KC Sivasankar cartoonist who brought Chandamama dies aged 97

Legendary cartoonist KC Sivasankar who beought Chandamama characters to life  illustrating for children’s magazine Chandamama also known as  Ambulimama has died aged 97 at Chennai, south India on September 29. 

The Chandamama or the Ambilimama magazine was one source which helped kids  before the advent of internet  and smartphones to recreate a story in their minds.

Sivasankar has been contributing for the last 50 years  cartoon drawings  which were colourful with vivid expressions, bringing characters to life, and created a magical world for kids to escape into.

Born in a small village near Erode, Sankar as he was popularly called,  shifted to the city with his younger brother to study in a corporation school when he was 10, he was admitted to year 5 and his brother year 2.

His first job as an artist was for a magazine, which lasted five year, was not too appealing for him as he was doing artwork for children’s textbooks and drawing  the animals  and birds.

In 1951, he joined the Ambulimama magazine which was then run by Nagi Reddy where he continued for the nest 60 years.

 

He received thousands of letters from Chandamama readers apperaciating his imagination and  how he managed to bring life  to all the  imaginary characters that does not exist in real life He said: “ I am very happy to share that  Chandamama is the only magazine today that shot up to being publiehd in 12 languages from three in a shot period.” All the characters may have a cultural connection or may be fictitious, but the artist is expected to have knowledge about it before he stars work on it.

On completing 60 years with Ambulimama, he joined the Ramakrishna Vijayam magazine and began to draw and paint portraits of gods and goddesses.