Age, Biography and Wiki

Kari Suomalainen was born on 15 October, 1920 in Helsinki, is a Finnish political cartoonist. Discover Kari Suomalainen's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 78 years old?

Popular As N/A
Occupation N/A
Age 78 years old
Zodiac Sign Libra
Born 15 October 1920
Birthday 15 October
Birthplace Helsinki
Date of death 10 August, 1999
Died Place Valkeakoski
Nationality Finland

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 15 October. He is a member of famous cartoonist with the age 78 years old group.

Kari Suomalainen Height, Weight & Measurements

At 78 years old, Kari Suomalainen height not available right now. We will update Kari Suomalainen's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
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Dating & Relationship status

He is currently single. He is not dating anyone. We don't have much information about He's past relationship and any previous engaged. According to our Database, He has no children.

Family
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Kari Suomalainen Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Kari Suomalainen worth at the age of 78 years old? Kari Suomalainen’s income source is mostly from being a successful cartoonist. He is from Finland. We have estimated Kari Suomalainen's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income cartoonist

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Timeline

1920

Kari Yrjänä Suomalainen (15 October 1920, in Helsinki – 10 August 1999, in Valkeakoski) was a famous Finnish political cartoonist, known as Kari.

1950

In 1950, he gave a proposal to the chief editor of Helsingin Sanomat that he would start drawing daily political cartoons, according to the example of foreign newspapers.

Suomalainen's first cartoon appeared in the start of the year 1950, showing an infant boy (the symbol of the New Year) contemplating two toys: a tank and a dove carrying an olive branch.

The boy is saying: "Tank... or dove? I want them both!".

1951

His cartoons appeared daily in Helsingin Sanomat from 1951 to 1991 and they became popular throughout the nation.

While most of them comment on current politics, some are based on everyday life.

Suomalainen started drawing daily political cartoons in Helsingin Sanomat in the year 1951, during Juho Kusti Paasikivi's presidency.

One of Suomalainen's most favourite characters was Urho Kekkonen, whom he drew as a bald man with an angular chin and huge eyeglasses.

1956

When Kekkonen became president in 1956, Suomalainen stopped, for a while, using the character, due to an "unwritten law" forbidding caricaturing the president.

Suomalainen published a cartoon of himself weeping at Kekkonen's portrait, saying he "felt like a man who has just lost a gold mine".

Later, Suomalainen continued using the Kekkonen character.

Other famous Suomalainen characters include president Mauno Koivisto (a man with thick eyebrows and a strand of hair pointing upwards), prime minister Kalevi Sorsa (a cross between a man and a duck – in Finnish, sorsa means ‘duck’) and the artist himself (a short, rotund man with long, black hair and a mushroom-shaped hat).

Suomalainen was known of his political cartoons and he often drew his characters by political party category.

They were:

Initially they were drawn with realistic proportions, but then they became exaggerated into cartoonish proportions.

He also used the same motifs to draw a variety of characters; for example, the skinny guy and the fat guy in the city.

A top hat over a character used to refer to the incumbent cabinet and ministers.

1958

One cartoon, based on Ilya Repin's painting Barge Haulers on the Volga, created an international hubbub in 1958: Nikita Khrushchev, on the barge pulled by Eastern bloc countries, is shouting "Imperialists!"

to the US and UK on the shore.

1959

Suomalainen received many awards for his work, including the National Cartoonist Society (US) award in 1959, Puupäähattu in 1984 and Pro Finlandia in 1989.

1977

He was also appointed honorary professor in 1977.

Kari's maternal grandfather was Finnish sculptor Emil Wikström, and his younger sister was the opera singer and director Saskia Suomalainen, Maaria Eira.

Before Helsingin Sanomat, Suomalainen drew illustrations for multiple magazines, particularly for Lukemista kaikille.

During World War II, Suomalainen tried various tasks (unsuccessfully) but finally became an official war artist in a TK company (propaganda company), and was promoted to rank of sergeant.

After the war, he worked for Seura magazine, drawing the main illustration for various stories.

1991

Suomalainen and the newspapers editor-in-chief Janne Virkkunen had an quarrel in 1991, after Helsingin Sanomat refused to publish Kari's cartoons criticizing Somali refugees, because they were considered to be too racist.

He kept on drawing even after that and his cartoons were published in several minor Finnish newspapers on a more irregular basis.

1994

A film, Kari ja hänen 9 presidenttiään, was made by documentary filmmaker Juho Gartz in 1994.

1999

Suomalainen died in 1999 at the age of 78.