The Kerala Cartoon Academy is an organization of cartoonists in Kerala, India. It includes free-lancers recognized by the Kerala State Government. The Academy has a membership of more than 100 Cartoonists. Since its inception in 1982,[1] the Academy has been holding camps/workshops,[2] exhibitions,[3] seminars, study tours, festivals[4] and competitions.[5] More than 600 such camps/workshops have been organized so far.
Kerala has had cartooning for nearly 90 years and is known for exporting considerable cartooning manpower to the national capital. However, it took a long while for local cartoonists to find a forum to get together. The Kerala Cartoon Academy didn’t happen overnight. The first effort to organize cartoonists happened in 1967. Kutty, Manthri , Shivaram, Thomas and Artist Raghavan Nair formed an association for cartoonists. Though it took off with a great vision, it was short-lived. But the spirit of the movement survived and in 1981 a platform for cartoonists came into existence under the leadership of Shivaram, Thomas, Yesudasan, Toms, Gafoor, Seeri and Nathan among others. That was the Kerala Cartoon Academy. Over the years it has grown to voice the concerns of cartooning nation-wide though its activities are largely confined to Kerala.
We have a membership of over 100 professional cartoonists. The Academy is not just an organization by the cartoonists for the cartoonists. It reaches out to the public through cartoon shows and interactive programmes. In the evolving democracy that India is, we feel the probing satirical medium has a special place in the public mind.