Aiko (shortened from Ayiko meaning "Happiness" in Lugbara) is the penname of a committed Black Ugandan Artist (blogger, editorial cartoonist, illustrator, logo designer, muralist, sign painter, football writer, translator and video editor). His preferred artmedia is pencil, ballpoint pen and paper plus computer though he also enjoys painting which is more labour intensive. "Tra-digital inktooning" is how he describes his art style.
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Thierry Henry at Arsenal drawn by Aiko in Y2K entirely using a blue ballpoint pen only; no pencil nor rubber...
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The African artist emancipated himself from pencil slavery during Y2K when his Senior 4 deskmate Jean Rwamukaga (Kaahwa) asked him to ink a portrait of Bob Marley and discovered something amazing about focussing without initial pencil sketches; it was fulfilling like Rasta livity though very tedious. He still sketches using pencils nevertheless but finishes with ink, then computer. Aiko (who admires the art skills of Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, Michaelangelo, Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Johannes Vermeer, Chuck Jones, Hergé, Moebius, Joe Kubert, Marko Djurdjevic, Frank Miller, Jim Lee, Mort Drucker, Romero, Stephen Wiltshire, Zaha Hadid, Kat[herine] Von D[rachenberg], Blake Jamieson, Imran Azad, Juuko Hoods, Derrick Muhiirwa Mutekanga [graffiti], Andrew Can, Loukman Ali, Botto the Robot, etc) is a
DROPOUT of the Fine Art Class after only one month in Senior 5 because of constantly deteriorating grades that worringly fell by 7 marks every year from his Senior 1 average of 83 percent, was blocked from joining the Technical Drawing Class but with tears in his eyes started writing the name of GOD in all caps plus teaching himself how to draw cartoons (or sequential art) by studying comics feverishly. Although Art was not taught in P7, Aiko believes he operated at 90 percent in everything he did that year. He is inspired by American Marvel Comics, Mad Magazine, Belgian Tintin cartoons and Japanese manga plus anime. Aiko convinced himself that by drawing good-looking humans, you beautify your portfolio effortlessly. Despite lacking interest in student leadership because of his laid-back, attention-avoiding backbencher disposition, Aiko was appointed Column Monitor in P5, Class Monitor in P6 and 7 where teachers nominated then rigged elections for him to become Headboy due to his academic performances; he prayed and revised very hard every day to sidestep frequent academic canes. In Senior 1, he was a member of the Wildlife Club and planted a tree that grew tall plus represented SMACK as an unused backup substitute for Joseph Mutuggu who won the S1 Category during the German Poem Reciting Competition held at Nabisunsa Girls School where his sister was in Senior 3. Mutuggu was chosen again in S2 despite having flu and Aiko gave up on poem reciting competitions after being told by the German teachers (Mutawe and Emuron) to show Joseph (a good friend, dormmate and streammate) his gestures. During O-Level, his Lourdel House went for bullroasting at Nabinonya Beach as Sports Day (and Saturday Cleanliness) champions more than once though Aiko only played Survival Football (where any classmate plays); was never picked to contest in inter-house games just like at Victoria Nile School despite coming close in trials (Only participated in inter-stream football in P5 though lost 2-0; athletics at Kalinabiri Primary School in P6 and was invited to the school's football team in P7 but declined). In his S3, Aiko was asked to be the Timekeeper by his Class Monitor Isaac Ssemakadde. During S5, he was nominated to represent Simba House alongside two other housemates in the Macos Quiz (by a Senior 6 candidate codenamed WEM who had seen Aiko's journals). When told to advertise an insecticide in one of the Quiz tasks, Aiko created a 20-second song plus added instant gestures of spraying around up and down that won 5 points out of 5 and his nominator rejoiced for picking him; the runner-up (a musician and classmate named Karen Hasahya whom he respected) had 4. Later in the same year, he danced like a Mukiga for the first time (inhaling a lot of stage dust that left him bedridden for two days) and also acted as a remnant pastor in the Best Play during the 2001 MAPA (Music and Performing Arts) Festival held for parents (watched by his mother) at the Makerere University Main Hall. Combined with the Quiz and Macos Sports Day results, Simba House won MAPA that year and Aiko enjoyed the excitement.
