Alex Robin in Bangalore

C a r t o o n i s t o n a M I S S I O N
“Oh..this is first time to sit on a Bike ‘,…. I had a breakfast with ‘dossa’ along with that’s ’’white circle(idly)”,…. “ I like that small cup like thing with tasty water…... yes yes ..that’s ‘panni puri,”… ‘I like India. and its diverse culture.” These are all the words from an excited US young Cartoonist Alex Robins who visited India last month on his way to his world tour with purposeful mission only to meet the Cartoonists and to get as much information… All about cartoonists, cartoons and cartooning. The tour has been sponsored by ‘Cicum Navigators Club Foundation.’, USA

Robins is a final year student of Philosophy also a political cartoonist for Chicago’s “The Daily Northwestern’. He will present his Project work of his tour to his university where this will be kept as a record and for further research as well.

Robins, a passionate Cartoonist could get contact the author of this article through website about three months back. Again he contacted after arriving in Bangalore to get assistance to meet other cartoonists. He was excited to have a long ride on Bike and to look at the Garden City, but truly not happy with the traffic jams and vehicular pollution. He was amused to see a Cow standing and munching in middle of heavy traffic without any botheration. Obviously he took a photograph. Later he was told about the importance of Cow in Hindu culture Another scene to watch.. A Dog crossing the road in between fast moving vehicles with utmost safety.

He keeps very minimum cash during travel, carry only a pair of dresses and a bag. He has kept a digital Camera which can store over 3000 photographs.

All appreciation came from Robins when he was presented a copy of the Cartoon Watch. He said ‘Really it’s a wonderful work to promote and popularize the cartooning. And it’s a rare kind of publication on Cartoons in India I suppose.”. He feels Indians like cartoons and unlike in America Cartoonist are respected persons here in this country. He said cartoons appear only in editorial pages of American News Papers.

Before he left to New Delhi Robins said ‘it has been a new experience to meet the great Cartoonist R K Laxman in Bombay. It’s a great feeling to meet so many enthusiastic cartoonists in Bangalore, talk to them, to see their work, to get lot of information…I am really thankful to all of them for the assistance.’

Robins who has already visited England, Poland, Slovakia, Hungari, Sarbia, Bulgaria, Turkey United Arab Amirates, South Africa and Tanzania will be going to Korea Thailand and Malasia before returning to US.

By BV Panduranga Rao