The brain behind Kingo cartoon

Jan 16, 2002

James Gayo not only amuses Ugandans but also Zambians, Zimbabweans, Kenyans among others

By Wilson ManyireHE does not strike you as a cartoonist at first sight, but an ordinary office man.This is an international cartoonist who amuses not only Ugandans but Zambians, Zimbabweans, Tanzanians, Kenyans and South Africans, hence millions of people across Africa.I am talking about none other than James Gayo (39) the Kingo cartoonist. When you first see his art work in papers or magazines, you may not pick the message immediately since there are no explanations in words to his cartoon strips.But as you become more observant, you may pick a very interesting message. “I choose to have it this way simply because many people speak different languages and having these cartoons in different languages would be a little bit hectic to me the artist and my readers (fans),” Gayo says.“I had never dreamt that one day I would be popular but now many fans have written to me,” he adds.Gayo is a Tanzanian who belongs to the Sukuma by tribe. He hails from Mwanza and was born in a family of three, all males. Gayo is married to Joyce and together, they are blessed with two children, a boy and a girl, Katizu, 9 and Loyce, 7 respectively. They go to an international school in Dar-es-salaam. Gayo went to school in Mwanza from grade one to seven and later joined ordinary level education from standard one to four in Mwanza secondary school. Here, he met a professional painter RJ Kapera (RIP) who helped him develop his talent after dropping out of school. “I worked with him as a painter for three years,’’ Gayo says.“We later parted when I enrolled in the National Vocation Training Centre (1980-82) for a two – year diploma in graphic designing and painting. From there, I again enrolled in Dares-salaam National Art Counseling College, where I worked as a graphic designer for three years before scooping a scholarship to study graphic design in Sweden,” Gayo narrates.It was a United Nations scholarship and Gayo was one of only two Tanzanians who qualified to study in Sweden.“After Sweden, I got back to Dar-es-salaam and worked as a graphic illustrator for an industry in Dar-es-salaam. In the late 1990s, I decided to concentrate on my cartoons which I thought would make my dreams come true.“At first, I would draft cartoons with words written on to describe the act. Later, I met a Spanish cartoonist in a work shop. His name was Tarmo Kaivisto. “I shared views with him on different ideas for my cartoons. He had a script of cartoons that had no words written to explain. But they were humourous enough that one could tell what the cartoon or person in the picture was doing,” Gayo says.That got the talented Tanzanian celebrity artist thinking. “I got so inspired by Tarmo’s art. I asked myself, in case I wanted to amuse people in different countries with different languages couldn’t it work?” Gayo says while musing. Well, in the long run he decided it would. He henceforth started a cartoon strip without words and called it ‘Kingo’.But what about fans who find trouble following Kingo’s escapades due to lack of words?“I would like to tell my fans and readers out there that interpreting Kingo is like watching Mr Bean’s movies. This is a situation where humour can be addictive because of its message,” is Gayo’s response to them.Asked if at times he runs out of ideas, Gayo exclaims:“Yes! At times I may fail to imagine what will really make my fans excited but to keep this off my head, I always move about aimlessly because this is where I get ideas which I record immediately so that they do not fade,’’ he reveals.Gayo confesses that the first time Kingo was published in The New Vision newspaper, readers did not appreciate it immediately. But now he is certain it is one of the most popular strips.Gayo says he has limited time for leisure, “I worship regularly and at times take my little children out. I am a Seventh Day Adventist. I worship on Saturdays unlike other Christians. I do not drink alcohol nor smoke. I am a very busy man with a lot of responsibilities in that I am the key guy at home. I do look after all my late brothers’ children. I have to pay for their tuition as well as their up keep,” he says.One could easily interprete that to mean he is a wealthy man. Or is he? “I earn a moderate salary and I feel contented. I am satisfied with the little I earn. I employ six people in my office where we do graphic designing and a monthly Kingo magazine though it is published in Swahili,” Gayo says of his wealth.His wife Joyce is currently in the USA pursuing a masters in education.“Mzee Kingo is just a slogan for my company. He has earned my fortune. I highly doubt if there is any other employment opportunity I may engage in since my efforts and qualifications are based on art,” he says.

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