Born in Jinja (Uganda) on 7th January 1984 to Lugbara parents (Ndezo + Dramani), the name "AikoGraphics" came to him on Sunday 2nd February 2003 while walking back home on Mt. Wati Road (in Arua during Senior 6 Vacation) as though it descended from Heaven into his head. As the second-last sibling, Aiko has one brother (10 years older than him) and five sisters (though never met his 2nd) all of whom influenced him in their own unique ways. Baptised in Bugaddu Church of Uganda (Busaana Subcounty, Kayunga District), Aiko also refers to himself as "Sanyumugulu" and a brand ambassador of Walkswagen™. He speaks mainly Lugbara, English and Luganda but knows basic Lusoga, Swahili, German, French and very little Filipino, Japanese plus Chinese. While on campus, he tried to learn Rukonzo from a hostel neighbour because of his classroom crush until they grew apart; he also sampled Runyankole-Rukiga and Ateso. In March 2022, he test-drew illustrations for an Ac(h)oli book written by an OG from P7 and learnt new words.
Having failed to clinch government sponsorship nor private admission to his dream campus (Makerere University) with 18 points out of 25 in Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), Aiko almost gave up on school. Nevertheless, his parents who had relocated to Arua convinced him to continue and he allowed the sister he follows to apply for him to Uganda Christian University where she was a sophomore. At UCU Mukono, he focussed on his studies and prayed very hard day and night in 1st Year, 1st Semester until he topped his class with 4.22 GPA alongside Veronica Kitonsa (who got the supplementary Scholars and Friends USA Bursary for Buganda Region while Aiko won the one for the whole of West Nile awarded for his 2nd and 3rd Year worth a total of 1,200 US Dollars; the third recipient in his class was Ronivich Humura from Western Uganda). Aiko worried that he would die by 2nd Year and faced mysterious attacks on his health (including a migraine during his first exams, boil on the head, typhoid, gonorrhea, etc) but thanks GOD he escaped that dark cloud and also experienced his best semesters in terms of performance despite warnings (from scholars ahead) of decline as you approach graduation.
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Time Shield (& Colour Circle) by Aiko...
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With gigs from schoolmates at SMACK, Macos (like Arshad Ahmed) and Uganda Christian University (where he specialised in Print Journalism scoring 4.12 General GPA for six semesters) along with relatives and other clients who paid him for various works including blogs (eg Arua District Local Government since 2009); book illustrations (Plunging The Depths by Mike Watmon Kinyera aka Monex); comics (HEPS Uganda in 2012); data entries (Electoral Commission Uganda in 2010); documentary films (International Alert in 2008); editorial cartoons (Sunday Vision in 2010 to 2011); house paintings (eg Anyafio, Sambya, etc); interior designs (Posh Pets Muyenga); letterings; logo designs (eg UCIFA in 2007, FUCAFF, Procurement Classroom, Procurement Initiatives Asia-Pacific, Rats Network Investment Group, AruaCartoons [combination logo portrays the West Side of Arua Hill], Block Owners FC [in the SMACK League], Sprout Investment Club, Swaibong Ruga Ruga FC [in the Mwiri League], Pili Pili Kicha, Maracha View, Destiny Funeral Services, Lugbara Translate, Yasaf, Engato Store, Y-Corner, etc); Lugbara translations; manila charts (Charis Junior School); mural paintings (Springs Kindergarten Arua for Emmyways); portraits; storyboards (eg Corroborate 2); T-shirt screenprintings (Ebenezer Dairy Lira); theatrical set-design backdrops (Kampala Amateur Dramatics Society in 2007, 2009 and 2012); theme illustrations (World Wide Fund for Nature in Rwenzori Area during 2012); vehicle branding; etc, he dedicated his GODsent gifts to doing more Commercial Art. Aiko draws for the love of applying his GOD-sent talents to earn
FINANCIAL PAPERS, not just recognition or clout but profit from passion: You can find him in Blogger, Talenthouse, Poems-and-quotes.com, Bubblehouse, YouTube, Artfol, Instagram (as AikoGraphics) and MoneyGram. To him: Art is the science of beauty, hence a business like agriculture and architecture. He attributes his 2020 Ugatoons renewal to Maureen Nankya (Mona) who asked him to draw cartoons of the cast in a Ugandan TV series she was directing entitled "The Office". He rediscovered his mojo while drawing one of the actresses in the series after drawing another actress and an actor; he had to redraw the first two. In his colour theory represented by a "Time Shield", Aiko believes you only need five paints (red, yellow, blue, black and white) to colour anything eg To create Nemo's orange at Springs Kindergarten during 2017, he mixed red with yellow in different percentages.
