My cartoon scholars at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia.

My quick sketch of Hailemariam Desalegn.

I blogged about Ethiopia a few years back explaining how untrue news stories of this country known as the “Horn of Africa” were. All the news was very negative compared to what I saw when I was there teaching Cartoons as Visual Commentaries at Addis Ababa University – School of Journalism and Communication. I forgot to mention the late President Meles Zenawi, who died in office and was quite instrumental to the changes and progression of the country. Honestly I thought I would see starving Ethiopians all around. I didn’t.

I did this sketch of Hailemariam Desalegn the acting Prime minister who was Zenawi’s deputy until his death, the moment I saw the first prominent pictures of him.

I’ll leave it to Google to share the incredible body of work Joe produced. I want to write about the man I knew.

Joe's Sgt. Rock sketch in my autograph book

The comic industry has lost a great educator and comic artist who inspired me while I was attending the Kubert School. I travelled from Nigeria to attend the Kubert School, then known as the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, in a small town called Dover, New Jersey. His sons, Adam and Andy, were my classmates (in fact, my drawing table was next to Adam’s).

Andy picked me up from JFK International airport and drove me to my Dover accommodation, the Carriage House, where I lived and eventually shared with other students. Joe would come to me during his Narrative Art class, held back then at Baker Mansion, to ask if I was OK and was settling in nicely. I had travelled from Nigeria to the U.S. in my teens and on my own. He and his wife Muriel, the backbone of the school, were very protective of me. His family was so good to me.

He asked me to assist with the Saturday Sketch Classes at the school and also passed on commissioned work to me to do from clients who had approached the school for one project or the other. He would also arrange for me to go to events, mostly in New Jersey and not far from the school, to do caricatures.  He also entrusted the school’s keys to me to open up the school as at when needed. My first drawing in a DC comic book was through him.

Each time I travelled to New York, I would hop on a NJ Transit train from New York to Dover to visit the Kubert School. Joe, always humble, would make himself available to see me anytime I made the visit and would give me a hug. He wouldn’t do that to many.

I’m still feeling emotional, but we have to resign ourselves to the fact that good people here today will not be around forever. In 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Jersey City, Joe was honoured with National Cartoonist Society’s Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award. I made it a point of duty to be there and see him being honored. It was an opportunity to see two of my mentors, Kubert and the late Jerry Robinson, at the same gathering, and what a happy reunion it was. Many swarmed around the great man like flies wanting to talk to him. That alone epitomized his achievement and greatness.  Listening to Joe during the Reuben awards weekend, it was obvious that he was already passing on the day to day running of the prestigious school to his sons, Adam and Andy and his loyal team including the Mike Chen.

(from left) Hy Eisman, me and Joe Kubert at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Jersey City, NJ.

Not only was he a great comic artist, he also was a shrewd business man. He showed us more than just how to draw. In face, one of the courses I did while at school was called Business of Art.

Joe never retired – he kept drawing and worked at a high level until the very end. When he took ill, I understand that he even took along his final work with him to the hospital.

The Kubert School is America’s only accredited trade school for comic book artists, which Joe founded in 1976 with his wife Muriel. I became a much better professional artist after attending. I believe this is the case with alumni Kubert school mates and professionals such as Graham Nolan, Bjorn Ousland, Rob Smith Jr, Adam and Andy Kubert, Bart Sears, Jay Geldhof, Jerry Fuchs, Eric Shanower and Bill Schultz, to mention a few.

I was so close to Joe,  London-based journalist Paul Gravett asked for me to arrange a meeting with Joe when he visited London with Muriel.  When we saw each other, Joe gave me an autographed graphic novel of his “Fax from Sarajevo.” In it  he wrote: ”To my “adopted” son with regards and warmth – Joe Kubert”.

I did quite OK to enhance the page with this montage illustration…

(From left to right) Frank Odoi, Daryl Cagle and Tanzanian cartoonist Popa in Algeria.

Africa has lost one of its best cartoonists and comic artists. Frank Odoi, who was born in Ghana (but made his home Kenya from 1979), died in a minibus accident in Kenya.

Frank’s drawings did not only show characters from Ghana or Kenya, but represented Africa very well internationally. He will be remembered for the many cartoons he drew, the many cultural festivals he participated in across Europe and Africa, and the comic books he published, including the popular Akokhan comic book series.

