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Lat

lat_airasia.jpg

This afternoon I was visiting my friend Colin Upton, who is one of my sources of neverending comics trivia. Today he introduced me to the work of Lat, also known as Mohammad Nor Khalid. lat2Long before indie comix in North America developed the autobiographical comic genre, Lat was doing it about his childhood in Malaysia. There are a pile of publications of his work, but Colin tells me they have only recently been available in North America – he got the ones he showed me in Paris. As you can see, Lat is established enough that his work graces a local airline. What I found especially funny is that his schoolmarm character is a total forerunner of Gary Larson’s Far Side grannies, although probably it is coincidental.

  • http://www.adamkoford.com/ Adam

    Awesome! I also recently discovered Lat and really love his work.

  • http://www.adamkoford.com Adam

    Awesome! I also recently discovered Lat and really love his work.

  • http://www.fabricari.com/ fabricari

    Ten years ago, when I met my wife from Malaysia, she introduced me to Lat’s work. His book, /Kampung Boy/ was my first impression of Malaysian culture!

  • http://www.fabricari.com fabricari

    Ten years ago, when I met my wife from Malaysia, she introduced me to Lat’s work. His book, /Kampung Boy/ was my first impression of Malaysian culture!

  • http://jedalexander.blogspot.com/ Jed Alexander

    Kampung Boy is great! I’m looking forward to more Lat translations soon!

  • http://jedalexander.blogspot.com Jed Alexander

    Kampung Boy is great! I’m looking forward to more Lat translations soon!

  • dcyc

    w00t! As a Malaysian, I’m proud to see a fellow countryman get a mention in this blog. Lat continues to be a huge icon of Malaysian art with his intimate look at local life and culture and, in Kampung Boy and later Town Boy, his and our collective experience of growing up in this country.

    Still prolific, he has a regular spot in local broadsheet, The New Straits Times, and offers comic insight into politics and society here.

  • dcyc

    w00t! As a Malaysian, I’m proud to see a fellow countryman get a mention in this blog. Lat continues to be a huge icon of Malaysian art with his intimate look at local life and culture and, in Kampung Boy and later Town Boy, his and our collective experience of growing up in this country.

    Still prolific, he has a regular spot in local broadsheet, The New Straits Times, and offers comic insight into politics and society here.

  • http://www.remakeables.com/ Amy_ng

    Go Lat! His cartoons are lovely and are so Malaysian indeed–Kampung Boy is my favourite of all.

  • http://www.remakeables.com Amy_ng

    Go Lat! His cartoons are lovely and are so Malaysian indeed–Kampung Boy is my favourite of all.

  • http://www.colinupton.com/ cupton

    Hi, this is the afore mentioned Colin Upton, I just wanted to point out that Lat is now being published in North America by First Second Books… or 1st:01 books or something…

    http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/lat.html

    So far they have published Kampung Boy and Town Boy.
    Cheers!

  • http://www.colinupton.com cupton

    Hi, this is the afore mentioned Colin Upton, I just wanted to point out that Lat is now being published in North America by First Second Books… or 1st:01 books or something…

    http://www.firstsecondbooks.com/lat.html

    So far they have published Kampung Boy and Town Boy.
    Cheers!