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Twenty21 Tradigital Inking by Aiko, a Ugatoons rendition of Johannes Vermeer's Painting...
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Inspired by Cynthia Letasi (aka Rejoice, a neighbour's daughter 11 years younger than him and the 1st Girl he had a crush on within West Nile) between 2001-6, one of his Biggest Dreams which turned into a personal goal is to make machines (or computers) learn his mother tongue like Google Translate, Logbar ili or TranSay; he started by transcribing the lyrics of Lugbara songs in 2008, then created an online one-page Lugbara Dictionary in 2016 after snapping. In 2001, his hostelmates labelled him "mulalu [mad]" after he said that one day there will be a radio device that converts words spoken on air into text on screen. Aiko was the Production Manager during the making of the 2008 Maisha Filmlab short film entitled "The Casual" (written and directed by Mark Mutahi). He is a volunteer editor on Wikipedia since 2012 and received a Barnstar Award of Merit for Ugandan articles in the WikiAfrica Project during 2017 (overdue from 2014). He has contributed articles for Sokkaa Magazine, etc. His Favourite Ugandan Cartoonist and Illustrator is Dan Barongo since the 90s and studied Fine Art as a specialty for Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) with Maurice Kaweekwa, Jude Karuhanga, Francis Otim (aka Oparaah), Yawe, Benjamin Ndagijimana, etc. Also known as "E(dward)", Aiko is a fan of Express FC (Mukwano Gwabanji - the Oldest Football Club in Uganda), Bayern Munich, Germany (Die Mannschaft), Michael Jordan, Brazil, Arsenal FC, Real Madrid (Meringues), Barcelona, France (Les Bleus), New Zealand All Blacks (Rugby), Lionel Messi (since 2009 after he felt his heart melt from a 1-3 Arsenal home loss versus Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League semifinals 2nd leg following a 1-0 deficit at Old Trafford), teams from Arua and many other sportspeople such as Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Ray Allen, Stephen Curry, Lewis Hamilton, Caesar Okhuti, Emmanuel Okwii, Samiya Ayikoru, etc. He listens to all types of music and in Uganda fancies Bebe Cool, Irene Namubiru, Black Harmony (Arua), Leila Chandiru, StiCka, Fiona Mukasa, Peter Miles, Betty Mpologoma, Sheebah, Eddy Kenzo, etc. He has authored books including Dreamsurfing (2020 Book); United Gombololas (UG) inspired by Belinda Kakwanzi; 'Ba Da Sende Tawuni-a Tipasi (2022 Book); Lugbara Food; etc. He taught himself how to mend his own footwear, clothes and earphones. Aiko believes in Prophecy plus Telepathy: On the morning of the 2015 FA Cup Final, he woke up with a hunch that Arsenal would beat Aston Villa 4-0; Theo Walcott would score first whereas Olivier Giroud would net the fourth and it happened exactly as he felt even though he did not foresee who scored the 2nd and 3rd goals. While listening to Arua City Radio (Access 96.3 FM) one morning in 2019, he wished Fille Mutoni could collaborate with Allan Toniks in a love song. No sooner had he thought that wish than a new song ("Falling") he had never heard before surreally started playing and it was by the same pair. He has heard other artistes perform new songs in his dreams both locally and abroad. His first recorded song written as a Facebook note in 2010 was a reply to JoJo's "Leave (Get Out)". During the early 90s, his nickname in Bukoto was "Somalia" because of his skinny frame like the Somalis shown on CNN; his favourite war movie is Black Hawk Down (2001 film) based on the 1993 real-life Battle of Mogadishu. Although baptised Anglican as Ayikobua, he sang in a Roman Catholic school choir for one year (1997) before quitting without apologies, turned Muslim on 1st October 2002 but considers himself a JESUSfreak and prays with
COMMITMENT to only one GOD of the Israelites, YAHWEH the Almighty who gives him all his gigs in their own right time. He submits to the will of GOD "who made Heaven and Earth" and believes in the "oneway" philosophy he heard in a dreamvision on Monday 4th October 2004: If you have a problem, then just look up to the sky! Aiko does not trust witchdoctors (babalawos nor Illuminati) and always maintains his integrity though admits to have prayed to the Devil at least thrice (ignorantly after 1995 because he did not know Lucifer was his other name, but consciously in 2001 and 2005); he later met him on Buganda Road (Kampala City) around 2006. Aiko considers cigarettes sour, waragi acidic and beers bland though can taste local kpete, sherries and wines. He is a guineaworm survivor (1995) and also experienced hookworms as a kid. He first realised that he might have Art talent in 1989 after a car-drawing assignment at Modern Nursery Jinja (on Bell Avenue) but his Biggest Childhood Ambition was to become a footballer like Romario until he gave