Alexyz

Alex Raphael "Alexyz" Fernandes (born Aleixo Fernandes; 24 October 1944), known mononymously as Alexyz, is an Indian cartoonist, former footballer, and adman based in Siolim, Goa. He initially gained prominence working for O Heraldo during the height of the Konkani language agitation and Goa's statehood struggle in the 1980s. Over the course of a career spanning more than four decades in cartooning, he has created over 12,000 cartoons, with his first one made for the Wadala parish magazine. He is the recipient of the Goa State Cultural Award, the state's highest art and culture award.

Early life
Fernandes was born as Aleixo Fernandes on 24 October 1944 in Dadar, Bombay (now Mumbai), which was part of Bombay Presidency (now Maharashtra) during British India (now India), to João José Fernandes, a tailor who originally hailed from Pernem, Goa, and Ana Regina Fernandes, a homemaker originally from Oxel, Goa. Both of his parents resided in Siolim, Goa, and were of Goan Catholic descent. The fourth of five children, he had two brothers, Francisco (born 1934), José (1940), and two sisters, Filomena (born 1937) and Gertrudes (born 1948). Around the early 1940s, Fernandes' parents made their move to Bombay.

Fernandes is a graduate of St. Xavier’s College in Bombay with a postgraduate degree in Advertising and Public relations. He harbored an appreciation for cartoons. Mario Miranda's artistic creations captivated Fernandes, leading him to contemplate further academic pursuits, a PhD, in the field. His upbringing in Bombay exposed him to tiatr (Goan musical theatre), as his uncle often regaled guests with renditions of popular Konkani songs by tiatrist Kid Boxer.

Career
Fernandes is a former footballer who participated as a member of the Bombay Juniors football team. However, he sustained a knee injury that ultimately led him to abandon his athletic career. Following this, Fernandes transitioned to creating sports-themed cartoons. Fernandes authored the book Sportoons (1982), considered India's pioneering collection of sports-themed cartoons, marking his debut in published works. Following his first work, Fernandes released his next book ''Howzzat! Century of Cricket Cartoons'' (1987), the initial collection of cricket-themed cartoons to be published in India. The inclusion of verses authored by the Australian cricketer Sir Don Bradman in this work led to its commendation by the curator of the Bradman Museum & International Cricket Hall of Fame in New South Wales, Australia. The museum currently displays three of Fernandes's artworks. Additionally, Fernandes presented an exhibition centered on cricket in Adelaide, Australia, with a special emphasis on Bradman. The inauguration of this exhibition was carried out by the Mayor of Napier, New Zealand, Kirsten Wise, who held an admiration for Don Bradman. Alongside his published books, Fernandes was also active as a daily contributor for multiple newspapers located in Bombay, like The Indian Express, Mid-Day, The Free Press Journal, Sunday Observers, and Reader's Digest, as well as for newspapers in Goa.

Mario Miranda was a popular cartoonist who lived and worked during the same period as Fernandes. He played a significant role in supporting and mentoring Fernandes as he entered the field of cartooning. Miranda embarked on his cartooning journey shortly after completing his education, contrasting Fernandes who took a more extended period, around eight years post-graduation, to discover his own artistic prowess in the realm of cartoons. Miranda held a position as a cartoonist at The Times of India in Bombay, a location in close proximity to the college attended by Fernandes. This geographical closeness potentially facilitated any interactions or influence between the two artists. Miranda used his industry connections to introduce Fernandes to Khalid A. H. Ansari, the co-founder of the Bombay-based newspaper Mid-Day. Fernandes developed a specialty in creating sports-themed cartoons, coining the term Sportoons which became widely adopted. Miranda was instrumental in fostering the connection between Fernandes and Erasmo de Sequeira, the son of fellow Goan politician Jack de Sequeira, who was responsible for the operations of the Goan newspaper, Goa Monitor. Fernandes later joined the West Coast Times in Margao and subsequently became the inaugural cartoonist for the O Heraldo newspaper during the 1980s.

