Linta Mary Philip By Express News Service KOCHI: Cartoonist Nipin Narayanan’s works are simple yet thought-provoking. His recent series on the Covid-19 outbreak seeks to raise awareness about the situation, while also providing hope about the good times to come.Nipin’s works on the theme capture the multitude of thoughts and apprehensions many in society are grappling with in these difficult times. A case in point is a cartoon strip which begins with a simple question, ‘Are you afraid?’, it then goes on to list all the good things that can be enjoyed once the virus scare passes in a series of illustrations. The progression of slides creates curiosity in the viewer and effectively delivers the final message. Another series inspired by the famous ‘Batman slaps Robin’ meme, depicts the superhero bashing all the prejudices that stops people from self-quarantining themselves. While Nipin’s works in their digital format have been garnering attention for the past couple of years and some of them have gone viral, the artist is yet to convert his labour of love into a monetary pursuit. “I take to cartooning to express my thoughts on a situation; it might be frustration, happiness or anger. In case of topics that are socially relevant, I find people’s comments generally echo my sentiments,” says Nipin.The illustrations are done in minimalist cartoon style. They comprise simple line art figures and objects. While some are single-frame cartoons, most of the works are in a series format. The uncrowded frames carry a common colour scheme that adds to the mood of the story or message being conveyed. “Becoming a cartoonist was a childhood dream. It lets me explore my love for drawing as well as writing. While I started making cartoons since I was in school, it took me a few years to find my style. Minimal art has the advantage of conveying a message directly to its viewers, along with the possibility of having layered meanings,” adds Nipin. Once an idea strikes, Nipin makes a basic sketch and the final output is created on a software. He is a member of the Kerala Cartoon Academy and is the recipient of the A PJ Abdul Kalam Star Cartoonist Award. He has also published a book of his works titled ‘Nostalgiyanthine pusthakam’ This 28-year-old Payyanur native is also an aspiring director and is currently pursuing a course at the R K Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts, Kottayam. His cartoons are uploaded on his Facebook and Instagram page @ninacartoonist.

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