Today's prompt is nostalgic in nature. I have been searching my box to see if I have any old newspapers, but I can't find any. I have decided to go get some just because of the comic strips in them.
Growing up as a kid, I loved reading the papers after my dad must have finished reading them. My dad would come back home with at least two newspapers, and I would be patiently waiting to read them. You should ask me a simple question: Did you read them? Well, I actually never cared about the boldly written headlines that were so bold that even the blind could see. I was just after the page that has comic strips on it. I remember a particular newspaper that had a comic strip on page 10, and it was always about the government and the masses.
I always loved the drawings and how colorful they were. A particular strip has stuck with me for life. It was about those in government eating and getting fat, while the masses were fighting for the crumbs under the table. I laughed at the comic strip when I was much younger, but I remember it now. I understand the message that was passed. As a kid, I would cut out the comic strip and paste it on a book. I would take it to school and show it to my friends. We would laugh and start acting out the characters in the comic strip.
We still have comic strips in some of the newspapers in Nigeria, but I don't think I have really had the time to look at them recently. With this prompt, I would sure be looking out for them. In Nigeria, the most popular comic strip among the boys was Supa Strikas. All the boys loved it, and if you held one, you would be mobbed. I think that was the only comic strip I would pay for, even now. It was about a football team, and the team was really talented. We all wanted to be one of the characters on the team.
I loved Shakes and always wanted to play like him.
Caricature is a form of art that I love so much. I remember when I was younger, I would even try drawing some. I love how irregular the figures looked, and it was always funny. Going through newspapers or magazines, I always look out for them, even now. Using this form of art is always educational and logical. You must have an open mind to understand or interpret the message.
I remember a caricature a classmate made while in high school, and the whole thing got into trouble. My classmate drew our mathematics teacher, and it was funny. The head of our mathematics teacher was so big, and his legs looked like broom sticks. He left the caricature on his desk, and someone else got hold of it. No one agreed that he was the one who drew it. I am just remembering the image, and I am just giggling.
I have never had someone make a caricature of me, but I would love to see one. I guess it will be funny and weird.
The cosmic strip and caricature as an alternative form of reality are amazing and interesting. They pass a message without having to mention a name, but going through the pictures and reasoning critically, one would be able to interpret the message in the drawing. For me, I feel it is safe, especially for journalists, as they can pass a message to the public without having to be worried about being sued or arrested by those who feel attacked by these drawings.
This form of art is classic, and its history can be traced back to the early 19th century. For it to survive the various decades and centuries, it means that it is really appreciated.
It has always provided a deep analysis of events happening around us. I love it for the fact that serious issues are treated like nothing and displayed in a funny way. I remember a funny description of an emergency scene in the hospital. It was a serious case that was about human life, but the comic strip helped in reducing the tension one could have felt.
This form of art has come to stay with us, and I believe it will be difficult to erase from history. Generations to come will appreciate this form of creativity. Imagine what can be done with the help of AI. It is only going to get better in the future.
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