He was also one of the first cartoonists to be given a daily slot in Kenya’s number one newspaper, Daily Nation. He also drew cartoons and commissioned works for the BBC World Service, who incidentally called me to break the sad news.

Here are some of Frank’s cartoons:

The future is being robbed of great men and women. To take a life is not recipe for solution. This Postcards from Killing Fields cartoon illustrates my deep thinking:

Africa is vast and varied. So are the news stories that affected the continent in 2011. Nigerian caricaturist and illustrator Tayo Fatunla has been commenting on Africa through cartoons for more than three decades. In this slideshow Tayo reflects on some of the major themes that confronted Africa in 2011.

http://www.theworld.org/2011/12/cartoonist-tayo-fatunla-on-africa-2011/

This is how I was promoted in Florida's News Sentinel by Jerry Robinson to promote Our Roots. (click to enlarge)

Anytime I visited New York, I would pay homage to Jerry Robinson at his Riverside studio in Manhattan overlooking the Hudson River. Walls of his apartment were adorned with original drawings of his and other priceless or autographed originals from other great cartoonists and comic artists. He would also allow me to use his facilities. And sometimes arrange hotel bookings for me.

The last time I was at his apartment, I had dinner with him prepared by his lovely wife Gro. He would point at the beautiful sunset over the Hudson River and allow me to use his studio facilities to do my work away from home.

He always seemed busy. On this particular visit, he was on the phone negotiating a deal that had to do with his character creation The Joker. It was tense, but later after a long telephone conversation he was relieved that it had been resolved.

Everyone has written about his passing. Its big news internationally and when TV stations like CNN and the BBC report about it, you know that this was a superstar making headlines. I prefer to write about his passing as an African and Nigerian cartoonist who had the opportunity of knowing him for many years. Through his Cartoonists & Writers syndicate, many African cartoonists had the opportunity to have their cartoons syndicated by CWS in the U.S. and internationally.

I am the first African and Nigerian to be syndicated regularly in the U.S. I was not greedy but thankful that an opportunity had arisen. Jerry was fond of me and took me to be his son. He would advise me earlier on in our professional friendship how to improve my work to make it more international. He sent me my first syndicate contract in Nigeria and made me understand the importance of a contract. One day he said he was quite impressed with my cartoons, and then I knew I had improved vastly. I needed to because he bent over backwards to market my work internationally.

In the beginning, he would ask me to courier my editorial cartoons for syndication by FEDEX as CWS had an account with them. Later on I would send my cartoons by emails as it became easier and quicker to do so.

Jerry introduced my drawings on Black History OUR ROOTS to the U.S. readers. It wasn’t a format in line with political cartoons he syndicated but gave it a shot and the response was very good in US newspapers. OUR ROOTS was also syndicated in the Bermuda Sun newspaper and Florida’s The News Sentinel newspaper. The day Jerry called to say he was ready to syndicate OUR ROOTS, it was like winning the lottery.

Cover of The Cartoonists newsletter Jerry Robinson autographed for me in Cancun, Mexico. (click to enlarge)

Jerry would always take me around at NCS Reuben Award weekends to introduce me to mostly his colleagues in the profession and many of whom are now my friends. “TAYO he would say….Have you met so so and so…let me introduce you”. His introduction made many pay attention to me and my work and I was taken seriously knowing where I was coming from. I have cultivated the skill to introduce people at events to one another as well. Jerry had rubbed off on me.

Jerry introduced me also to NATIONAL CARTOONISTS SOCIETY and that’s how I became an international member. Jerry would also ask if I would like to sit at the same dinner table with him and his wife at the Reuben Awards night in which I would gladly say yes to. It was a great honor.

I loved calling him across the Atlantic and sometimes to ask how he was as he got older and frail. Through it all he was strong. Jerry would always call me anytime he was in the UK and we would arrange to meet up. The last time he visited the UK with his son Jens to attend a Comic convention in London. He would make sure that he contacted me. He was such a humble person. I never saw him upset. I’ve had reunion with my former Joe Kubert school days teachers such as Hy Eisman, Jose Delbo and Sal Amendola due to being with Jerry and professionals such as Graham Nolan and Rob Smith Jr. I also got to meet other cartoonists, and in particular Daryl Cagle, through Jerry.

