Kamn Ismail 's 67th Birthday

Today’s animated Doodle celebrates the 67th birthday of Kamn Ismail, a cartoonist and pioneer in Malaysian animation. He created Keluang Man, Malaysia’s first superhero, and played a pivotal role in modernizing the country’s animation industry.

Ismail was born on this day in 1956 in Pengkalan Balak, Malacca, a small town by the sea. He fell in love with drawing as a child and dreamed of becoming a comic artist. When he was a teenager, his skills attracted the attention of McMillen Film Company, which hired him to oversee the creative aspects of a movie called Paper Tiger. 

Ismail wanted to continue his career as a cartoonist but his father cautioned him against it. He feared Malaysia’s emerging animation industry couldn’t give his son a stable income. 

Ismail reluctantly put his aspirations on hold. For the next 17 years, he worked as a clerk and held several positions at the Keretapi Tanah Melayu railway. But Ismail never gave up on his dreams and secretly learned computer animation techniques in his spare time. 

His skills eventually landed him an opportunity to work for Kharisma Pictures. He trained the company’s animators and directed Malaysia’s first animated television series, Usop Sontorian, in 1996. Soon after, Ismail became a director at UAS Animation Studios, where he created the hit animation series Keluang Man. He brought the character to life by blending 2D and 3D animation. An innovative technique for its time, Ismail helped modernize Malaysia’s animation industry. 

Ismail’s work has won numerous prizes such as the Best Animated Film at Malaysia Film Festival and was awarded as a Malaysian Animation Icon. 

Happy 67th birthday to the father of Malaysian animation! 

Special thanks to the family and friends of Kamn Ismail for their partnership on this project. Below, his daughter, Dalila, shares her thoughts on the Doodle and Kamn’s legacy.

“This project is a good platform to give tribute to Malaysian achievers who have given so much contribution to the country until the end. This project is inspirational and to include Kamn Ismail is very big and special. On behalf of my family, I would like to say thank you to Google Malaysia for this recognition of Kamn Ismail and the opportunity to be part of this project. I am honored.” 

- Dalila Kamarudin, daughter of Kamn Ismail

Pictured: Kamn Ismail

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kamn Ismail family