Obe Ess – RIP – The Daily Cartoonist

Nigerian cartoonist Obe Ess has passed away.

Nigerian newspaper The Nation has reported the death of Obi Ess:

Of the Obe clan from Igbara Oke in Ondo State, Obe Ess — Olaseinde Obe — had cemented his name in the pantheon of Nigerian newspaper cartoon greats (if not the most pungent of them all), just as his uncle and sibling also made own marks in Nigerian journalism. 

Seinde Obe died on April 15. But Obe Ess lives on, with his nimble, inimitable strokes and razor-sharp wit — to eternally sear the wayward but thrill forthright.

It was quite a three-some, across two journalistic generations: Peter Obe, the great photo journalist whose works bestrode the defunct ‘Daily Times’ like a true colossus that he was. 

Then, his two nephews: Olaseinde (Seinde, for short; and even shorter still: S) Obe; and younger sibling Taiwo Obe (TO) — who from the core journalism practice of his early career, went into media consultancy, but now runs Journalism Clinic, a training outfit for journalists. 

The older Obe Ess wanted to be an artist, much to the thrill of their father.  The younger TO wanted to be a tailor.  Their father gave him a beating.

From Nigeria’s The Guardian:

Born in Ibadan, in 1957, the cartoonist began his stretching career in 1974, a year after he left high school. Between 1977 and 1980, while a fine arts student of the Ibadan Polytechnic, Ibadan, Obe Ess began to freelance for Daily Sketch, Nigerians Tribune and The Entertainer.

Before joining The Guardian where he rose to become the Cartoon Editor, his works had featured in different media houses publications, including African Concord, Quality Magazine, Tempo, Africaman and others. He also did commissioned work for UNICEF.

Obe’s cartoon work can be appreciated at the archive on his Obe’s Newsletter Substack.

The News Guru also has an Obe Ess comics strip archive.