V T Thomas, better known as Toms for the Malayali population passed away on Wednesday at a private hospital in Kottayam.

86-year-old Toms was the creator of the famous cartoon series ‘Bobanum Moliyum’ that struck a chord with the Malayali populace because of the everyday socio-political issues that the cartoon brought to light, colored with humor.

‘Bobanum Moliyum’ cartoon series was first published in Malayala Manorama weekly in the late 1950s, following which he worked with Manorama for nearly three decades, before retiring in 1987.

Boban and Moly, the naughty next-door siblings from his neighborhood in Kuttanad and their dog became Toms’ central characters, and went on to entertain thousands of readers. Thought provoking and humorous, the cartoon series became a household name in Kerala, which was later made into an animation series.

Toms has, at many instances, spoke at length about his unexpected entry to the world of cartoons. Persistent young Moly and her brother had their way eventually, when they convinced Tom to draw them.  His contemporaries remember him as a cartoonist who made people laugh, but one who seldom had a smile on his face.

Post his retirement, Toms was involved in a legal battle with Manorama on the copyright of the characters, but it ended in Boban and Moly following their creator home as Thomas got the copyrights of the characters.

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