KOTTAYAM: Cartoonist K Somanathan Nair, who is better known as Cartoonist Nathan, 76, died of age-related illness at a private hospital in Ponkunnam near here on Sunday. Nathan, who hailed from Sagarika (Muzhayanal) house, Pallickathodu, died a day after his new book Golanangalude Rajavinte Suvisesham, a collection of his work for the past 50 years, was released on Saturday. Nathan, who had been drawing cartoons in both Malayalam and English for the past five decades, was born in Pallickathodu.
He began his career as an employee in HMT, Kalamassery, in 1963 and took voluntary retirement in 1993 to concentrate on cartoon drawing. His first cartoon was published in Kunkumam weekly in 1965 and later he drew national attention with his cartoons published in various media groups including Indian Express, Blitz and Sanker’s Weekly. He also contributed to Malayalam publications, including Deshabhimani, Kerala Kaumudi, Kala Kaumudi,Vikada Kesari and so on.
He had found a niche in the media industry with his comic drawings on subjects related to politics and social issues. Nathan published three books and won various awards, including Kerala Lalithakala Academy award and Cartoonist K S Pillai Award. He had also served as the secretary of Kerala Cartoon Academy. He is survived by wife Geetha Soman, daughter Kavitha, and son Ranjith Soman, son-in-law Madhu and daughter-in-law Veena.