Jerry and I last met in Jersey City and sat together at the NCS Awards night dinner table with the legendary Joe Kubert and my former tutor Hy Eisman. We gave each other a very big hug as we departed for our separate destinations.  I knew I was saying good-bye. It was emotional. He had lived life and helped many cartoonists from around the world including some African cartoonists. Someone in one tribute said he was generous. He was. He took me from being a local Nigerian cartoonist to being an international Nigerian cartoonist. It was also advantageous that I had attended the Kubert Comic Art School in Dover New Jersey. Jerry and Joe Kubert, founder of The Kubert School were good friends.

Africans are very appreciative and I’ll like to continue in that tradition by saying Thank you Mr Jerry Robinson.

Here I am presenting OUR ROOTS (click to enlarge).

“Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”….My favorite quote by NELSON MANDELA. And I love the fact that I continue to use my illustrated feature OUR ROOTS to educate about Black History.

My Black History PowerPoint talkshop presentation at the award winning Peckham Library building, Southeast London was about the drawings from my book OUR ROOTS – Black History Sketchbook. OUR ROOTS over the years has educated many about the importance of Black History. Adults and school children were in attendance and learned many facts and insight into how the OUR ROOTS feature is produced and at times translated from English to French for French speaking enthusiasts of Black History.

Newly built St. Just Cartoon Centre

It was worth the invitation and trip to the 30th anniversary of the well-known and well attended three-day St. Just Cartoon Festival with two models of cows gracing the entrance to the centre. The Festival is usually held over two weekends, and has a cow as its logo. There were cartoonists from around the world whose cartoons were on display as well, at the newly built Cartoon Centre. In years past it has always been held under a giant marquee. There were cartoonists from France, Croatia, US, South Korea, China, Spain, Scotland, England, France, Ireland, Poland, Israel, to mention a few. All the way from Cameroon, Leontine Babeni the Executive director of Irondel, organisers of FESCARHY Cartoon Festivals in Yaounde Accompanying her was Lucien who came to borrow ideas for a similar project in Yaounde at Camp Artistique.

Language was usually a barrier but the language of cartoons, everyone understood. The inauguration ceremony of the centre took place at the same time of the opening of the 30th Salon Cartoon Festival. The official opening of the centre was packed with cartoonists, guests, Government officials and visitors. This beautiful streamlined structure made of concrete, wood and glass has on its roof three multi-coloured cows are grazing. The three day festivla is always filled with activities, presentations and entertainment. The works of legendary French cartoonists such as Dubout, Cabu and Plantu took centre stage. This is the brain child of Gérard Vandenbroucke who when I was at another Cartoon Festival in Rouen the historic capital of Normandy (also in France) years back, approached and invited me to attend the St-Just Festival. I have since been a few times and the 30th anniversary was not to be missed going by comments of my other Cartoonist colleagues as well. Through the years I have met great cartoonists from around the world at the Festival and we have become friends. One of such is English cartoonist and caricaturist, Luke Warm.

My Human Trafficking cartoon on display at the Cartoon Festival.

St Just-Le-Martel is a small village of over 2,343 villagers in west-central France.For cartoonists coming from Paris, it was a three hour trip from Paris-Austerlitz train station to Limoges-Bénédictins train station where a coach transported us to St-Just. As the coach got nearer the exhibition centre, there was a thunderous clapping of hands as if to give a seal of approval for the newly constructed Eco-building.With this Festival, cartoonists are usually accommodated by the villagers and my hosts have always been Alain and Claude, a lovely couple who live in the next woodland village called Royeres.

Drawing people at the Festival was a good feeling that cannot be replaced. Many who visited the exhibition centre wanted to be drawn or a drawing done for them. They also went round viewing the beautiful display of cartoons by various cartoonists. I’ve exhibited my cartoons at the festival for years and this year’s was no exception. In fact my first award was presented to me at this festival years past for my contribution to Press Cartoons.

Our Roots Comic by TAYO Fatunla

African comic artists and their works have not been properly and fully represented at Asian Comic Festivals. Africa is a continent rich in comics, digital comics, animation and African Comic Artists cartoons and African Comic artists are being invited to participate, to have a better representation at the 15th Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival (SCIAF) Cartoon competition. Competition regulations and competition poster can be found on SCIAF official website http://www.sicaf.org/2011/eng/index.jsp.

