Mana Neyestani

Mana Neyestani is an Iranian cartoonist. He is the brother of Touka Neyestani, who is also a cartoonist.

Biography

He is of Iranian Azeri ethnicity.^[1][2][3][4] Riots erupted by ethnic Azeris in Iran when they took offense in Mana Neyestani's cartoon, published in the children's section of the 12 May 2006 supplement of Iran, a government run newspaper. The cartoon depicted a coackroach responding in Azeri or Persian. He along with Mehrdad Ghasemfar, the editor-in-chief of Iran, were arrested by government officials and the newspaper was closed down following the riots.

Neyestani was born in 1973 in Tehran. He is a graduate of University of Tehran with a M.A. in Architecture and a high profile and successful cartoonist since his first drawings for Zan newspaper in 1998.^[5]

Mana Neystani's father Manouchehr was a famous Iranian poet.^[6]

Life

Mana received a M.A. of Architecture from Tehran University. He began drawing cartoons for the press in 1989. He has worked as a cartoonist and illustrator for economic,intellectual, political, cultural and professional magazines. He started drawing editorial cartoons from 1998, for the "Zan" newspaper. During 1998-2000, he drew a large number of cartoons for various reformist newspapers such as, Asr-e Azadegan, Sobhe Emrooz, Mosharekat, Azad, Neshat (as a freelance) and for Aftab-e Emrooz (as a staff cartoonist). Mana has won several medals and honorary diplomas from different International competitions:

- 4th award of blue-sky contest in Tehran (1997)

- 2nd award of blue-sky contest in Tehran (1998)

- 2nd award of housing in Tehran (1999)

- 2nd award of Atomic Bomb cartoon contest of Golagha magazine(1999)

- Diploma of honor of Football international cartoon contest in Iran (1999)

- Diploma of honor of 4th biennial international cartoon in Iran (1999)

- Selected in section final of comic strip in Umoristi a Marostica in Italy (1999)

- First award of the press festival in cartoon in Iran (1999)

See also

• Iran newspaper cockroach cartoon controversy

References

1. ^ "Cockroach Cartoonist Jailed In Iran". The Comics Reporter. 2006-05-24. http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/cockroach_cartoonist_jailed_in_iran/. 
2. ^ "Iranian paper banned over cartoon". BBC News. 2006-05-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5008420.stm. 
3. ^ "IFJ Criticises “Political Interference” as Cartoons Rows Put Journalists in Jail in Iran and Jordan". International Federation of Journalists. June 3, 2006. http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?Index=3956&Language=EN. 
4. ^ "IRAN: Azeris unhappy at being butt of national jokes". IRIN (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)). 2006-05-25. http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=53543&SelectRegion=Asia&SelectCountry=IRAN. 
5. ^ "Biography of Mana Neyestani". International Cartoon Center or IRANCARTOON International Features. Archived from the original on 2005-10-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20051016055902/http://irancartoon.com/MANA/INDEX2.HTM. Retrieved 2007-02-08. 
6. ^ (Persian) http://www.iraninstitute.com/1382/821024/html/art.htm

External links

• A comic strip by Mana Neyestani
• About Mana's Father
• Mana's biography and Picture

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Name	Neyestani, Mana
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Date of birth	1973
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