PILLAI K S
Cartoonist Shankar left Kerala in 1927, and the person who became actively involved in cartooning in the vacancy thus created was K.S. Pillai. In the history of Malayalam cartoons, K.S. Pillai holds a foremost position. In 1919, the year that saw the birth of the first Malayalam cartoon, *Mahakshamadevathakku Janmam*, K.S. Pillai—born as Kizhiyath Sreedharan Pillai in Mavelikkara to Kesava Kurup and Narayani Amma—was also born. K.S. Pillai was a talented artist who conclusively demonstrated the place and influence of cartoons in Malayalam journalism. Interested in humorous drawing from a young age, K.S. Pillai is regarded as the father of Malayalam political cartoons.
The first Malayalam box cartoon, *Veluchaar*, was drawn by K.S. Pillai in the newspaper *Desabandhu* beginning on January 24, 1949. It was after K.S. Pillai’s death that the need for an association of cartoonists in Kerala began to be seriously felt. Many people were unaware of the passing of K.S. Pillai, who had popularized Malayalam cartoons among the masses. The death of this extraordinary man was treated like the death of an ordinary person. No condolence meetings were held. He did not receive the respect he deserved, even in death. A few cartoonists of that time decided that this should come to an end. As a result, the Kerala Cartoon Academy was formed. K.S. Pillai was a gifted and popular cartoonist who did not receive the recognition he deserved. His first wife was Krishnakumari. He had two sons and one daughter. K.S. Pillai passed away on April 30, 1978.
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