"Lat: The Early Series" is the latest compilation of Lat's memorable works published by the New Straits Times.It was launched today.
The 206-page hardcover brings you back to Lat's early cartoons and reminds you why you fell in love with Mamat (and, of course, Lat) and why you have always remained his fan.
When NST's E Media chief and columnist (former Business Times editor) Zainul Arifin who is responsible for this project, told me about the (then) upcoming collection of Lat's works, I was thrilled.
Lat is a Malaysian icon. Our national treasure. Is there any Malaysian who does not know, or love Lat?
I remember waiting for his "Kampung Boy" series to be out every year. I own all of Lat's calendars.
They're all collectors' items as far as I'm concerned.
Lat's talent was, and still is, recognised and appreciated beyond our shores.
Through his "working" years as a cartoonist, Lat was invited to visit the UK and Europe, Japan and the US.
He will, I believe, continue to receive such invitations.
More than anything, "Lat: The Early Series" pays tribute to Lat's "evolution as an artist and emergence as a social commentator".
*Lat is Mohamad Nor Khalid. At 17, he was already contributing his "Keluarga Si Mamat" to Berita Minggu, the Malay Sunday paper of the NST group.
He was first recruited by the NST as a reporter and started, as most cadets do, in the crime desk. When his bosses discovered his talent as a cartoonist, he was re-designated as, well, a cartoonist.
Lat now resides with his wife and children in Ipoh -- in a house that he built.
17 comments:
206 pages? *Gulp*. I love Lat but im not sure if i want to carry such a heavy book back here with the baggage limit of 20kg now. :(
HAI SIS, I WANT ONE!
why am i not in your blog list sis? uwaaaaaaa...you dont love your brader parpukari meh? he he he
JANGAN MARAH YA SIS, GUARAU JE, SERIOUSLY, I WANT TO BUY A COPY OF THIS, HOW MUCH IT COST SIS?
Nuraina,
Do you know how i can contact Dato Lat?
Nowadays, your reporting seems very passive. I used to enjoying reading your articles. What happened? You have been 'tamed'.
What I am concern is Lat's work may end up like those in the music industry. Keep repacking his limted past work merely under different book titles.Same as P.Ramlee's films being shown on our TV.
Sold the soul to UMNO, that's it being tamed.
salt N tumeric : actually, it isn't that heavy.
parpu: it is on sale. let me find out for you.
i'll blogroll you. :-)
srikanth: i think he has an email. let me get back to you.
anon (2pm),
i know what you mean...
but, really... what's wrong with that?
anon@12:08pm.
you should learn how to read. and then read my blog from the start.
and then, try to make sense of what i've written and what you've read.
otherwise, you can see me and pretend to be brave and tell me whatever that you want to say.
i'm being polite here.
anon@3;06PM;
you must be a moron. no. you are a moron.
like i've told the other moron, do come and see me if you dare.
Hey Nuraina,
Good for you! Sock it to this moron, anon 3:06 PM.
Obviously this moron doesnt know who you are.
Bahalol betul!
Lat's work epitomise what Malaysia was all about in those days. Multi racial and very Malaysian. Sadly we have lost our soul in search of money and materialism.
my sweetlady,
thank you, ma'am.
these morons are echoing what some anti-BN anti-Umno anti-najib people are mouthing.
they have no inkling to what i am or what i've been writing.
and then suddenly -- "you've been tamed", "you're an umno goon" or whatever.
so what if i baik dengan umno or BN, or Najib or Dr Mahathir.
Orang BN tak bising pun I baik dengan Anwar and wrote something nice about him in my blog last year.
It is commendable of NST to do a coffee table book on Lat's early cartoons. However, the result, to me, is very disappointing, especially in the haphazard way Lat's panels and captions were laid out.
The panels of Lat's cartoons usually flow logically so there is no confusion where the reader's eye should go next. And the captions in his early cartoons in NST are typically below the panels and never interfere with the art.
However, in "Lat: The Early Series", two pages of cartoons may be crammed into one, and the panels are arranged very, very badly. :(
What's more, in a single strip, the captions may appear below the panels, then suddenly on top, and then to the left, and then inside the panel!
In my view, this is not how Lat's cartoons are meant to be read and enjoyed. I had been feeling happy for Lat when I heard NST had chosen to honour his early works in a coffee table book, but now I don't know...
i just bought the book today.. actually i was looking datuk lat's cartoon about his experience to offshore (oil platform) and i got it in the book.. awesome.. n u have a nice blog.. keep it up..
Hi Nuraina.. we need datuk lat for a project. By any chance, can you guide me as to how i can contact him?.. Thank you very much.
Hi Nuraina,
Can you help me as to how i can contact Datuk Lat?
Thank you very much.
Hello nuraina,,i am hafiedz,do u have this copy anymore?then,do u have duplication for every lat's series,what i am looking for are budak kampung,entahlah mak,it's a lat lat lat world,lat at large,lat as usual n lat's lot,can u contact n reply me back to : artonbeatmusic@gmail.com or 0179380620,i am malaysian,hope to hear from u soon,tqvm
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