Analysis Of Derek Bauer And Zapiro

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The statement that cartoonists provide commentary where others may not be able to, is true to a certain extent. As this essay will further prove cartoonists are important in their role in society as the means to convey a message or the truth about a situation that media may not be able to due to oppression or control. This can be seen in the Apartheid era in South Africa for example where there was segregation and the white minority were given more power over others while the National Party were in government. During this time the government had control over the media and what was portrayed and told to the people of South Africa. Many cartoonists like the two I have chosen to examine, Derek Bauer and Zapiro, were able to convey their messages …show more content…

Bauer has used black ink splatter marks to show the blood and injuries of Biko. The view point of the cartoon is tilted slightly to create an unsettling feeling as if the floor wasn't flat or level. This technique is used to make the viewer feel uneasy looking at the cartoon, as the horizon is unnatural and has been used in this context to show how unsettling Biko’s death was, how unnatural.
However the cartoon isn’t a completely accurate source of information as it is believed Biko did not die in the detention cell rather he died while being moved to a new location and was later found in his cell dead where police attempted to claim it was suicide. Perhaps for dramatic purposes, to make sure the cartoon created more of an impact, it is rather to shown that he died brutally in his cell. It could also be argued that Bauer chose to depict the death in the cell to really emphasize the fact that Biko was killed while in detention by the …show more content…

It depicts Mandela standing on top of the world while fireworks go off around him, celebrating all that he has done for South Africa as well as the end of his presidency. The caption ‘The world bids farewell to an icon…’ and as if in response to this Mandela is seen to be bashful and is blushing, he simply says “Icon? Aikona!” ‘Aikona’ seems simply ‘no’ so he is dying the fact that he would consider himself an icon. This shows his humility and grace. The cartoon was first published in 1999 but then another colour version of the same cartoon was published again in 2013 after Mandela’s

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