Fernandes is known for his politically charged work during significant regional and national movements in India during the 1980s. He gained particular renown for his cartoons published in the Goan newspaper O Heraldo, which provided him with extensive creative freedom and space to contribute to the ongoing Konkani language agitation and Goa's statehood struggle. Under the editorship of Rajan Narayan, O Heraldo granted Fernandes a large allotment of up to 8 cartoon panels per issue. This allowed him to frequently comment on the political events and issues central to the regional autonomy and linguistic rights campaigns through his distinctive visual style. Fernandes's cartoons were often reproduced as posters that were used to galvanize support for the agitations. Fernandes's tenure at O Heraldo was considered the peak of his domestic career, as the newspaper afforded him an unparalleled platform to exercise his artistic voice on pressing sociopolitical matters. Along with his daily cartoons, he also contributed work to the paper's supplementary sections. Fernandes's impact extended beyond India as well. In 2000, he was invited by British Member of Parliament Keith Vaz to hold a three-day exhibition of his cartoons at the House of Commons in London, being the only Indian cartoonist to receive such an invitation. He remained for a period exceeding one month. Fernandes also spent extended periods, over 45 days, working and exhibiting in the United States and Canada over the course of his career.

Fernandes has utilized his artistic medium to address societal and political issues within the state of Goa. In the year 2015, he authored a book named O To Be In Goa... Today, dedicating it to three of his close associates: fellow cartoonist Mario Miranda, musician Emiliano da Cruz, and journalist-photographer Joel D'Souza. Fernandes has been outspoken in voicing his concerns regarding the prevailing conditions in Goa. To further expound upon these views, he organized a cartoon exhibition and installations in December 2015. His publication from 2015 acts as a visual record of the occurrences in Goa during the period between 2013 and 2015. Many have observed that Fernandes' cartoons provide a vivid representation of the zeitgeist, and their visual nature renders them more accessible and easier to comprehend for the general public. After a gap of seven years, Fernandes hosted this exhibition, his earlier exhibition occurred in 2008 when he unveiled his publication titled Goa, Goan, Goaing, Gone...?. The 2015 exhibition, held at the Kala Academy in Panjim, Goa, featured 50 artworks. The collection included pieces that had been featured in a newspaper as well as new creations that had not been exhibited previously.

As of December 2019, Fernandes was in the process of writing an autobiographical work titled 50 Funky Years of a Goan Cartoonist. He had scheduled the publication of the book to coincide with his 75th birthday in 2020. Over the course of his career, Fernandes had amassed a substantial portfolio of thousands of cartoons, this encompasses his initial published piece in a parish magazine located in Wadala. For the autobiography, Fernandes intended to incorporate insights and commentary from members of the broader Goan diaspora. In addition to his autobiography, Fernandes made artistic contributions to an updated version of Greatest Konkani Songs Volume 2 authored by Francis Rodrigues, who is based in Canada. This edition was unveiled in December 2019 at an event held at the Institute Menezes Braganza in Panjim, Goa. Despite the financial challenges often associated with a career in cartooning, Fernandes remained actively engaged in sharing his artistic talents. He continued to lead "funshops" - educational and creative workshops - for children and young aspiring artists. Fernandes firmly believed that the freedom to create cartoons was essential, stating "if there is no freedom then the fun is lost from cartooning." One of the key rewards Fernandes had experienced was the opportunity to travel extensively and exhibit his work, facilitated by invitations from the global Goan community. He extensively traveled the world without incurring expenses, gaining exposure to diverse cultures and experiences through his cartooning endeavors.

Personal life
Fernandes was based in the city of Bombay (now known as Mumbai) for a period, before later returning to his family's hometown of Siolim in the western state of Goa in the early 1970s. Throughout his career, Fernandes maintained close personal and professional relationships with several other popular Goan creatives. Among them were the cartoonist Mario Miranda, the musician Emiliano da Cruz, and the photojournalist Joel D'Souza. Despite working in a similar time and place, Fernandes viewed Miranda not as a rival, but rather as a mentor figure. In his later years, Fernandes wed a retired teacher. His spouse remains active in teaching at a nearby school close to their home in Siolim, Goa.

2016 house burglary
On 8 October 2016, Fernandes house was burglarized in the village of Siolim, Goa. The break-in was reported to have occurred within the time frame of 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on the specified date. At the time of the incident, Fernandes had departed from his residence to have lunch with visitors nearby. Meanwhile, Fernandes's wife had journeyed to the town of Verna, Goa to take care of personal affairs. Upon his arrival at his dwelling, Fernandes observed that the latch on the primary entrance had been compromised, signifying potential unlawful intrusion. However, the burglar or burglars did not appear to have ransacked or extensively disturbed the interior of the home. The only reported theft was taken from the purse belonging to Fernandes's wife, with no other valuables having been targeted.

Local authorities from the Anjuna police station were promptly notified of the break-in. Investigative personnel, including a police dog unit, were dispatched to the scene to gather evidence and initiate the criminal inquiry. Fernandes later stated that this 2016 incident represented the second time his residence had been burglarized within a three-year span. He noted that during the previous break-in, the perpetrators had caused significantly more damage and disruption within the home.