up in 1996 at age 12 (Primary 7) due to regular academic canes; he revised harder than before since it was his first full year in boarding school and prayed every night for GOD to make him perform Best in his class so that he escapes the beatings which he jumped successfully and also got the optimum 4 points on 4 subjects in PLE. The following year, Aiko taught himself cursive script calligraphy (from a Christmas Carols book) which he applied to write card messages and envelope addresses for other people though used to practise Times New Roman font-copying from novels and newspapers since P3 after his mother beat him for "poor handwriting"; he made his first scrapbook around the time for FIFA World Cup USA '94. His other dream professions included doctor (because many class friends wanted to practise medicine), trucker, crop farmer or agriculturalist and fireman (Senior 1). He also wished to form a Boys II Men-esque group comprising VNS streammates Denis Ogwapit (his Best Friend in Jinja), Silvester Rokani and Anthony Ntaki; music is his mental therapy. During the millennial celebrations at SMACK in 2000 where parents were invited, three of his best classwork paintings including the abstract "Green Lamp" were chosen for the art exhibition among the few out of very many by students from the past and present. Aiko was so happy that he took his dad who had come for the visit to the artroom. Six years later in 2006, SMACK celebrated 100 years of existence. Cartooning was not among his Earliest Childhood Dreams, took it as a hobby but when the opportunity to draw editorial cartoons for The Standard Newspaper at UCU came from 2007-2015 and 2019-2020, he drew whenever asked. Aiko wanted to start Uganda's first 24/7 hardcore porn TV station, but changed his mind on Tuesday 2nd December 1997 when he accepted JESUS into his heart after watching the music video for "Serve The LORD" by Carman on the new Lighthouse TV in Kampala. He thought of turning his lecherous dream into a Gospel channel instead. The artist with ancestral origins in Maracha (plus Ayivu) does not fancy promoting contraceptives, abortion, prostitution and LGBTQI rights nor inking tattoos because of biblical reasons. WBS since 1999 is the only TV station he has ever phoned on air more than once, first spoke to Kismat then Dave Kazoora (Jam Agenda). As for radios: Power FM, Radio Uganda, Arua One, Nile FM, Touch FM, Voice Of America and Spirit FM (Mukono) have broadcast his texts and voice. However, the first time his face appeared on television for at least three minutes was during a 2006 interview with Tina Wamala on Record TV's Voice Of The People (Vox Pop), filmed at the UMA Trade Show in Lugogo; after the evening broadcast, his immediate Kisalosalo neighbours sat outside on their verandah in the morning waiting to greet him and muse about the moment. He was shown in a La Ba Street Art Festival crowd reviewed on NTV's Art Show. Aiko's Twitter post about #AruaCity appeared on Urban TV's Northern Connect in July 2020 while a song by King Weeda from Arua played when seven Ugandan towns received City status. In his late 30s, he is still unmarried but has had several love interests including Amina and Kawino (1990, poisoned in Arua), Joy (1991, met her only once during Easter in Walukuba), Sophie (1992), Mariam (1993 to 5), Catherine (1994), Dorothy (1996, whom classmates thought was his girlfriend), Rita (1997, died from AIDS-related complications), Rebecca, Lydia and Cynthia (2001), Hellen and Alice (2003, grew apart in 2005), Emily (who jokingly addressed him as "boyfriend"), Lilliane, Doreen (2008), Stella (2010), etc. Aiko is a vegetarian who can eat meat but his Favourite Dish remains rice, beans and chapati (or spaghetti plus eggs). For creative designs & portraits
(UGATOONS) or to donate, you can find Aiko via Email (aikoug@gmail.com); WhatsApp/ MTN Mobile Money (+256-781-345712) plus in his electronic Facebook studio (Search for "AikoGraphics")! The only person he has ever blocked on social media was a Ugandan homosexual profile-named Desire Desire who asked him for sex but accepts any online friend requests including conmen, pornbombers and cyberbullies; he believes he can face off with plus unmask any frenemies hiding behind screens. Meanwhile, Aiko was cancelled and blocked by a lesbian American filmmaker on Facebook who told him never to request anything from her for labelling homosexuality an abomination after shootings in a gay Florida nightclub even though he does not condone killings and suspended from Twitter for undisclosed reasons (though had followers like 50 Cent, Tiwa Savage, etc) but instead joined Telegram (t.me/aikographics) plus other social media platforms. Despite selling tradigital art before, Aiko believes NFTs can bring more financial hope to the art community. His personal mantra is "Ink, sweat and cheers!"
