Cartoonist wins national honour

By GIMA SEGORE
This is a story of my journey through art to being awarded a Meritorious Community Service Award (Logohu award).
I was among 45 people recognised for their services to the country during the 2017 Independence celebrations.
I was awarded the Meritorious Community Services (MCS) for my services through art and designing in the country.
My name is Gima Segore and I’m 54 years old, married with five boys. I am a graphic designer and cartoonist. I am a 1985 Diploma in Graphic Design graduate of the National Arts School (now the Faculty of Creative Arts at University of PNG).
In 1986 I was employed by the Grassroots comic company owned by the famous creator of the Grassroots and Agnes characters, the late Bob Browne. I was taught by him (Bob Browne) how to be a cartoonist.
A year later I left to join Bougainville Copper Limited – Mine Media Services as a graphic designer. Whilst in Bougainville I was hired by OTML Safety Department to design a cartoon illustrated safety hand book for OTML.
I returned to work at BCL until we were evacuated due to the crises in 1989. I was asked to stay back and complete an awareness booklet on BCL environment rehabilitation for the landowners (an idea initiated by BCL to educate landowners on what BCL was doing to protect their environment). The situation turned worse so we had to leave, leaving the book unfinished.
In 1990 I was employed by the then David Delaney and Associates (advertising firm). They were awarded the 1991 Pacific Games design and advertising contract. My task was to complete the unfinished mascot design within a week because no one was able to do it. It was the 1991 South Pacific Games mascot (Kapul). I worked with DDA until I resigned in 1993.
In 1991 also I contributed a couple of my artworks to the PNG handbook for the World Expo in Seville, Spain
In 1995 I was engaged by Melanesian Conflict Resolution and sent back to Bougainville to attend a conflict resolution workshop and produce book in Tinputz where the war was at its peak.
I was met by PNGDF soldiers who went through my bag and the Bougainville Liberation Front (BLF) army on my arrival at Buka airport who took me to another place along the north coast of Buka.
After three days I had to be flown back because it was not safe, instead I completed the one-week workshop in Bomana with the female inmates.
In 1996 I was engaged by National Fisheries Authority to do a series of comic awareness handbooks – Safety at sea, when to harvest sea cucumbers/lobsters. Later I did similar work on saving leather back turtles for another organisation.
In 2006 Childfund PNG engaged me to do awareness campaign on Aids for rural community within their project areas.
I started from Kerema village communities to inland Rigo. I walked from village to village at times. My job was to explain by illustrating cartoon images on how to prevent Aids and finally erecting Aids prevention billboards in each village I visited.
In 2007 – 2015 through Birdwing Publishing I continued doing work for NGOs such as TIPNG,PSI, Unicef to name a few.
I illustrated children’s books which are now used by schools around PNG and sold in stationery shops.
I attended workshops and seminars in 2014 and 2015 for Unicef through the Education and Health departments. The aim of these workshops was to create illustrated and photographic story books, animations, posters, radio and TV series for school children in PNG.
In 2013, the 2015 Pacific Games mascot competition was published in the papers. My son (Taka Segore) entered the competition and with my help and experience he won the competition.
Tura the Kokomo became the 2015 official mascot. His school, Tubusereia Primary School was awarded K10,000 as prize money.
In 2014 I helped put together an AFL team for the Gereka youths (Gereka Bombers) in the POM AFL competition which is now in its further year in the competition. At the end of every year I donate art awards to Tubusereia Primary school.
In 2017 graphic designer Albert Ipu and I, along with Don Wotton, a member of the Royal Queensland Art Society, decided to do something to help street artist by exhibiting their artwork in Brisbane.
The exhibition turned out to be successful. This year’s exhibition turned out to be even better.
We are aiming to expose more artists internationally and to bring tourist to see our work of art here.