Kerala's cartoon culture should grow beyond political satires: Bharath Murthy

Cartoonist, animator and filmmaker Bharath Murthy said that the comic culture in Kerala had a huge potential for growth and that it should move beyond the boundaries of political satires.

Murthy, while leading a two-day Comics Workshop on Friday, organised under the Art by Children (ABC) initiative of the ongoing Kochi-Muziris Biennale, said: "The creative comic works here have come to a state of stagnation. People should realise the huge influence and power of this medium."

He stated that "It's sad that the pictures and stories of the new generation hardly get depicted these days. The scope for critical review of many aspects, relevant to society in a visualised form is fading away."

Murthy questioned the existing comic culture and said: "In Kerala, thought-provoking works are getting confined to political satires and simple comic strips with a dominance of the upper caste male characters. Where are the thoughts of the rest?"

Murthy pointed out that comics is a thinking form that does not take many resources and can be used in every space - be it journalism, literature, visual arts, or the narrative form.

Manjitha, a graduate of St Teresa's College, never thought that she would explore the art of comics. She said "I just love it and am amazed by how I could express my thoughts through lines and sketches with just ink and paper."