Zapiro

JONATHAN SHAPIRO - CARTOONIST
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Cape Town in 1958. Couldn't imagine a career in cartooning, so studiedarchitecture at University of Cape Town . Couldn't imagine a career in architecture, so tried switching to Graphic Design and promptly got conscripted.

While in the army, became active in the United Democratic Front. Trouble.Began doing cartoons for progressive organisations and for South . Detained by security police in 1988 shortly before leaving on a Fulbright Scholarship to study media arts at the School of Visual Arts in New York . Had a ball in New York studying under (among others) Art Spiegelman, Will Eisner and Harvey Kurtzman.

Returned to South Africa in 1991 and with Story Circle produced educationalcomics including Roxy (Aids Education), Tomorrow People (Democracy education) and A Trolley Full of Rights (Child abuse prevention). Was editorial cartoonist for Sowetan from 1994 - 2005 and appeared in theCape Argus 1996 -1997. Has been editorial cartoonist for the Mail & Guardiansince 1994, the Sunday Times since 1998 and since September 2005 alsoappears three times a week in Cape Times , The Star , The Mercury and Pretoria News