Setting the record straight: 20-year-old Pakistani girl creates world's longest comic strip
The comic strip is 877 feet long and it took her a year to complete it. Photo: trending.pk
(Web Desk) - Unaiza Ali Barlas, a young cartoonist from Pakistan, has been officially named in the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the world’s longest comic strip.
The comic strip made by Unaiza is 877 feet long and it took her a year to complete it.
After the approval of its length by the Guinness World Records, she was also awarded a certificate.
In an interview with BBC, Unaiza said that her comic strip was exhibited for the first time on March 12 in Lahore. Three weeks ago, she received an email from Guinness informing her about the certificate.
Unaiza, who is a 20-year-old Lahore-based artist, said that she started drawing cartoons at the age of two. With the passage of time, her work got better and her interest in animation amplified.
According to Unaiza, the previously held record for the longest comic strip belonged to an Indian artist, Suhas Palekar. The length of his comic strip was 191.31m.
“When I saw the record, I knew I could make Pakistan proud by creating a new world record in this category.”
Photo: trending.pk
Unaiza also shared with BBC Urdu the instructions to break a previously set record.
“If such a world record is held by someone, you need to write an application to Guinness World Records, informing them of your attempt to break it. I, too, did it and started working on the comic strip once I had been given the approval to do so.
Then I contacted them again, informing them of my successful attempt so that the record can be updated once they have observed, and affirmed the attempt as a successful one.”
The 877 feet long comic strip made by Unaiza. Photo: trending.pk
She further said that she completed the comic strip while completely sticking to the Guinness World Record’s rules and regulations, so there was no chance of it being rejected at all.
Famous artist Jamal Shah, who is also the chairperson of Pakistan National Council of Arts, said that the feat achieved by the young artist has been recorded and published by the Guinness Book of World Records and Unaiza has also been awarded a certificate by Pakistan National Council of Arts.
Jamal Shah in a conversation with BBC said, “Such an achievement by Unaiza, while being a young girl, is something Pakistan should be proud of.”
He further said that the government should encourage the talented youth of the country. The Council of Arts due to lack of funds is unable to uplift the country’s talented people, he added.
