GAFOOR B M
(04th May1942-13th November 2003)
Born in Thalassery as the son of Thikkodi Vaidyarakathu Muhammed Kutty Haji and Thalassery Vadekkandi Mariyumma, Gafoor studied the basics of painting under the guidance of the noted painter, M.V. Devan, while he was studying at the St. Joseph's High School, Kozhikode.
Later, he studied painting at the College of Arts and Crafts, Chennai, where the noted painter, K.C.S. Panikker, was the principal.He started his career in the Chandrika daily as a cartoonist. He served a short-term as a staff cartoonist in the Shankar's Weekly in New Delhi. He returned to Kozhikode and joined the Deshabhimani daily as a cartoonist.
During Emergency, he left Deshabhimani to start his own magazine, Niramala, which did not survive for long. Later, he joined `Cut cut' cartoon magazine. Gafoor joined Mathrubhoomi in 1980. He also worked as the Creative Animation Director with the Nest company in Ernakulam during 2000-01.
This founder secretary of Kerala Cartoon Academy won the Cartoonist of the Year Award, instituted by the Thiruvananthapuram Press Club, in 1991.
He left behind his wife, Suhra, and four children.
