Masters Of Wit Caught In A Storm Of Change

In the digital age, cartoonists face shrinking pages, faster news cycles and, now, AI

- Shefali Rekhi

Their take on life is different, sharper, more biting.

Through artful strokes, cartoonists illuminate, entertain and provoke, often leaving a lasting impression after the ink dries or the screen fades.

Their license to wield humor like a knife for social or political commentary has earned them fans and critics.

Senior executive artist Lee Chee Chew, 58, knows this well. His long-running strip, Chew On It!, which began as Life's Like This! in 1991, has chronicled everyday idiosyncrasies for three decades.

"I'm partial to doodling about things that I find exasperating, for example, littering and people who cycle on pedestrian walkways," he says.

But poking fun, even at mundane issues, has never been an easy business. Mr. Lee recalls a 1994 cartoon satirising a television advertisement that claimed better color quality than a rival's. His comic character quipped: "If I can already see their more vibrant color difference in my set here, why should I still go and buy theirs?" The TV company didn't find it funny.

Cartoons have been a part of Singapore's media landscape since the late 19th century.

One of the earliest known satirical publications, The Straits Produce, was published in 1868 and modeled on Britain's Punch magazine. Printed by the Straits Times Press, it skewered colonial society and politics, but ceased publication in the 1930s.

The Straits Times itself started featuring cartoons and caricatures in the 1930s, when the paper was under editor George William Seabridge. During his editorship from 1928 to 1942, Seabridge also increased the number of pages and introduced photographs, creating a visually more appealing product.