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Born in Hyderabad, India, during the Hindu festival of Diwali, my ears had to be protected from the firecrackers going off in the background. In fact so loud that my parents decided to move to the then quiet desert in the middle east, Dubai. My mom carried me there in a Moses basket, and all the way people thought she was carrying live chickens. That had a strong effect on me, and to this day, I’m self conscious of the fact that I may look like a chicken.
Anyways, once in Dubai, with not much more than sand and palm trees around, I dove into Mad Magazine, Asterix comics and Marvel Comics. And so 17 years passed by, and my glasses got thicker and thicker. But the vision for my future was still blurry. I then moved to Toronto to do one of the three things in University that Indian parents care about and will pay for (Medicine, Business or Engineering). But my non doctor dreams were thrashed in my first calculus exam, and I knew I was not going to integrate well in that program. Slowly, I slid into Social Psychology with a sprinkling or English Literature and Biology. Somehow, despite the many drunken nights, I got my Bachelor of Science degree. (University of Toronto) Now that I had half fulfilled my indian parent’s dream, I went to Art School (Sheridan College, Oakville, Ontario). I drew naked people and lots of them, and somehow that improved my drawing. I also spent many days drawing people on the subways, and working in an advertising agency. I then moved back to Dubai, as my student loans were becoming unbearable. In the new shiny Dubai, I landed a job as a cartoonist in a newspaper called Gulf News. Here I drew political cartoons, single panel regulars, editorial illustrations and even did court sketches. And then, I met a beautiful Spanish girl who swept me off my feet and all the way to Spain. Over there I started freelancing and did work with clients like Saatchi & Saatchi, Scholastic, Time Out Magazine and some other names that are so impressive that I will not mention them out of pure humility. I attended comic conventions all over Europe and my work got better and worse at the same time. And then out of nowhere I got a call from Toronto, a bank (TD) wanted to hire me to do their editorial illustrations. They paid well and accepted my style, so that’s what I did. Cubicle life was not a good fit, and I started working from home and part time, and continued freelancing work.. Illustrating humorous ad campaigns, card games, designing toys, drawing university maps, doing graphic facilitation, comic books and more. |
Contact Information
Current Projects
Kids Can Press: Working on a 168 page graphic novel to publish October 2023.
Owl Kids: Working on a Children's Book Sequel.
Writing and Illustrating my own Children's book.
Creating weekly Editorial Illustrations for Moneytalk (TD).
Adding Augmented Reality to Timeless Charactes Poster.
Owl Kids: Working on a Children's Book Sequel.
Writing and Illustrating my own Children's book.
Creating weekly Editorial Illustrations for Moneytalk (TD).
Adding Augmented Reality to Timeless Charactes Poster.
Clients include...
TD Wealth, Scholastic, Studio Banana, Anomaly, Hersheys, The & Partnership, Vector Instiute, Saatchi & Saatchi, FCB, Dubai Metro, Canadian History Magazine, Celly Magazine, Canadian Heritage, Brainstorm Group, Tinkle Comics, Passpro, Creative Kettle, Gulf News, Xpress, Lakehead University, Webber Grills, Tactical Dubai, Burj Al Arab, Time Out Magazine, Stuff Magazine, Hot & Ready Pictures, Egoscopic, Firefly Group, Rolling Thunder, Higher Colleges of Technology,
Published Work Examples
Scholastic: http://www.scholastic.com/njaw/index.html
Captive Audience Book Cover: https://btlbooks.com/book/captive-audience
What the Woof Card Game: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084M8M3QS?ref=myi_title_dp
Moneytalk Illustrations: https://www.moneytalkgo.com/your-kid-gets-divorced-what-happens-to-your-gift-of-money/
Moneytalk Animation: https://www.moneytalkgo.com/wealth-psychology/
Hersheys Cookies N Creme Ad Campaign: https://www.jordandunlop.ca/farida
Krampus Toy Design: https://www.allhallowsgeek.com/move-over-elf-on-the-shelf-fye-just-launched-krampus-on-the-mantle/
Captive Audience Book Cover: https://btlbooks.com/book/captive-audience
What the Woof Card Game: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084M8M3QS?ref=myi_title_dp
Moneytalk Illustrations: https://www.moneytalkgo.com/your-kid-gets-divorced-what-happens-to-your-gift-of-money/
Moneytalk Animation: https://www.moneytalkgo.com/wealth-psychology/
Hersheys Cookies N Creme Ad Campaign: https://www.jordandunlop.ca/farida
Krampus Toy Design: https://www.allhallowsgeek.com/move-over-elf-on-the-shelf-fye-just-launched-krampus-on-the-mantle/
Shows and Exhibitions
Toronto Fan Expo, Middle East Film and Comic Con, Kapow! London, Angouleme BD, NCS Fest, Delhi Comicon, Word on the street Toronto, and Kensington Market Art Fair.
Inspired by...
Mad artists (Jack Davis, Sergio Aragones, Mort Drucker, Don Martin, Don Edwing Tom Bunk), Asterix and Obelix, Tin Tin, Black Adder, Fawlty Towers, Len Norris, Early Bollywood movies, Alfred Hitchcock, Borat, Monty Python, Gary Larson (Far Side), Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes)...
Currently reading...
Only Yesterday: An informal history of the 1920s - Frederick Lewis Allen
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
Affiliations
