The Mind Creative FEBRUARY 2015 | Page 43

On 26th Jaunary 2015, millions of fans and the world of cartoonists lost one of its immortals with the passing away of Rasipuram Krishnaswami Laxman (or R.K. Laxman as he is known to the world). Laxman was born on 24th October 1921 in the city of Mysore in India and from his humble beginnings he rose to the status of arguably the most iconic cartoonist from India with a fan following so large that he was often referred to as the “Pied Piper of Delhi” It is said that the young Laxman used to be engrossed in the illustrations in magazines like Strand, Punch and Tit-Bits and very soon, he started drawing figures and caricatures of his teachers on the floor, doors and walls of his house. In his autobiography, Laxman wrote: “I drew objects that caught my eye outside the window of my room – the dry twigs, leaves and lizard-like creatures crawling about, the servant chopping firewood and, of course, a number of crows in various postures on the rooftops of the buildings opposite.” Incredible as it sounds, Laxman did not go any art school for a formal degree. Instead he learnt his developed his extraordinary skills all by himself. After high school, Laxman did apply to the J. J. School of Art in Mumbai. However, the dean of the school wrote to him that his drawings lacked "the kind of talent to qualify for enrolment in our institution as a student". He was refused admission. He then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mysore. In the meantime he continued his freelance artistic activities and contributed cartoons to Swarajya and to an animated film. His earliest works appeared in a few newspapers and magazines like Swarajya and Blitz. More importantly, while still at college, he started illu