Toon speak: A language children understand best
Pakistan’s first cartoonist speaks of her creative endeavours.
Pakistan’s first cartoonist speaks of her creative endeavours.
ISLAMABAD:
One of the best ways to communicate with children is through animation. Putting the medium to good use, the first woman cartoonist of Pakistan and the Muslim world, Nigar Nazar, has dedicated a lifetime to it.
Nazar has written comic books, created video games and enlightened a vast audience to encourage positive thinking and social responsibility. She has collaborated with various NGOs and public buses were painted with her Gogi cartoons to convey social messages. Her cartoons are displayed in children’s wards of some hospitals to cheer up young patients.
Her most recent book is on child safety, “Ao aihad karein, bacho ko tahafuz dein” is about raising awareness on the burning issue of child sexual abuse. It has been prepared with the support of Plan International.
“The cartoons work because of their vibrant colours, light humour and meaningful messages that children may relate to and remember,” said Nazar, while speaking at the South Asian Free Media Association on Wednesday. Other speakers at the event comprised journalists Agha Nasir, Tanzila Mazhar and Fauzia Shahid.
Nasir commended Nazar’s contribution to the country and beyond, saying her work is not just creative expression but also responsible journalism, a social service and an important awareness-raising mechanism.
Shahid recalled how she had been introduced to the comic’s mascot “Gogi” by her little daughter. “She (my daughter) was very fond of reading the cartoons. She was so inspired by Gogi’s polka-dotted outfit that she would insist on getting a similar one,” she said.
Nazar has been drawing cartoons since 1971 with a focus on social issues. She graduated in Fine Arts from Punjab University, Lahore. Her cartoons have also been published on several calendars, brochures, diaries, posters and greeting cards
She is a founding member of the Asian Youth Association for Animators and Cartoonists, based in China. She has conducted several workshops for underprivileged students in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2013.
One of the best ways to communicate with children is through animation. Putting the medium to good use, the first woman cartoonist of Pakistan and the Muslim world, Nigar Nazar, has dedicated a lifetime to it.
Nazar has written comic books, created video games and enlightened a vast audience to encourage positive thinking and social responsibility. She has collaborated with various NGOs and public buses were painted with her Gogi cartoons to convey social messages. Her cartoons are displayed in children’s wards of some hospitals to cheer up young patients.
Her most recent book is on child safety, “Ao aihad karein, bacho ko tahafuz dein” is about raising awareness on the burning issue of child sexual abuse. It has been prepared with the support of Plan International.
“The cartoons work because of their vibrant colours, light humour and meaningful messages that children may relate to and remember,” said Nazar, while speaking at the South Asian Free Media Association on Wednesday. Other speakers at the event comprised journalists Agha Nasir, Tanzila Mazhar and Fauzia Shahid.
Nasir commended Nazar’s contribution to the country and beyond, saying her work is not just creative expression but also responsible journalism, a social service and an important awareness-raising mechanism.
Shahid recalled how she had been introduced to the comic’s mascot “Gogi” by her little daughter. “She (my daughter) was very fond of reading the cartoons. She was so inspired by Gogi’s polka-dotted outfit that she would insist on getting a similar one,” she said.
Nazar has been drawing cartoons since 1971 with a focus on social issues. She graduated in Fine Arts from Punjab University, Lahore. Her cartoons have also been published on several calendars, brochures, diaries, posters and greeting cards
She is a founding member of the Asian Youth Association for Animators and Cartoonists, based in China. She has conducted several workshops for underprivileged students in Pakistan.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2013.