Noted cartoonist Yesudasan dies at 83 in Kochi

KOCHI: Noted cartoonist Yesudasan, whose works reflected the socio-political spectrum of Kerala for decades, passed away at a private hospital in Kochi on Wednesday. Yesudasan, 83, had been under treatment for Covid-19 for the past three weeks.
Yesudasan has left his mark as a cartoonist during a career that spanned over six decades. His parents wanted him to be a priest, while Yesudasan’s wish was to become an engineer.But, he became a cartoonist!
Born on June 12, 1938, Yesudasan started his career as a cartoonist by joining Janayugam, the mouthpiece of CPI, in 1960. ‘Kittummavan”, the box cartoon by him in Janayugam, made him popular. He then joined Shankar’s Weekly ran by cartoonist Shankar who is considered to be the founder of political cartooning in India in 1963.
“Yesudasan was the master who trained a generation of cartoonists. In the early 80s, he ran a few magazines like Cut Cut, Asadhu and Tuk Tuk. These publications became the launching pad for many cartoonists,” renowned cartoonist Sudhir Nath recalls his contributions.
In 1985, he joined Malayala Manorama as a staff cartoonist. After superannuating from Manorama, he again started drawing cartoons for Janayugam. He continued to draw cartoons for “Kittummavan” in Janayagugam until September 17, two days before he was taken to the hospital.
Keen observation of the individuals he portrayed in the cartoons made his works stand out. He had noticed even the minutes features of the persons he drew. His works reflected even the minutest features, like Congress leader M M Hassan wearing a watch on his right hand and late G K Moopanar wearing only rubber chappals despite the veteran leader being very rich. He had won several awards, including the Kesari-Swadeshabhimani award instituted by the Kerala government.
He is survived by wife Mercy and sons Sanu Y Das, Sethu Y Das and Suku Das. His funeral will be held at St Mary’s Cathedral cemetery in Kochi with state honours.