Bengaluru: When you think of a banker, you imagine columns of numbers, files stacked high, and a man in a crisp shirt counting coins of responsibility. But for Jeevan Shetty, numbers were only half the story. His real currency was lines—simple, bold strokes that could make people laugh, think, and sometimes even squirm.
The early sparks: The seeds were sown during his college days. Jeevan’s sketches found space in campus magazines, but the influence was bigger than that. His brothers, Prakash Shetty and Harischandra Shetty (Harini), were already experimenting with cartoons, giving young Jeevan both companionship and competition. Add to this the inspiration of giants like R.K. Laxman and the mischievous brilliance of Mad magazine, and you see how his imagination was shaped.
The hobby was becoming a second career: By 1975, his cartoons were already winning awards, and in 1980, his first published cartoon appeared in Tushara. That was the first crack in the dam. Soon after, Udayavani gave him regular space—three cartoons a week in Shubhodaya magazine, plus features in the satirical Vakranota column. By now, the hobby was becoming a second career.
A thousand faces and 10,000 cartoons! Ask any cartoonist what keeps them going, and they’ll often say: the joy of watching people react. For Jeevan, that joy multiplied a thousand times. Literally, he has drawn more than 10,000 cartoons to date. Each one carries his trademark mix of wit, sharpness, and relatability.
Complaints into chukles became his signature: His favourite themes often revolved around the everyday Indian—struggling with power cuts, waiting endlessly in queues, or adjusting to inflation. Jeevan believed humour worked best when it reflected common frustrations. In one of his well-loved cartoons, a villager tells an MLA: “You promised electricity. At least you kept your word—we now get regular power cuts!”That ability to turn complaints into chuckles became his signature.
Caricatures with a humorous face: Jeevan’s caricatures are just as sharp as his cartoons. Unlike political cartoons, caricatures carried a warmth. They exaggerated features but rarely malice. He has often said he enjoyed capturing the essence of a personality in a few strokes—an eyebrow, a grin, a tilt of the head.
Many of his caricatures now adorn celebrity homes. He once joked: “It’s nice to know my art hangs in people’s drawing rooms, even if I don’t get invited to sit there myself!”
Adapting, always adapting: Cartoonists of Jeevan’s generation began with pen, paper, and ink. But unlike many who resisted change, Jeevan embraced technology. Today, he draws on his iPad, proving that sharp humour doesn’t age—it only updates its software.
Humour is not just for entertainment, but as a call for awareness: His adaptability was also visible in exhibitions. His Water to Water showcase in 2003 brought together his watercolour paintings with caricatures by his brother Harini. Another show, Ee Bhoomi Nammadu (This Earth is Ours), was inaugurated by poet Dundiraj and used satire to highlight environmental issues. Jeevan’s work here revealed his deeper side: humour not just for entertainment, but as a call for awareness.
Teacher and guide: One of his most endearing contributions is as a teacher. His school, Gere Bare, was not a typical art class. Children learned to draw not just on paper, but on walls, even eggshells! He believed unconventional canvases kept creativity alive. For 13 years, students called him “Sir,” and he wore the title with as much pride as any award.
The advice of a veteran: Jeevan is the first to admit that his generation had it tougher. No internet, no tutorials, no instant references. Learning meant trial and error, drawing again and again until the lines spoke the right language. Today’s cartoonists, he says, have tools at their fingertips—but tools alone don’t make art. “Practice, find your own style, and keep at it,” is his mantra.
The man behind the lines: What makes Jeevan’s journey so compelling is not just his art, but his life story. He shows us that creativity doesn’t always need grand studios or full-time devotion. Sometimes, it grows quietly alongside other responsibilities—balancing ledgers by day and sketching satire by night. And when the time is right, it blossoms fully, as it has in Jeevan’s retirement years.
A wealth that never runs out: In honouring Jeevan Shetty with a Lifetime Achievement Award, Karnataka isn’t just celebrating a cartoonist. It celebrates perseverance, adaptability, and the sheer power of humour, all drawn in a single line. Jeevan reminds us that while banks may count money, cartoonists like him count smiles—and that’s a wealth that never runs out.
Complaints into chukles became his signature: His favourite themes often revolved around the everyday Indian—struggling with power cuts, waiting endlessly in queues, or adjusting to inflation. Jeevan believed humour worked best when it reflected common frustrations. In one of his well-loved cartoons, a villager tells an MLA: “You promised electricity. At least you kept your word—we now get regular power cuts!”That ability to turn complaints into chuckles became his signature.
Caricatures with a humorous face: Jeevan’s caricatures are just as sharp as his cartoons. Unlike political cartoons, caricatures carried a warmth. They exaggerated features but rarely malice. He has often said he enjoyed capturing the essence of a personality in a few strokes—an eyebrow, a grin, a tilt of the head.
Adapting, always adapting: Cartoonists of Jeevan’s generation began with pen, paper, and ink. But unlike many who resisted change, Jeevan embraced technology. Today, he draws on his iPad, proving that sharp humour doesn’t age—it only updates its software.
Teacher and guide: One of his most endearing contributions is as a teacher. His school, Gere Bare, was not a typical art class. Children learned to draw not just on paper, but on walls, even eggshells! He believed unconventional canvases kept creativity alive. For 13 years, students called him “Sir,” and he wore the title with as much pride as any award.
The advice of a veteran: Jeevan is the first to admit that his generation had it tougher. No internet, no tutorials, no instant references. Learning meant trial and error, drawing again and again until the lines spoke the right language. Today’s cartoonists, he says, have tools at their fingertips—but tools alone don’t make art. “Practice, find your own style, and keep at it,” is his mantra.
The man behind the lines: What makes Jeevan’s journey so compelling is not just his art, but his life story. He shows us that creativity doesn’t always need grand studios or full-time devotion. Sometimes, it grows quietly alongside other responsibilities—balancing ledgers by day and sketching satire by night. And when the time is right, it blossoms fully, as it has in Jeevan’s retirement years.
A wealth that never runs out: In honouring Jeevan Shetty with a Lifetime Achievement Award, Karnataka isn’t just celebrating a cartoonist. It celebrates perseverance, adaptability, and the sheer power of humour, all drawn in a single line. Jeevan reminds us that while banks may count money, cartoonists like him count smiles—and that’s a wealth that never runs out.
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