Tayo Fatunla

Tayo Fatunla is a British-born Nigerian cartoonist, comic artist, illustrator and storyteller based in the United Kingdom.^[1][2] He began drawing cartoons in Nigeria as a teenager and has since become known for his educational comic features on African history and social issues.  His notable works include the long-running Our Roots series (started in 1989) and other projects for the BBC and the Lagos State government.^[1]

Tayo Fatunla
Born	Tayo 1961 (age 63–64) Wimbledon, England
Citizenship	Nigeria
Notable work	'Our Roots' 1989, 'Hooked' 'Spirit of Lagos' 2015
Awards	East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 Crayon de Porcelaine
Honours	"Cartoonist of the Black World"
Website	tayofatunla.com

Early life

Fatunla was born (1961) in Wimbledon, England in 1961 but was raised and educated in Nigeria.^[1] His formative years were spent in Lagos, where he attended Surulere Baptist School and later Lagos Baptist Academy.  It was during this time that he developed an interest in drawing cartoons.  He credits his mother, who worked at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, with introducing him to British and American comics (such as Buster, Battle, and Marvel titles) which fueled his passion for drawing.^[2]

As a teenager in Lagos, Fatunla began publishing his cartoons locally.  His very first cartoon appeared in Apollo, a Nigerian children's magazine, when he was 17 years old.  He soon drew cartoons and caricatures for major Nigerian newspapers and magazines.  For example, he worked for Punch newspaper (including the popular "Omoba" comic column), as well as other titles like Concord, The Guardian, and Daily Times.  These early years in Nigeria established his reputation as a cartoonist and set the stage for his later career.

Education

After beginning his career in Nigeria, Fatunla moved to the United States for formal art training.^[1]  In the early 1980s he attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art in Dover, New Jersey, becoming the first African student and graduate of that institution.^[1] It was at Kubert that he developed his signature style and conceived his educational comic projects.  His Our Roots series, for example, started as a school project (originally titled African Sketchbook) under the guidance of tutors including Joe Kubert and Hy Eisman. Fatunla attributes much of his professional development to the training and mentorship he received at the Kubert School.^[1]

Career and achievements

After completing his studies, Fatunla returned to Nigeria and continued his career as a cartoonist and illustrator.  Over the decades he has worked for a wide range of international publications.  He has drawn cartoons for The New York Times and the BBC's Focus on Africa magazine, and contributed illustrations to British and African magazines such as West Africa, New African, The Voice, African Business, and Courrier International. He has also published collections of his own cartoons, including a retrospective book Tayo – Thro' The Years launched in London in 2001.^[1]

Fatunla's most famous project is the Our Roots series – an educational comic feature on Black history.  Our Roots debuted in 1989 in London's The Voice newspaper and has run continuously for decades.^[2][3] The series, which highlights the accomplishments of Black people around the world, was later syndicated in American newspapers (such as the Chicago Defender, Sacramento Observer, and New York Amsterdam News).^[2] A collected volume of Our Roots was published in 1991.  In recognition of this work, Fatunla was honored as "Cartoonist of the Black World" and in 2018 received the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award for Our Roots.

Fatunla's comics often illustrate African history and culture.  For example, his Our Roots series (1989–present) explores the lives of notable Black figures worldwide.  These drawings were used for educational purposes in textbooks and exhibitions.  In another project, he was commissioned by the Lagos State Government to produce Spirit of Lagos (2015), an illustrated comic about the history of Nigeria's largest city.^[3][2]

Fatunla has also created work for educational and cultural institutions.  He illustrated Hooked (2015), an award-winning digital comic for the BBC World Service about drug abuse in West Africa.^[3] He drew a series of ten cartoons for the British Museum's online Wealth of Africa resource, depicting historical African kingdoms.^[2] In the UK he contributed to the Guardian's Illustrated Cities series, creating artwork on Lagos.^[3] One of his cartoon portraits (of musician Fela Kuti) even appears in the music video for Burna Boy's hit song "Ye" (2018).^[3]

Throughout his career Fatunla has exhibited and taught cartooning around the world.  He has held gallery exhibitions and led workshops in countries including the United Kingdom, Nigeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Finland, France, Ethiopia, Spain, the United States, Egypt, Israel, Algeria, Belgium, South Korea, Italy and Ireland.^[3] His cartoons are part of permanent collections such as the International Museum of Cartoon Art (Florida, USA).  In recognition of his work, he has won several awards: for example, he received the French press cartoon award Crayon de Porcelaine (Salon International du Dessin de Presse, St-Just-le-Martel), the ECBACC Pioneer Lifetime Achievement Award (2018), and in 2024 was named "Professional Creative Cartoonist of the Year" at the Building Blocks Initiative Awards in the UK.^[3]  Peers have noted his influence on younger African cartoonists such as Godfrey Mwampembwa (Gado).^[3]

Personal life

Fatunla is based in Dartford, Kent in England, where he works as a cartoonist and illustrator.^[4] He remains active in the cartooning community: for example, he is a member of the Cartoonists Association of Nigeria (CARTAN), the UK National Union of Journalists, and Cartoon Arts International.  He frequently conducts cartoon workshops and lectures on storytelling and art.  Fatunla is also known to be a devout Christian and uses his art in church and educational settings (he has produced Christian cartoon collections such as Gospel Humor, 2016).  His family includes his wife and children, and he often speaks about the role of faith and culture in his work. Despite living abroad, Fatunla maintains strong ties to Nigeria and often returns to lead festivals, workshops and publish work there.^[4]