Alexyz Fernandes from Siolim is a well-known Goa cartoonist who is fondly called, “Cartoonist Alexyz”.
Alexyz was an athlete who played football before entering the realm of cartoons. “While playing football, I damaged my knee and had to be helped off the field.”
I began cartooning, and my debut book, ‘Sportoons,’ was India’s first collection of sports cartoons. The book was produced by India Book House and sold for just Rs 7.50 when it was first released in 1982. ‘Howzzat! – Century of Cricket Cartoons,’ published in 1987, was Alexyz’s second collection of cartoons and the first on cricket cartoons in India.
Alexyz was a daily cartoonist for newspapers in Mumbai, including The Indian Express, Mid-Day, Free Press Journal, Sunday Observers, and Readers Digest, as well as Goan dailies.
“There are numerous cartoonists in Goa, but there is very little space that can be given to a cartoon on a daily basis.” A newspaper’s space is valuable, and the cartoon should not be obstructed by advertisements. “In Mumbai, I used to do sports cartoons and a comic strip for Sportsweek, a weekly magazine,” Alexyz explains.
The famed Goan coconut tree will be the inspiration for his future effort. “I am keen on doing something with cartoons on the coconut tree.
He reveals, “I have a lot of cartoons that I’ve drawn throughout the years that I’d like to collect together.”
Now, 76, he’s a content guy who lives in his house in the North Goan village of Siolim with his wife, who works as a teacher in the local school.
Despite the fact that she retired several years ago, she still goes to school every day, providing Alexyz Cartoonist with the time to work on his cartooning projects.
Recently, his exhibition, Sacred Spaces – Moments in Time, opened at Quadro Art Gallery.
The event was attended by Fr Ceotano Fernandes, Vicar Holy Family Church and Fr Alfi D’Cruz, Parish Priest, Holy Family Church along with Cartoonist Alexyz Fernandes, syringe painter Clarice Vaz, architect Rita Modi Joshi, drummer Rajat Kakkar of Mrigya fusion band, Adelino Fernandes of Lorenz Imaging and Geovanni Fernandes, owner of Quadro Art Gallery.
He’s busy compiling his memoirs, visiting events, and meeting with students at various institutions across the state when he’s not working on his daily cartoons.
The Directorate of Art and Culture, Government of Goa, has presented him with the Goa State Cultural Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the art of painting.
His home is surrounded by art on every wall – cartoons, drawings, caricatures, doodles, and so on.
You’re only getting younger and happier with each passing day! In a world when too many people are stressed, what is the secret to your happiness?
His secret of happiness lies in being himself. He’s blessed with a positive attitude about people and things. He enjoys meeting new folks and sharing what he’s created with my talent because he gets something in return in a thousand different ways.
Cartooning for him is a serious business, not a pastime.
A cartoonist is constantly attempting to draw attention to negative aspects of society. He considers himself really fortunate to be able to grin and laugh all of the time and enjoy life.
He says he’s desperate for a good laugh!
He says there’s something to do every morning. But, before he goes to work, he goes for my morning walk to stay in shape. That’s a standard procedure. Aside from that, each day is unique, he says.
He loves creating cartoons on current events.
During the day, he works on the balcony or patio, and at night, the couch. He used to finish his comics in a garden or café in Panaji.
He can work from anywhere because he doesn’t need much space or equipment.
Cartooning is not only a terrific method to make others laugh, but it’s also a great opportunity to make social criticism and express yourself
Cartooning is a visual medium. The cartoon pops out even in a 10-column newspaper. He highlights whatever comes up in the paper, which is mostly Goa-related stuff.
If you look closely at his cartoons, you’ll notice that they’re more than just cartoons; they’re works of art. He utilizes a lot of colors, and it looks like a vibrant painting.
Cartoonist Alexyz and Mario Miranda attended the same college, St. Xavier’s College, and the Times of India, where Mario worked as a cartoonist, was right next door.
He’s always been a fan of cartoons. Mario Miranda’s work piqued his interest to the point where he considered pursuing a PhD in it. He was also acquainted with him.
He walked inside his cubicle first and introduced himself as ‘Goenkar’ in Konkani, as well as showing him his drawings. He viewed Alexyz’ work and suggested he speak with a newspaper editor, and he was able to get his comic strip published in that very publication.
Mario Miranda was a great assistance to Cartoonist Alexyz. Instead of seeing him as a competitor, he saw him as a mentor. He was quite pleasant, which set him apart from the other successful cartoonists Alexyz knew.
For Alexyz, Mario Miranda was one of the most talented illustrators in the world. He frequently stated that he was an illustrator rather than a cartoonist. His mannerisms were distinct and amusing. His style of work has always appealed to Alexyz. Somewhere along the way, a little piece of Mario finds its way into Alexyz’s work as well.
He adds that there should be no censorship of what we want to say in a democracy, as long as it isn’t yellow journalism. Why should people be subjected to censorship because politicians get away with anything?
On social media, there are more cartoonists than in the newspapers! The type of cartoons that appear on social media differs significantly from those that appear in newspapers.
Many publications will not allow you the kind of independence that social media does. Many cartoonists ask Alexyz how much money he would make if he went into cartooning?
He has met a few committed young people; most are looking for a high-paying job. They appreciate the concept of being the centre of attention, but they need money to make it happen.
Before he got into cartooning, he worked in advertising, where the pay was high and there was a lot of glitz. When it comes to cartooning, however, it’s all about passion.
Alexyz’s life is never dull since he finds humor in every event and portrays it in his brilliantly colored cartoons.
For example, he frankly captures a basic everyday experience of buying fish and having a double-take when hearing the price in his latest book, ‘O To Be In Goa… Today,’.
The book, which is published by Broadway Publishing House, contains approximately 200 cartoons on topics such as tourism, the environment, mining, politics, and wildlife.
“The cartoons are largely from my two years working for a Goan daily, and they centered around Goa. They were topical so that the readers could relate to them.”
Cartoons, in my opinion, are a documentary or a visual history. It’s simple to get a sense of the scenario from a cartoon from the time period. I consider my cartoons to be works of art, and I chose my colors with great care.
Previously, there were only two colors: a reddish brown and a white background, but for this book, we used brilliant colours,” Alexyz explains of his first coloured book.
The book contains over three years’ worth of labour, bringing back recollections of events at the period.
“History repeats itself, thus the same topics recur, albeit from fresh and new viewpoints.” “It’s the same tourist, corruption, and drug problems that are afflicting Goa,” Alexyz adds, dedicating ‘O To Be In Goa… Today’ to his beloved friends ‘Mario de Miranda, Emiliano Da Cruz, and Joel D’Souza.’
Excerpts taken from Times of India & Herald Goa
