BAGAN DATUK: After nearly 30 successful years of drawing cartoons for magazines, artist Bendi has found a new outlet for his passion and is having his work printed on duit raya covers.

       Bendi, whose real name is Muhammad Najib Mohd Rudin, 50, said the duit raya covers, however, were only sold by pre-order since early Ramadan.

       “After putting up a few ads on my Facebook page, there has been a very encouraging response from cartoon and comic art fans,” he said when met at his workshop here recently.

       The father of three, who began honing his cartoon drawing skills in 1994 with comic magazine Gelagat, said he received orders of 400 sets of duit raya covers for this Raya season, with each set containing 20 covers and priced at RM15, as reported by Bernama.

       Prior to introducing duit raya covers, Bendi also received orders from customers who wanted his drawings printed on pencil cases, T-shirts, mugs and souvenirs.

       The Bagan Datuk-born cartoonist, who is famous for his cartoon ‘Anak Bapak’ in Ujang, is still contributing freelance work to the magazine which he has been associated with since 1997.

       “The comic world has changed a lot; many have shifted to digital reading, but it’s undeniable that there are still fans who enjoy reading physical comics.

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       “The proof is that I can still create and Ujang magazine is still ‘alive’ until now, although the sales are not as brisk as before,” he said.

       Bendi said the changes were mainly due to the increase in the cost of printing, besides the existence of other manga and anime publications.

       However, for cartoon enthusiasts seeking career opportunities, he said the cartoon industry still promises good income if pursued earnestly.

       “Unlike in the past, now you can draw comics at home, in a workshop or anywhere and send it to your employer via email,” he added.