Why I Draw Gandhi

Why does Gandhi appear on this blog so often?  Even when he does not appear, he still gets mentioned, why is that?

In a way, Mohandas K. Gandhi, a.k.a. "The Mahatma," is the twentieth-century geek hero.  He was super smart, wore geeky glasses, wore clothes that were not deemed "cool," and yet he is one of the most idolized humans of the 20th century.  He transformed governments and individual lives.  He was a mover and a shaker.  I took a semester long course in leadership my junior year at college.  It was part of the Honors Program curriculum.  As part of this course, we read texts by leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi. These are figures that are bigger-than-life.  Countless books and movies are made about these people.  There is a reverence that is observed, and they have become part of our vernacular in terms of personalities that mean specific things.  In terms of non-violent protest, you can start with people like Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience," which supposedly inspired people like Gandhi and King, but I think when most people think non-violent protest, they think Gandhi.

From an artistic standpoint, he lends himself to caricaturization.  He is bald, he wears round glasses, he has an awesome mustache, he wears homespun cotton Indian garb.  I should start working in his walking stick.  I think he used a walking stick.  He is fun to draw.  He can be heavily cartoonized and yet instantly recognizable because of the visual cues of glasses, stache, baldhead, etc.

So, that explains some of the reasons why my depiction of Gandhi shows up so often.  He is an admirable man.  A personal hero, you might say.  Why pair him with the Devil?  It's funny.  I like the fact that many people may think that Satan would be perfect as a lawyer, but Gandhi was the lawyer.  He had a life before he became the hunger-striking, salt march leading man he became later in life.  And since he was a real man who took moral stands, I think he makes the perfect foil for the fictional character of Satan.

Gandhi did stuff.  He took his decisions to their full conclusions. In conclusion, Gandhi was a petite Indian lawyer who had King Kong sized balls.  You have to admire that.

Cranked this one out tonight. Pencil on bristol board.

So, there you have it.  Gandhi is pretty awesome. I enjoy drawing various interpretations of him, and he will continue to appear on this blog.