Remember those ‘Usop Santorian’, ‘Keluang Man’ and ‘Mat Kilau’ cartoons played on RTM (national television) back in the 90s and 00s?
Well, today’s Google Doodle features the late great Kamn Ismail, a pioneer Malaysian animator whose work invigorated the emerging local animation industry!
To mark what would have been his 67th birthday, today’s Doodle celebrates Kamn Ismail and his significant contribution to Malaysia’s animation industry.
This Malacca-born animator pioneered the use of technology in animation way back in the 80s, aiming for the sophistication of Disney animation even as the local industry was just getting started.
The money just wasn’t there yet, but by the time the 90s crept around, Kamn had worked to launch Malaysia’s first animated series, ‘Usop Sontorian’, which in a way, helped to launch the local animation industry at the time. In fact, there was international interest in this series when it was shown at festivals!
Besides Keluang Man, which featured an unlikely crime-fighting superhero, among the animated series Kamn produced and directed were Che Nat, Kumang, Toman 1, Kumang Lagenda Sarawak, Lagenda Kinabalu, Pusaka, Pejuang, Duwi, Kiddo Science World, and finally, Mat Kilau, a patriotic-themed animation series.
His final project before retiring due to health concerns in 2016, Mat Kilau has won several awards and interestingly, has been translated into comics, an Augmented Reality (AR) experience, and a digital game.
Never one to drop the baton, Kamn served the community by forming the Animation Society of Malaysia (Animas) with fellow animators, and sharing knowledge as a lecturer at the Faculty of Creative Writing, National Academy of Arts, Culture and Heritage (Aswara) until the end of his life.
Be sure to also check out Google Malaysia’s YouTube channel where they share some exclusive clips of Kamn Ismail’s family and friends sharing their fondest memories of him!