The SCIAF Festival takes place annually in South Korea. (Registration ends April 22, 2011)

No one wants to live in Nigeria - One of cartoons discussed

Listen to me being interviewed by Carol Hills on THE WORLD, a U.S. radio programme broadcast to Americans. View my cartoon slideshow as I give an insight into each one of them. It was an interview across the Atlantic with me at The WORLD’s BBC London studio and Carol in Boston. http://www.theworld.org/2010/12/16/nigerian-cartoonist-tayo-fatunla/

TAYO Fatunla and ICC official, Sophie Jang at the reception for comic artists in South Korea

Without hesitation, I congratulate the organisers of the Bucheon International Comic Festival (BICOF) and the International Comic Artist Conference (ICC) for organising yet again another Comic Festival and Conference that brings local, international and Asian artists together. ICC is a non-government exchange organization that promotes mutual and cultural understanding among comic artists around the world.

This event took place at the ManHwa Gyujjanggak Museum a massive complex with several stalls, a 4D-theatre, a Press centre, various exhibition floors, a Comic library and a cartoon museum to name but a few. Over 300 comic artists from more than 20 countries worldwide all gathered at the Conference.

Massive banner drapes the complex where the Comic Conference took place

My sincere thanks to ICC official Ms. Sophie Jang and the ICC Organisers who were relentless in ensuring that I visit this lovely country of pleasant and respectable people.

I also learnt to bow, a form of greeting or call it respect. I was able to participate at the conference which took place in Bucheon about fifty minutes drive from Seoul. I enjoyed staying at first in downtown metropolitan Seoul which was a very busy city. Korea has not forgone it’s traditions but has embraced the digital technology with style and noticeable as at when the need to use technology arises. Comic artists also have to move with times and this is just not a fact but it’s real.

From small gadgets to big ones, comics are on mobile phones, ipods, ipads, Xboxes and more. Various digital companies were represented at the festival highlighting the importance of comics and the need to tap into this growing industry. Having been a contributor to the Comic Festivals in the past, I am delighted that such an important venture continues to break all grounds in the area of promoting comics, works of comic artists, digital art and animation. This kind of venture continues to enable artists to come together under one roof and share works together with each individual’s distinctive skills and techniques and also to discuss comic art. Sharing the past, present and future of comics is essential to the industry’s survival.

CB Cebulski- Marvel's editor

An industry which continues to be prosperous because comic art is a universal language. The festival was able to bring together artists who probably would not have met each other from countries such as Mongolia, Finland, China, Japan, Macao, the Philippines, Australia, Thailand, Nigeria, Ukraine, Iran, Cambodia, Turkey, Russia, Singapore and from several other nations. I also noticed that Asia has more female Comic artists than the West. An editor of Marvel Co. Ltd the bubbly C.B. Cebulski was also invited to give a lecture on comics from a U.S. perspective. The official opening of the Festival had live actors and actresses re-enact Comic characters and showcase their martial arts skills. The Mayor of Bucheon, Kim Man-Soo believes that this Comic Festival is bound for greatness. He was present at the Festival with many other Korea government officials. The popularity of comic art and the adaptation of comics into live or animated feature length movie, has made the world pay attention to Comics and Comic artists.

International Cartoonists at South Korea's biggest Comic Festival

Original comic pages of Famous Korean Artist Jang Tae-San

Meeting and seeing him at work first hand, was a satisfying highlight of the conference. Walls were beautifully adorned with the works of the artists taking the “Open House” tour. There was also time for the invited artists to do some figure drawing by drawing the human anatomy. An important aspect of drawing figures. This Conference has been wonderful and with it, I believe that many bridges will be and can be built through comic art locally and internationally. Flying out of Incheon International airport one could not but notice how the departure lounge was looking more like one big shopping mall. There are shops within the vicinity of every boarding gate.

From left to right, Bonjour Presenter Albert, Popa, Babel and Tayo Fatunla on the Cameroon TV breakfast show

It is always a honour to be chosen out of so many and be invited to a Cartoon Comic Festival. When I first started out drawing, I only loved what I was passionate about and that was and still is to draw.

Flying with many Cameroonians and visitors to Yaounde, we first stopped at Douala, a prosperous city I understand, for some passengers to alight and then flew on to Nsimalen International Airport, a few minutes drive into Yaounde the seat of Government. Appreciation of a wonderful flight crew who treated all with first class  service ended with a round of applause from passengers when the plane landed both in Douala and Yaoundé.  Swiss International Air Lines  linked with Switzerland provided  values such as quality, reliability and hospitality.

