KOTTAYAM: V T Thomas, popularly known as Cartoonist Toms, who carved a niche in the world of political satire with his renowned cartoon characters Boban and Molly, died here on Wednesday.
Toms, who was suffering from age-related illness, breathed his last at a private hospital in Kottayam, around 10.45 pm. He was 86.
He was well-known for his cartoon characters ‘Boban and Molly,’ the siblings hailing from the rural environs of Central Travancore, who had captured the minds of Malayalis with their pranks, through the pages of ‘Malayala Manorama’ weekly, which ran the cartoons for almost four decades.
Vadakkal Thoppil Thomas or V T Thomas was born to V T Kunjithomman and Sisily Thomas on June 6, 1929, at Kuttanad. Toms, who joined the British Army during the second World War, returned after a brief service and later turned to the world of cartoons, following in the footsteps of his elder brother Peter Thomas.
He had immense interest in drawing and he found his characters Boban and Molly at the age of 30 from his neighbourhood. He made a series of cartoons based on them. He joined ‘Malayala Manorama’ as a cartoonist in 1961 and retired from service in 1987.
Another cartoon character, Unnikkuttan, created by him, was also a hit. His other characters, Boban and Molly’s parents Pothen and Mariya, Appi Hippy, Kunchukurup, panchayat president Ettunnan and his Chettathi are well-known.
The funeral will be held at Lourde’s church here on Sunday.