From paper to pan

[rooster59]

From paper to pan

Prayoon Chanyavongse was known for his witty satirist of politics and societies and a keen gourmet on Thai cuisine.

BANGKOK: Cartoonist Prayoon Chanyavongse is remembered as much for his illustrations as for his love for Thai food

ASK ANY YOUNG Thai today if he knows the Thai cartoon character Sooklek and the answer will almost certainly be no. That's of course understandable as more than 70 years have passed since the likay-style character toting a jaunty feather stuck in a band around his head and carrying a sword in one hand was the mainstay in Prayoon Chanyavongse's famed cartoon series "Chantakorob".

Prayoon, who later turned his talent for fine-line ink drawing into cutting satires of politics and society, was also a keen gourmet and a pioneer of self-sufficient living, which he promoted through his illustrated column "Ka Buan Kan Kae Chon" ("Mission to overcome poverty") in Thai Rath newspaper until 1992, when cancer claimed his life.

Now Sooklek is coming back thanks to a new exhibition at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre that celebrates the late cartoonist's centenary. And the quirky character can not only be admired in hand-drawn form but also in both two and three-dimensional animated series.

"My father dreamed of creating animated cartoons but his dream never came true. He did however study animation at the Walt Disney studios in California for six months [he was given a personal introduction to Walt Disney by His Majesty King Bhumibol] and planned to draw a series of Disney-like cartoons on local wisdom for Thai children," says Prayoon's daughter Sudrak.

Besides running the Prayoon Foundation to preserve Prayoon's works, Sudrak and her elder brother Sooklek, who was named in honour of their father's beloved character, set up an animation studio seven years ago to make their father's dream comes true. They have now produced a delightfully humorous animated series in both 2D and 3D with Sooklek in the starring role and are currently in negotiations with a television channel to bring him to the small screen starting next year.

They are however well aware that their father's comic character is little known among young Thais and so have launched a commemorative book that's divided into two sections. The first, which boasts Sooklek on the cover, is in easy-to-read comic book format while the second half tracks Prayoon's life and works. Five thousand copies have been printed and are available at the exhibition and Nai-In bookstores.

Readers can scan the QR code inside the book with an iPad to download a free copy of "Ka Buan Kan Kae Chon: Volume 1", which offers a multitude of tips on Thai cooking and nuggets of local wisdom, all accumulated from Prayoon's own experiences. The compilation of his illustrated columns for Thai Rath newspaper over 20 years was listed as one of "the 100 books all Thais should read" by the Thailand Research Fund.

"We want to pass on our father's self-sufficient lifestyle so that others can benefit from it too. His book is not an instant how-to book on becoming a millionaire, but is full of tips and techniques to become self-reliant. He was a keen gourmet who learned cooking from his grandma and his own experiments and every recipe in his book - from chilli pastes to grilled duck, roasted chicken in a tin can, and pork knuckle - could be used to make its reader a living. His aim was to encourage people to fight against poverty with local wisdom," says Sudrak, adding that Prayoon's Facebook page "Sooklekcartoon" now has more than 6,000 followers.

The Thailand Post has also launched a sheet of stamps to commemorate his centenary while local brand AIIZ is producing T-shirts printed with the "Sooklek" characters with part of the proceeds going to the foundation.

"We're planning to turn Sooklek into a Line sticker too," Sudrak grins.

Written with humour, Prayoon's cartoons have no rude words but what he described as "a little naughtiness to add spice". And while cutting, his satirical cartoons only ever attacked those who deserved it. During the cold war in 1956, he drew a satirical cartoon for Siam Rath Weekly titled "The Last Nuclear Test" showing the world itself split asunder, and it won first prize in the 1960 International Cartoon for Peace Competition organised by the People to People, Cartoonist Committee in the US.

In 1971, he was recognised with the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication Arts for his "gifted pen that can defend the cause of truth with decency, courage and artistic sensitivity", according to the Board of Trustees.

"He wasn't a wealthy man and said all he'd been able to give us was an education and his work. He always taught us to be moral, wise and self-reliant and to live modestly and in harmony with society and nature. That philosophy was clearly illustrated in his 'Ka Buan Kan Kae Chon' series.

"At our old house in Thon Buri we grew our own fruits and herbs, had a fish pond and raised chickens, ducks and geese. Our meals were based on seasonal produce and what we could find around the house," recalls Sudrak, adding that her elder brother Sooklek now leads a modest life in a solar-cell-powered garden home in Khao Yai.

The family also runs a Thai restaurant named Taling Pling with menus based on Prayoon's favourites and books that are rare in today's restaurant world. Prayoon himself named the restaurant after a rare Thai fruit that's used in Thai cooking to enhance the sour taste. The Taling Pling tree is known in English as bilimbi and belongs to the star fruit family. The trees are plentiful in the flagship restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 34 and provide the

raw fruit for the cooking while the back garden is planted with pomelo and rambutan trees as well as a herb garden boasting cumin, Thai holy basil, mint and chillies.

The walls are adorned with Prayoon's illustrated columns on agriculture and Thai cuisine and the restaurant's logo is Prayoon's portrait of himself grinding ingredients with a mortar and pestle and giving a thumbs up.

Sooklek and his wife Thipmani opened the first Taling Pling back in 1988 on Pan Road in the Silom area. That first outlet has now relocated to Baan Silom Arcade and four other branches can be found in the city's department stores. The business is now run by the couple's daughter Praethip, who like her mother, is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in London.

"Grandpa always advised people to plant this fruit-bearing taling pling tree because of its benefits. The trees are plentiful in my father's garden home in Khao Yai, the Sukhumvit Soi 34 restaurant branch, my own residence and that of my aunt's [sudrak]. It's easy to grow and the fruit makes a great substitute for lemon or tamarind," says Praethip.

To get an idea of what the taling pling fruit tastes like, Praethip offers Yum Pla Salid Taling Pling. The dish offers a well-balanced combination of tastes and textures, with crispy morsels of crispy fried salid fish tossed with finely sliced lemongrass, taling pling and shallot together with cashew nuts, coriander, chilli and lime. Equally temping is her Gaeng Phed Ped Yang Taling Pling - red curry with grilled duck and taling pling.

Another home-cooked delicacy is Khai Palow, hard- boiled egg and pork slowly braised with five Chinese spices for two days. And diners should not miss Prayoon's personal favourite - Nam Prik Makham - a tamarind chilli paste served with crispy fried salid fish fillets and fresh seasonal vegetables.

PIONEERING POWER

The exhibition to commemorate the centenary of Prayoon Chanyavongse's birth continues until next Sunday on the fourth and fifth floors of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.

The centre is at the Pathum Wan intersection (BTS: National Stadium) and is open daily except Monday from 10am to 9pm.

For more about the life and work of Prayoon, visit www.Sooklek.com or the "Sooklekcartoon" page on Facebook.

Details of Taling Pling restaurant can be found at www.TalingPling.com.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/sunday/From-paper-to-pan-30273413.html

-- The Nation 2015-11-22

[KIWIBATCH]

What a truly wonderful story...

[chainarong]

Sad to say not much has improved in Thailand since Prayoon did his drawings, under section 44 he wouldn't be allowed political satire............................