Culture Minister Ama Tutu Muna (centre) at the opening of Fescarhy Festival in Yaounde

Young artist itchike Bidias drawing at the camp

Each festival has it’s uniqueness and the 12th international Festival of Caricature and humour ( best known as FESCARHY) in Yaounde, Cameroon is  no exception. There were two aspects to the Festival. Firstly the Camp Artistique, a creative centre like a summer camp, is a big complex situated in a village where children are taught to draw comics and cartoons and basic Animation and where young artists gathered works together to create an African cartoon character. The facility provide the young ones the basic tools to draw and design with.  Young artists at the camp met up with various Comic artists from Europe and around Africa. The Festival had it’s theme as CARTOON AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD.
I was totally amazed at the fantastic drawings produced at the camp by these children who came from all around Cameroon regions French and English speaking and under the tutelage of Comic artists and book illustrators from France, around Africa and from Cameroon as well. Children in the age range of 8 – 12 and teenagers 13 -17 and adults 18 and above were all drawing at the camp with ambition. The natural, untouched vegetation visible from the windows at the camp was a sight to behold and seemed that a segment of the Jungle was filmed for Michael Jackson’s Earth song video. So it seems.

One of many works by children at Camp Artisque

Secondly, the grounds of  Hotel De Ville, housing the City of Yaoundé administration, (more like in the city Centre), was the focus of the Festival where works of various artists invited were displayed and those of artists and children from the camp as well. The minister of Culture, Ama Tutu Muna was invited to officially open the three day Festival. Visiting my exhibition stand as I was representing Nigeria as a Cartoonist in my own capacity, the Minister asked if I would like to come again. “Yes of course” I said and I suggested that the Government should endeavour to support young Cameroonian artists and  also an initiative such as the Festival of Caricature and humour (FESCARHY).  I also did a caricature of the Minister which I presented to her.  Other fellow comic artists and animators were also busy welcoming members of the public and Government officials to their stands.

To publicise the Festival, Popa, a friend and cartoonist from Tanzania and myself  were driven early in the morning to the famous Breakfast TV show called BONJOUR an English speaking breakfast show on Cameroonian National TV (CRTV) and presented by the witty Albert. Before going live on to the show we were ushered into the makeup room. We felt Hollywood beckoning. We also went for a pre-recorded interview on Cameroon’s National radio station.

At Fescarhy's Camp Artistique Village with tutor Patrick Mamia

Leontine Babeni Babel, the Director of Fescarhy found the need to hold comic festivals in Cameroon as she discovered that Cameroonian Cartoonists and Comic artists needed a place  where they could express themselves through drawing. She is passionate about these projects. Another project  close to her heart was an exhibition around the gardens of City hall called Fifty Women of Impact in which various artists illustrated each woman as a form of tribute to Cameroon women emerging from 50 years of the reunification of Cameroon. The first lady, Chantal Biya is included among the 50 women. Fondly called Babel, she explained that the choice was born out of  the desire of Fescarhy to celebrate and glorify the woman. Everyone in her team had to keep up with Babel. It was arranged for Popa and myself to meet with the young artists from the Camp and help with the many questions they wanted answers to.  So we gave encouraging answers. Many came with their portfolio filled with impressive works for us to take a look at and for advice.

We were looked after very well by the peaceful Cameroonians and by Cameroonian artists, Bibi Benzo and Yannick Sikoue. And we were also  in the good company of fellow artists such as  Barly Baruti (Congo), Joel Salo (Burkina Faso), Cisse Samba (Senegal) and Pahe (Gabon) to mention a few. There were comics produced by Cameroonians on display at the Festival as well.  As we both spoke English  and only a few words in French, the greatest means of communication for Popa and myself was sketching out our questions and needs when we were on our own or exploring the streets of Yaounde. My many thanks to Edmond Elanga, Fabien Dingom, Jose Nolga (who we called the Special one) and Estelle. And thanks also to the kitchen staff at the Camp who introduced me to Bobolo, a popular staple food eaten in Cameroon with fried fish. I had a week of not eating processed foods in Cameroon.

Cameroonians are in awe of Nigerians. This is saying much from people of a country that has power supply continuously.

