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Aug 28, 2006

Madam & Eve comic strips

I'm a big fan of the Madam & Eve cartoons by Dugmore, Francis & Rico. Its a satirical and creative depiction of life in South Africa as protrayed by the 2 central characters - Gwen Anderson (Madam) and her loyal maid Eve Sisulu ('bless you!').

The comic strip first started a few years before the new democratic government came into being in 1994. The charming way life was depicted during those times as well as currently is sure to bring some nostalgic memories (I know I had quite a few of those moments while reading through the collections for the first time). The cartoonist, Rico, should be complemented for suceeding to bring out the classic expressions of the primary and secondary characters (especially Thandi, Gwen's son's Zulu girlfriend's baby sister - mixed relationships, just one of the many themes that get touched on).

My favourite week of cartoons (and there are many - this one happened to pop up at this moment) was the head-hunters going after the latest black graduates for top positions in BEE companies. The way the the graduates deal with their hostage negotiators still cracks me up.

Go ahead. Browse through the cartoons on the site. Even if you are not living in South Africa, you'll be able to relate to the stabs they creators take at international events.

The cartoons spawned a TV sitcom (a let-down from the cartoon) and many international prints. The cartoon has a large fan base, and many of their publications are a hit at the local libraries. One columnist even suggested that every coffee table in SA should have a copy of Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom and a copy of a Madam & Eve collection. I agree.

Here are a couple of cartoons, courtesy the Madam & Eve site, that I found hilarious.


2 comments:

Reynardt082 said...

lol! that was good what site did you get it on

Reynardt082 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.