http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=052552 Pin-ups replacing cartoons: Mario Miranda
NT NETWORK PANAJI -- The celebrated Goan cartoonist, Mario de Miranda on Saturday observed that Goa has stopped producing cartoonists of high calibre as the cartoons in newspapers have been replaced by pin-ups. Mario, who made a special appearance at the display of around 6,000 sketches as well as the dummy of the book documenting his life and works, at a daylong exhibition in the city, said the newspaper editors are the major reason for scarcity of cartoonists in Goa. He acknowledged that sense of humour is a major factor in the making of a cartoonist. "But where is the sense of humour today," he questioned, lamenting "It's all lost." Speaking to The Navhind Times, Mario further said that in spite of the fast changing character of Goa, he would like to sketch the state in its new perspective. "I would definitely love to sketch Goa of today as I had done for the Goa of yesterday," he stated. The 284-page book being published by Architecture Autonomous, will be released during a special function, in the city, on July 19. Gerard de Cunha, who has been working on the project, in the introduction to the book says, "I was ecstatic with the 25 volumes of material I collected, but was completely lost in the vastness of Mario's world, incapable of making a choice or organising the book. This period lasted four months and then in a three-week frenzy, I managed to put it all together." The book includes 800 drawings, encompassing all his major phases, writings by and on him and also the objets d'art that have been spawned by his work, he adds. The book includes Mario's short biography by the internationally acclaimed writer, Manohar Malgaonkar, "Tomorrow is another day," by Vinod Mehta and a write-up on Mario by Nissim Ezekiel, besides articles titled "Death of a friend" and "Cartoons - American style" by Mario himself. The cartoons and sketches by Mario dating back to 1950s and done in various styles, moods and mediums of drawing ranging from shading to water colours are compartmentalised into various chapters in the book. The chapters include sketches and notes from Mario's diaries as well as sketchbooks, sketches from The Illustrated Weekly of India, pocket cartoons, Goa postcards, Goa with love, globetrotting, city highlights, London, Germany in wintertime, Impressions of Paris, New York, Singapore, Israel, Macau, Japan Portugal, personalities, murals, cards and so on. The book further includes rare photographs of Mario as a teenager, Mario with his dogs, Mario with his family members including grandmother and his 330-year-old Loutolim residence.