Joe Kubert with the Milton Canniff Lifetime Achievement award

The National Cartoonists Society (NCS) held it’s 64th annual Reuben awards weekend in Jersey City an area carved out of New Jersey and oozing wealth into the atmosphere. The Memorial Day weekend event took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. From the hotel”˜s windows, you could see the beautiful skyline of New York city across the Hudson River, a sight to behold. Taking the New Jersey Path train from the hotel to the World Trade Centre, abbreviated WTC was just one stop away. The site where the twin towers once stood still looks like a big wound refusing to heal since 2001. And there is St. Paul’s Chapel. Built in 1766, it is the oldest public building in continuous use in New York City. The World Trade Centre came under terrorist attack and both towers crashed to the ground but St. Paul’s Chapel remained standing. And when it comes to patriotism, no nation on earth flies flags waving gracefully like the US.

Eventually, it is hoped that the WTC site will take shape soon, as work is in progress there. And to think that one year before 9/11, the Reuben awards weekend took place in New York City at the top of the twin towers in which many great cartoonists including myself gathered just like the 64th one.

The Statue of Liberty from the windows of the hotel was beckoning to me for me to visit it, so I did. I boarded the Miss New Jersey Ferry  from Liberty state park to Ellis Island  which was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It’s now a museum which now symbolizes the nation’s busiest immigration station from 1892 to 1954. From there, onwards to the Statue of Liberty buzzing with visitors mostly tourists. Seeing hundreds come off the ferry on to the island gave a vivid picture of how thousands of  immigrants then would have come off a much bigger vessel of over 5,000.

The gathering of legends and future legends in one place at the Hyatt Regency was a scene to behold. Comic greats, Book Illustrators, TV  and Feature Animators, Newspaper panel and comic strip cartoonists designers and Gag cartoonists were all there. Seminar Speakers  included, Joe Kubert, George Booth, Yaakov Kirschen and Mort Drucker to mention a few.

Joe Kubert was elated that some of his school’s alumni, myself, Graham Nolan, and Rob Smith Jr. were there to see him receive the Milton Cannif Lifetime Achievement award. During his Seminar presentation Joe mentioned how his late wife Muriel was the backbone of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art as he could not forgo the Comic profession he still loves so much to run the administrative aspect of the school. He also hinted at the fact that his superb Comic artist sons Adam and Andy would eventually take over the running of the prestigious school that has so many of it’s alumni students now in the cartoon and comic industry. Thanks to Muriel.

Graham Nolan and Rob Smith were nice guys to have been around, while at the Joe Kubert school and nice guys to have been around at the 64th Reubens weekend. Being at the same table during the Banquet/Awards night flanked by great legends was awesome. With Jerry Robinson who was Bob Kane”˜s (Batman creator)  assistant and the creator of the Joker, Joe Kubert (Sgt Rock/ Tarzan/Fax from Sarajevo) and my former tutor at the Joe Kubert School, Hy Eisman who for years has been drawing the Popeye newspaper cartoon strips. Eisman was also my tutor in lettering at the Kubert school. I did enjoy every moment at the table of legends.

His statement drove many Nigerians, Christians and Muslims to anger. The Nigerian Government reacted in disbelief as well.

I drew this cartoon for Cartooning for Peace (CFP), an Organization which aims to promote a better understanding and mutual respect between people of different faiths or cultures through the power of visual commentaries. Well known cartoonists from around the world have been involved in CFP.

CFP is based in France and was initiated by the famous French cartoonist Plantu, who specializes in political satire. I’ve met Plantu a couple of times in two different towns in France, Rouen and St-Just-Le-Martel. His cartoons appear regularly in Le Monde, a French national newspaper.

Easter commemorates the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It’s the most important Christian festival, and the one celebrated with the greatest joy. My cartoon depicts the Messiah who died for mankind, asking for the forgiveness of many who do not mean well for Nigerians or a united Nigeria.

The BBC invited me to participate at the Superpower Nation Day, a one-day global conversation on the radio, TV, and online as it unfolds via the internet at Shoreditch Town Hall, London. Issues discussed varied from political, social, economic and religious issues. I spoke on cartoons and the religious riots in Nigeria and it’s leadership. Armed with my pens and colors, I could not resist the temptation to draw caricatures of many, representing various nations at the super event. I did.