INTERVIEW WITH JOSY AJIBOYE- NIGERIA’S LONGEST-SERVING CARTOONIST

Following our article on Manga & The African Perspective, where we mentioned some of the pioneers of the Ninth Art in Anglophone Africa, we received inquiries from readers on their whereabouts. Sadly, we had no answer. One of the pioneers most mentioned was Josy Ajiboye– the famous editorial cartoonist of The Daily Times, whose works spanned decades and inspired many. So we decided to accept this challenge and see if we could find and reach out to the seasoned veteran; hopefully, have a chat with him. Well, we are proud to say we did it! It took a while to get to him, but it finally happened, and we are so grateful to Mr. Ajiboye for honouring our invitation to an exclusive interview. Here’s how it went:-

Good afternoon, sir, and thank you for honoring our invitation to talk about your life and works, especially for the younger generation, who may not be familiar with the name, and those of us who haven’t heard from you for a while.

Thank you.

Okay. I would like to start by asking if you can give us a brief history of your journey. All I know is you studied in Yaba Tech and had a stint in Challenge Publications before moving to Daily Times in 1971 then retired meritoriously in 2000 as group art editor. But beyond that, could you give us more detail?

Well, naturally, I am an artist. Not just a cartoonist. What happened was that I started professionally, so to speak, with the African Challenge Press magazine, owned by the Niger Challenge Press, which belongs to the SIM body (Sudan Interior Mission), where I was initially trained as an artist. From there, I had learnt all I could, but had so many things I wanted to do and was interested in. I always watched and read cartoons. The ones I knew were the European political or satirical cartoons but I wanted one more relatable and natural to me. One I could lay claim to as my own and portrayed a particular message. Not just satirical cartoons.

So I resigned from African Challenge in 1968 and was working on my own before Sad Sam, then the editor of the Sunday Times, approached me to become their story illustrator. So I did it for a while as a freelancer until one day the sub-editor told me the editor wanted to talk to me personally. So I met with him and he asked if I would like to work for the Daily Times. Eventually, after some convincing, I left private practice to join the Daily Times. So I started doing cartoons for Sad Sam’s column in the Daily Times. So that’s how it began, little by little. However, I began working as a staff member, specifically as a graphic artist and illustrator, during Mr. Odukomaya’s tenure as editor. I later got a whole column to myself in the newspaper titled Josy Ajiboye on Sunday and continued to draw it till I retired in 2000. Now that I am retired, I have time to do more paintings and other artworks. So that’s it in a nutshell.

Quite interesting. We all got to know you a lot from  ‘Josy Ajiboye on Sunday’. You know, about the same time, other pioneer Nigerian cartoonists were doing their own thing. Comic strips ike Emulewu, Omoba, Mr. & Mrs., and Captain Africa. Then there was Fun Times comic magazine and the like. Who would you consider your influences in cartooning and art generally?

If you look at my cartoons, you’ll see that they’re not like any other cartoon. Because when I came to cartooning, I took pains to get people to understand my message. It’s the same with my paintings. It’s naturalistic. Though I can do abstract and expressionism, I am always concerned about the viewer getting the right message (laughs). So I like going straight to the point. I did cartoons the way I like and was not influenced by people. I took my inspiration from real-life experiences. Mine was purely for the message.

So in that sense, would you say the message you passed across was more important to you than the art?

In a way, yes. Every cartoon was done specifically to pass a message. Many of my old cartoons are now on Instagram because so many fans were asking where I was and wanted to see my work again. So I have been putting them on Instagram for two years now.

Did you have much editorial control over your cartoons in the newspapers, or were you a bit restricted?

When I was at the Daily Times, I was no longer a baby artist, so there was no control whatsoever. Except when there was a risk of libel, then I would discuss with the editor.

What about in the military era?

Like I said, you have to be trained on libel and how to steer clear. I had a few occasions when I was called in for questioning, and one time my passport was seized but later returned before my flight. These were expected at the time, and so long as I knew I wasn’t doing anything libellous, I wasn’t too worried.

Do you think you pushed the envelope as far as you would have liked? Are there areas that you think maybe you would have delved into more? Are you satisfied with your body of work in Daily Times?

I am quite satisfied, especially when I know the readers were too. There was one incident that happened many years ago (laughs). A woman came to the office and was just thanking me; I asked her what I had done to deserve such gratitude. She said she just came to see me in person because my last cartoon was exactly on her husband and she was thrilled about it. It dwelt on something she had always complained about to him and she was pleased he discovered it himself in my cartoon.

I delved a lot into social and family matters. I got that from sitting with my late father, a traditional chief in the palace, and watching him settle marital cases brought before him. So I gained a lot from those deliberations.

So you were also a social commentator. There is a lack of social commentary in comics and cartoons these days. Mostly superhero and fantasy stuff. Cartoonists of your generation passed messages that touched everybody, and they took that role with a sense of responsibility. There are a few like Mustapha Bulama- an editorial cartoonist working with Daily Trust– who still make such cartoons and look at you as an inspiration. However, we need more from that cloth now. Are you mentoring any artists or cartoonists?

Well, most of them are not in the country. Then I have my four children, who are all artists. They all have a Master’s in art. My first son is a professor of Fine Arts. So I do all I do with passion. So it rubs off on the people around me. Including my wife, who was a nurse but also ventured into art. Anything other than art is work to me. Art makes me happy.

What are your thoughts on AI with regards to Visual Art and natural talent?

People have been doing something similar for a long time. Imitating art and talent. Art, to me, is not just messing up a clean page- it is much more than that. Anytime I hold a pencil or a brush, it has to have a meaning. It is personal to me. Everybody loves art in some shape or form. They want to draw or create their own. It is needed in every profession. As a doctor, you need to know a bit about drawing anatomy, for example. So I consider myself blessed to have the talent to express myself without aid and enjoy doing so while touching lives.

Thank you, Sir, for your insight. I believe your long-time fans and fellow artists have gained valuable lessons from you today. Thank you for sparing time to talk with Teambooktu.

Thank you very much.