Scenes of Malaysian Life
Scenes of Malaysian Life | |
---|---|
Author(s) | Lat |
Current status/schedule | Ended |
Launch date | 1974 |
End date | 2014 |
Alternate name(s) | Lat & Easy |
Publisher(s) | New Straits Times |
Scenes of Malaysian Life (also known as Lat & Easy from 2002 to 2014) is a comic strip series by Malaysian cartoonist, Mohammad Nor Khalid, better known as Lat and published in the Malaysian English-language daily newspaper, the New Straits Times.[1][2] The comic strip, which ran for 40 years, from 1974 to 2014,[3] illustrated the common way of life of the multicultural Malaysia.[4] Some of his cartoons in the series also compiled in his comic books.
Background
[edit]In 1973, Lat, who was then a crime reporter at the New Straits Times,[5] submitted his comic strip for the Hong Kong-based Asia Magazine with the traditional life culture as the main subject where he drews a cartoon and provide the dialogues about a traditional Malay Muslim ritual, the circumcision.[6][7][8] It drews attention from the-then New Straits Times editor-in-chief, Lee Siew Yee, who later offered him a permanent column cartoonist role in the newspaper.[9][10] Lat then taking that position specially created for him by the newspaper's then editor, Abdul Samad Ismail.[11][12] This gave birth to the Scenes of Malaysian Life series where his first job is to highlighted the daily lives of Malaysian multiracial culture and current affairs.[9][13][14] He described it as a "something very innovative at the time".[9]
The first cartoon that Lat drew in the series is the "Perak Wedding", which was published in March 1974.[2][15] After returned to Malaysia from his 4-month study at the St Martin's School of Art in London,[16] Lat changed the format of Scenes of Malaysian Life into an editorial cartoon series. In 1984, partly from a desire to step away from the public limelight, Lat resigned from the New Straits Times to become a freelancer,[17][18][19] but continued to draw Scenes of Malaysian Life for the newspaper.[20] In 1995, Scenes of Malaysian Life absent briefly from the New Straits Times as Lat decided to take a sabbatical for a year. The series resumed publication the following year[21] until it finally ended in 2014.[3]
Reception
[edit]The comic strip was well-received[22][23] and propelled Lat's work to a greater heights.[24] In the 2000s, the series ran three times per week in the New Straits Times.[25] Some of his works in Scenes of Malaysian Life also have been compiled into comic books which proven to be successful and well-received.
Ilham Gallery describe the series as "a truly Malaysian narrative and perfectly pictured the life of a nation".[26]
References
[edit]- ^ Muliyadi 2004, p. 216.
- ^ a b Berita Harian, Dua kekuatan jadi rahsia 2018.
- ^ a b Ipoh Echo, Kampung Boy and Beyond 2020.
- ^ New Straits Times, Lat recalls life 2020.
- ^ The Straits Times, Knowing Lat 1986, p. 6.
- ^ Willmott 1989.
- ^ Pameran Retrospektif Lat 2003, p. 118.
- ^ Jayasankaran 1999, p. 36.
- ^ a b c Lat 1994, p. 25.
- ^ History of New Straits Times 2007.
- ^ Nor-Afidah 2002.
- ^ Crossings: Datuk Lat 2003, 27:05–27:23.
- ^ Muliyadi 2003a.
- ^ Muliyadi 2004, p. 213.
- ^ The Borneo Post, Appreciating our multiculturalism 2019.
- ^ Crossings: Datuk Lat 2003, 30:35–31:15.
- ^ Lat 1994, p. 34.
- ^ Lent 1999.
- ^ Crossings: Datuk Lat 2003, 38:45–39:35.
- ^ Lat 1994, p. 35.
- ^ New Straits Times, Lat on sabbatical 1995.
- ^ Rohani 2005, p. 390.
- ^ Bissme 2009.
- ^ Pilcher & Brooks 2005, p. 125.
- ^ Ilham Gallery 2015.
Bibliography
[edit]- Interviews/self-introspectives
- Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi (17 March 2019). "Lat, his cartoons and appreciating our multiculturalism". The Borneo Post. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- Tan Mei Kuan (29 December 2020). "Interview with Lat: Kampung Boy and Beyond" (Interview). Ipoh Echo. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- News sources
- Annuar Othman (8 May 1986). "Knowing cartoonist Lat through exhibition". The Straits Times. p. 6. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
- "Cartoonist Lat on sabbatical for a year". New Straits Times. 31 December 1994. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi (19 March 2018). "Dua kekuatan jadi rahsia apresiasi Lat" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- Arfa Yunus (23 August 2020). "NST175: Lat recalls life as crime reporter". New Straits Times. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- Elena Koshy (1 November 2020). "Iconic cartoonist Lat shares his thoughts about cartooning and his father's lasting legacy". New Straits Times. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- Books
- Muliyadi Mahamood (2003a). "Lat Dalam Konteksnya" [Lat in Context]. Pameran Retrospektif Lat [Retrospective Exhibition 1964–2003]. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: National Art Gallery. pp. 48–82. ISBN 983-9572-71-7.
- Pameran Retrospektif Lat [Retrospective Exhibition 1964–2003]. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: National Art Gallery. 2003. ISBN 983-9572-71-7.
- Muliyadi Mahamood (2004). The History of Malay Editorial Cartoons (1930s–1993). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Utusan Publications and Distributions. ISBN 967-61-1523-1.
- Tim Pilcher; Brad Brooks (2005). The Essential Guide to World Comics. New York, United States: Collins & Brown. p. 125. ISBN 9781843403005.
- Lat (1994). "Lat on Lat". Lat: 30 Years Later. Petaling Jaya, Selangor: Kampung Boy. p. 1–38. ISBN 983-996-174-8.
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- Academic sources
- Lent, John (April 1999). "The Varied Drawing Lots of Lat, Malayasian Cartoonist". The Comics Journal (211). Washington, United States: Fantagraphics Books: 35–39. ISSN 0194-7869. Archived from the original on 15 February 2005. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- Rohani Hashim (2005). "Lat's Kampong Boy: Rural Malays in Tradition and Transition". In Palmer, Edwina (ed.). Asian Futures, Asian Traditions. Kent, United Kingdom: Global Oriental. pp. 389–400. ISBN 1-901903-16-8.
- Journalistic sources
- Willmott, Jennifer Rodrigo (March 1989). "Malaysia's Favourite Son". Reader's Digest. Vol. 134, no. 803. New York, United States: The Reader's Digest Association. ISSN 0034-0375. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2010.
- Jayasankaran, S (22 July 1999). "Going Global". Far Eastern Economic Review. 162 (29). Hong Kong: 35–36. ISSN 0014-7591. ProQuest 208233691.
- Crossings: Datuk Lat (Television production). Singapore: Discovery Networks Asia. 21 September 2003.
- Bissme, S (30 April 2009). "Kampung Boy Unveiled". Sun2Surf. Selangor, Malaysia. Archived from the original on 29 October 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- Online sites
- "History of New Straits Times". NSTP. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The New Straits Times Press. 2007. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- Nor-Afidah Abd Rahman (10 October 2002). "Samad Ismail". Infopedia. Singapore: National Library Board. Archived from the original on 27 May 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- "Creating a Malaysian Narrative: A Conversation With Lat". Ilham Gallery. August–December 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2021.