Tayo Fatunla is a British-born Nigerian comic artist, editorial cartoonist, writer, and illustrator. Best-known for his educational comic and cartoon features dealing with African history and society. Born in Wimbledon, England, and got educated in Nigeria where he started cartoon artwork.
His first cartoon got featured in Nigerian children’s magazine Apollo when he was just 17 years old. And at that young age, his cartoons work started featuring in Nigerian newspapers and magazines such as Punch, Concord, Guardian, and The Daily Times.
He worked as a designer and caricaturist, and also had a page with ‘Battle Humor’ published in issue #389 of the DC Comics title ‘Sgt. Rock’ (1984).
He has drawn cartoons for the New York Times and the BBC’s Focus on Africa magazine. Likewise, his drawings got featured in British magazines like West Africa, New African, The Voice, Thamesmead Times, African Business, and Courrier International in Paris. While his cartoons have appeared in book collections like ‘Cartooning Aids’ (1992), ‘Od’d On O.J.’ (1995), ‘Human Rights’ and ‘Ecotoons’ (1996).
In 2001 he launched a book collection of his editorial cartoons titled ‘Tayo – Thro’ The Years’ at the British Cartoon Centre, London.
Tayo has taken his cartoons exhibitions and cartoon workshops to countries like the UK, Nigeria, South Korea, Cameroon, Finland, France, Ethiopia, Spain, the USA, Egypt, Israel, Algeria, Belgium, Italy, and Ireland. His cartoons are displayed at the International Museum of Cartoon Art (IMCA), Boca Raton, Florida permanently.
In 1980, he became the first African graduate of Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art in New Jersey.
He is a recipient of the Crayon De Porcelaine award for his contributions internationally, and the ECBACC Pioneer Lifetime Achievement award (PLA) for our Roots in May 2018.
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