PATHANAMTHITTA: Renowned cartoonist M V George, who was best known for his character ‘Uppayi Mapla’, passed away at a private hospital in Kumbanad. He was 94. Popularly known as George Kumbanad, he was under treatment for age-related ailments at Kumbanad Marthoma Fellowship Hospital, Tiruvalla, and passed away around 9.30am on Friday.
A distinguished member of the Kerala Cartoon Academy (KCA), George is survived by daughters Usha Chandy, Suja Raju, Shirley Roy and Smitha Sunil, and sons-in-law K Chandy (Achankunju), Raju P Jacob, Roy Abraham, and Sunil M Mathew. His wife Joyamma has predeceased him.
The funeral will be held at 2.30pm on Monday at Emmanuel Marthoma Church, Eraviperoor. His creation ‘Uppayi Mapla’ gained fame after prominent cartoonists borrowed it in their works. While Toms Boban drew ‘Uppayi Mapla’ in his famous work ‘Bobban and Molly’, P K Manthri used it in ‘Patchu and Kovalan’, and K S Rajan in ‘Lalu Leela’.
Expressing condolences on George’s demise, KCA chairman Sudheernath said no such incidents of creators borrowing another colleague’s works are celebrated in the cartoon world like this.
George was a friend of Veloor Krishnankutty, a satirist who used to go for long walks in Kottayam town in search of subjects for cartoons in a Malayalam daily.