The Indian Institute of Cartoonists receives vintage books from late cartoonist, Bapu’s private collection

The collection of Punch and Mad magazines, as well as compilations of works by famous cartoonists, is available for display at the library

Vintage Punch magazines

The late Sattiraju Lakshmi Narayana, better known as Bapu, was an artist, cartoonist and musician, as well as a director in the Telugu film industry. The Padma-Shri award winner was also an avid collector of books, as it turns out. Last week, his sons donated a collection of over 550 rare books on art and cartoons to the Indian Institute of Cartoonists (IIC) in Bengaluru. The books will be on display at the institute’s library for anyone to read or research.

Bapu’s collection was acquired over the years. Some from his regular visits to the second hand book shops in Moore Market, Chennai, some sent by his fans from other countries, and others from his travels. The collection includes hardbound copies of Punch magazines from the ’60s and ’70s, the Gebrauchsgraphik journal of design from the ’50s and Mad magazines from over the decades. It also has collected works by revered names such as WWII cartoonist, David Low, British humourist HM Bateman, and creator of the Family Circus comic strip, Bil Keane.

“Our aim has always been to promote cartooning amongst the young through our workshops and exhibitions. We hope this display will inspire them,” sums up VG Narendra, the trustee of IIC.