Sketching SA's madness

CARTOONIST: AMATO DRAWS WHAT HE FEELS PEOPLE KNOW BUT HAVEN'T YET SAID ALOUD

- Hein Kaiser

Imagine any politician holding up a mirror and not seeing themselves, but rather the reflection is the cartoon-alike that satirises them on almost a daily basis in newspapers and other media.

Illustrators and cartoonists probably have one of the most lekker jobs on the planet, because their canvasses really tell a story of a thousand words in a single image.

Cartoons are the original meme, and Carlos Amato's sardonic take on reality over the past eight years has been collectively treasured in a new book titled This Is Wild.

It’s Amato’s job to make the country laugh at itself and to hold up that mirror for the political ruling class. His brush has Trumped, Zilled, Malema’d and even given Thabo Bester a run.

Amato’s humour is undeniable, yet he considers himself a serious kind of guy. “I’m quite a serious person,” he said. “I’ve never been someone who cracks jokes all day. I’m a studious guy, and I spend most of my time in my studio.”

From there, he studies the mood of the nation and draws what he feels people already know but haven't yet said aloud.