.

Andy Mason in background at Cartooning Master Class photo by VC Wilkinson