March 10, 2008
Brian Hara, 1945-2008
Esteemed veteran newspaper cartoonist Brian Hara, a leading light of visual culture in the southeast African Republic of Malawi, died on Friday in that country's largest city of Blantyre. According to a family member, the cause of death was asthma and irregularities in the digestive tract.
Hara initially became famous for the
Malawi News cartoon
Pewani, which I think was initially silent and then perhaps used some language, primarily the Bantu family tongue Chichewa. It has been described as an educative strip, which built on the cartoonist's skill as displayed in the family magazine
Mona (a character called Chatsalira) and in illustrating children's books. Hara also spent time as a young man making editorial cartoons in Zambia, and later became a painter.
His other great comics accomplishment in his his home country was the serial
Zabweka, which sounds like more of an adult serial. It began in 1997, and received at least some attention
in terms of media awards recognition. He also provided satirical cartoons to the
Nation's publications during this time. He apparently worked even from the hospital bed that was his final resting place, and one of the obituaries noted his skill working in charcoal.
Hara was scheduled to be buried Saturday in his home village in the Mzimba province. He is survived by his wife, five children and a grandchild.
posted 10:41 am PST |
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