| Narayan Debnath | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Debnath in 2013 | |
| Born | 1925 (Shibpur) Howrah, Bengal Presidency, British Raj |
| Died | 18 January 2022 (aged 96) Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Area(s) | West Bengal, India |
Notable works | Bantul the Great, Handa Bhonda, Nonte Fonte |
| Awards | President's Special Recognition Award (2007), Sahitya Akademi (2013), Banga Bibhushan (2013), D. Litt. by Rabindra Bharati University (2015),  Padma Shri by Government of India (2021) |
| Spouse(s) | Tara Debnath |
| Children | 2 |
Narayan Debnath (25 November 1925 – 18 January 2022) was an Indian comics artist, writer and illustrator.[1] He created the Bengali comic strips Handa Bhonda (1962), Bantul the Great (1965) and Nonte Phonte (1969). He holds the record of longest running comics by an individual artiste for Handa Bhonda comics series which completed its continuous 53 years of running. He was the first and only comics artist in India who has received a D. Litt. degree.[2] Debnath was awarded Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in India, in the year 2021.[3]
His other creations like Rabi Chobi was published to celebrate the birth centenary of Rabindranath Tagore in the May 1961 issue of the weekly magazine called Anandamela. The full length 50-page comics were first published in the book format by Sarvodaya Sahitya Prakashan, Varanasi. Rajar Raja (was published in 1962), it was illustrated by Narayan Debnath and written by Bimal Ghosh to celebrate the birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda.
- ^ "Narayan Debnath, the cartoonist who never underestimated children". The Indian Express. 19 January 2022.
- ^ "Remembering Narayan Debnath, the illustrator who gave Bengal its first superhero 'Bantul'". The Indian Express. 18 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
- ^ "'Handa Bhonda' & 'Bantul The Great' creator Narayan Debnath passes away at 97". The Economic Times. Retrieved 18 January 2022.