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Jonathan Shapiro Cartoonist
Born in Cape Town in 1958. Couldn’t imagine a career in
cartooning, so studied architecture at University of Cape Town.
Couldn’t imagine a career in architecture, so tried switching to
Graphic Design and promptly got conscripted. While in the army,
became active in the United Democratic Front. Trouble. Began doing
cartoons for progressive organisations and for South.
Detained by security police in 1988 shortly before leaving on a
Fulbright Scholarship to study media arts at the School of Visual
Arts in New York. Had a ball in New York studying under (among
others) Art Spiegelman, Will Eisner and Harvey Kurtzman.
Returned to South Africa in 1991 and with Story Circle produced
educational comics including Roxy (Aids Education), Tomorrow People
(Democracy education) and A Trolley Full of Rights (Child abuse
prevention).
Was editorial cartoonist for Sowetan from 1994 - 2005 and appeared
in the Cape Argus 1996 -1997. Has been editorial cartoonist for the
Mail & Guardian since 1994, the Sunday Times since 1998 and since
September 2005 also appears three times a week in Cape Times,
The
Star, The Mercury and Pretoria News.
Has published eleven cartoon collections:
- The Madiba Years (1996)
- The Hole Truth (1997)
- End Of Part One (1998)
- Call Mr Delivery (1999)
- The Devil Made Me Do It! (2000)
- The ANC Went in 4X4 (2001)
- Bushwhacked (2002)
- Dr Do-Little and the African Potato (2003)
- Long Walk to Free Time (2004)
- Is There a Spin Doctor In the House? (2005)
- Da Zuma code (2006)
He has held solo cartoon exhibitions in New York, London and
Frankfurt and many in South Africa. Has also exhibited in numerous
group shows locally and internationally.
He has been an invited participant in cartoon events in Cameroon,
Botswana, Australia, France, the UK, the Netherlands and Italy. In
2003 he was Africa’s only representative amongst cartoonists invited
to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and he attended
the forum again in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Resulting from hard-hitting cartoons about South Africa’s former
deputy-president Jacob Zuma, he is currently being sued for R10
million ($1.3 million) by Zuma for defamation.
In 2001 he became the first cartoonist to win a category prize in
the CNN African Journalist of the Year Awards.
In 2003, 2004 and 2007 he won the Mondi Newspaper Award for Graphic
Journalism.
In 2004 the University of Transkei made him an Honorary Doctor of
Literature.
In 2005 the Prince Claus Fund of the Netherlands awarded him the
Principal Prince Claus Award. He also received an Honorary Award in
the Sunday Times Alan Paton Literary Award and was named
Communicator of the Year by Tshwane University of Technology’s
department of Public Relations and Business Communication.
In 2006 he won the first Mondi Shanduka Journalist of the Year Award
and the first Vodacom Cartoonist of the Year Award.
In 2007 the Cartoonists Rights Network (USA) awarded him their
annual Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award. He also received a
Women Demand Dignity White Ribbon Award.
Zapiro cartoons can be viewed at:
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