Galeri PETRONAS Unveils Gila-Gila Special Issue #777 - The Best of Gila-Gila Over 37 Years

Following the success of the LAGI-LAGI GILA-GILA exhibition at Galeri PETRONAS, a retro limited edition - Gila-Gila Special Issue #777 have been put together by the cartoonists behind the iconic magazine to showcase the best and outstanding works of Gila-Gila comic over the past 37 years.

Gila-Gila Special Issue #777 was launched by Galeri PETRONAS together with Creative Enterprise at an event held at Galeri PETRONAS today.

Speaking at the launch, Director of Galeri PETRONAS, Rosli Abdul Rahim said that the Gila-Gila Special Issue #777 is a timely tribute to local cartoonists for their historic and intellectual contribution towards the development of cartoon art in Malaysia, while at the same time to highlight their talents to the public.

“We are proud and privileged to have collaborated with such talented cartoonists and be part of the success of the exhibition that have led to the production of the Gila-Gila Special Issue #777.

Additionally, we are also honoured to be granted the exclusive rights to sell the limited edition magazines to cartoon art fans at our gallery shop,” said Rosli.

Capturing quintessential Malaysian humour and the intellectual rigour of Gila-Gila cartoon artists, Gila-Gila Special Issue #777 is the first comprehensive retrospective collection covering some of the most popular segments revered by its readers over the past 37 years. These include “Jungle Jokes” and “Kalau” by Jaafar Taib, “Atuk” by Ujang , “Asmaradana” by Mishar and “Lipat Lepat” by Azman Yusof”.

In conjunction with the unveiling of the special edition, an exclusive meet and greet session with Jaafar Taib, Mishar, Zainal Buang Hussein, Azman Yusuf and Ujang was also organized on the same day.

Speaking at the meet and greet session, Jaafar Taib, Managing Director of Creative Enterprise, which publishes Gila-Gila magazine said the cartoonists were overwhelmed by the  public’s appreciation for the magazine during the exhibition.

“We would like to thank Galeri PETRONAS for providing the venue for Gila-Gila to showcase its extensive collection of iconic and original artworks and stimulate public interest in cartoon art,” said Jaafar.

In addition, fans also received free autographs and photo opportunities with the artists upon purchase of the limited edition Gila-Gila Special Issue #777.

Gila-Gila Special Issue #777 is a 150-page comic book that compiles works by over 40 famed local cartoonists. The special edition also incorporates a special segment dedicated to the pioneers of cartoon art in Malaysia such as Mishar, Jaafar Taib, Zainal Buang Hussein, Azman Yusuf, Ujang and many more.

The Gila-Gila Special Issue #777, which took nearly three months to complete also records memorable highlights throughout the LAGI-LAGI GILA-GILA exhibition, which ran for three months from 14 April 2015.

The LAGI-LAGI GILA-GILA was the largest humour and cartoon art-based exhibition in Malaysia displaying over 200 pieces of iconic and original artworks of Gila-Gila that attracted over 28,000 visitors.

With a limited printed run of 1,000 copies, the first 200 copies of Gila-Gila Special Issue #777 are numbered and will only be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis, exclusively at Galeri PETRONAS. The numbered copies retails at RM150 and the unnumbered issues at RM50.

Published monthly by Creative Enterprise, Gila-Gila has been a socially-accepted novelty and is an important piece of history that reflect the brilliant minds of Malaysia‛s top cartoonists.
Since its inception in 1978, Gila-Gila, which had its peak circulation of 200,000 copies per issue, entertained Malaysians from all walks of life by addressing cultural, social, economic, and political issues in humorous ways.

Exhibitions and programmes by Galeri PETRONAS are in line with PETRONAS’ philosophy that embodies the organisation’s long-term commitment towards nurturing local artists and promoting art development in Malaysia.

Issued by:
Galeri PETRONAS
Group Strategic Communications
PETRONAS