Last night, I read the comic, 'EVEN MY PEN HAS A STAND' - a collection by Zunar, which I rarely did so. I found this comic very much different and it gave me lots of kick and I truly enjoy reading every page of it. In short, it really gives me lots of excitement and enjoyment. Every piece is so cleverly crafted to convey its heavy message, with his own view as a cartoonist and not as an illustrator. The cartoon is so lively and sensible - really can shake a Mighty one, without asserting any physical force. This is a real master piece and I read it over and over again. It is worth more than RM 25, I spent for the book with his personal autography. See the photo below:-
I can sense that he has a great passion for his work and decided to check his background. After reading through his profile, I realised that he is a man who truly knows what he wants, and brave enough to pay for whatsoever costs to achieve his mission. A man with great leadership quality that I really salute, Mr Zunar, you made us very proud of you. Thereafter, I realise that the philosophy he strongly uphold that made him outshine from the rest, so outstanding. I found him so fascinating that "his cartoons are not drawn by brush, but by brain". I said so because he has done his research well and able to portray the true message which is consistent to his conscious mind and soul. He is a man of principle that earns his readers' hearts.
Every piece is from his heart, so lively and touching every heart of his readers. He truly deserves the praise that is the driving force for me to write this post, to show my appreciation to his significant contribution to this art. While writing this article, my heart is gaining momentum and had convinced me to promote this healthy art to enrich our lives, the same I have done for my tea art blog at http://teaartblogspot.com.
Another interesting point about him is that his clear responsible conscience and his desire to be a patriot to his country makes him - A Real National Hero in my eyes, much more than a cartoonist. He may look as one-sided criticising the existing ruling party, but one thing I do agree with him is that in a country that is facing a moral crisis like Malaysia, criticising is not an agenda but a responsibility in line with the saying " The higher level of patriotism is to tell the truth in front of an unjust ruler."
In May 2011, the Cartoonist Rights Network International, announced him as the recipient for the award of 'Courage in Editiorial Cartooning' for the year. Big congratulation and well done. Zunar, we are proud of you for being a true Fighter.
Here, we at this blog also like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the American cartoonists who organised a charity dinner "The 23rd Cartoons and Cocktails" on October 2010 at the National Press Club in Washington for my fellow Malaysian who was lock-up under the Sedition Act 1948. Special thanks to Mr. Mark Fiore, the 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner for editorial cartoons, who promoted Zunar's cartoon books in the event.
As such, we urge more people to step forward to extend your support to promote and cultivate this art. Let this art to be created freely and without much interference from the ruling party of any government. We should not be afraid and bow to any force should we stand right with our conscience. We can't conceal any wrong especially in the today's technological world.
Therefore, we at this blog, urge all artists to forge a united force to create a higher level of success for this industry. Let us be honest to ourselves, who will care if we don't. Let this industry prospers and let us not bow to any unhealthy pressures.
To our greater success,
James Oh
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