AIKO'S FAVOURITE 7 QUOTES:
"Now is the time..." - VICTORIA NILE SCHOOL (Motto)
"It's not how hard you pushed along the way; it's having something in you to finish..." - MICHAEL JORDAN
"When you lose, improve..." - PEP GUARDIOLA
"Kampala si bizimbe, naye bantu [Translated from Luganda: Kampala is not buildings, but people]..." - OLUGERO
"Kaka ni ka 'ba sikokori ni indi [Lugbara Translate: Maize ripens for people without teeth too]..." - E'YO O'BEZA
"The Palest Ink is better than the Sharpest Memory..." - CHINESE PROVERB
"Give us today our daily food... Forgive us our sins... Deliver us from Evil..." - LORD'S PRAYER
TESTIMONIALS:
"Aiiko..." - ROBIN KASINDA, one of his Best Friends from Jinja whom he would visit on some weekends inspired him to use his current moniker in 1997, studied in the same school from 1990-5 (Victoria Nile School), then 1997-2000 (SMACK); only sat in the same stream for one term (1995), his last in Jinja
"Always been talented..." - JOHN KATENDE, his OB from VNS
"Writes like a computer..." - AGNES KIBONE, P6 Classteacher
"A good artist... Showed us how to read... Always Number 1 in class..." - DOROTHY AMURON, Old Girl from Kalinabiri Primary School (1995-6)
"Impressive... Dr. House..." - MAUREEN APIO, OG from Kalinabiri plus UCU
"Headboy..." - DENIS OLUPOT, an Engineer/ EMMA BONGOMIN who taught him Acholi language; both were his fellow Pupils at KPS
"Genius..." - BRIAN SAMULA, OB from Kalinabiri
"Timekeeper..." - ISAAC SSEMAKADDE, Ugandan Lawyer and Old Boy from SMACK
"Artistic acumen..." - Ssalongo ALLAN LWANGA aka Balugu
"High work rate..." - ARSHAD AHMED, whom he acknowledges for reviving his artlife at Macos after dropping out of the Fine Art class and being rejected from joining the Technical Drawing class where he was
"Something else..." - PATRICIA KELLY KOBUSINGYE who asked him to illustrate her book which won 200,000 UgX during the 2001 National Book Week
"Gentleman..." - LYDIA NANYOMBI MUKASA, OG from Advanced Level who was his moral support
"Atelier... Socialist..." - ANDREW MUHIMBISE, OB from Macos
"Good handwriting..." - HELLEN MAYELE, his Favourite Female Presenter on Arua One FM
"Eddie... Kind with words..." - ALICE MBAYAHI, his first Campus crush since Saturday 22nd November 2003 whom he nicknamed "Megabyte" as a standard measurement for romantic love inspired by the first two letters of her surname
"Gigabyte..." - RESIDENTS at UCU Honours College since he called his crush Megabyte
"VIP... Let my GOD crown (him)..." - HELLEN ALUPO, Itesot-Indian halfbreed studying SWASA since 2003 whom he regarded as Miss UCU because of her beauty and J. Lo curves, nicknamed her H. Lo pronounced Hay. Lo (stylised Halo or halo)
"Yasoma [He read]..." - MOSES ALIBHAI
"Substance..." - PAUL AMORU, MP who introduced Aiko to a makeshift flipflop squeegee at UCU
"Hajji..." - JAD JOHNSONS TABULE, his 2nd maternal uncle who made him Editor-in-chief of Kargo Magazine in 2006 which was Aiko's first job after campus
"Should harden heart and start a studio..." - KEVIN AJIDIRU (maternal aunt) in 2010 during the World Cup game between England (1) v Germany (4), so Aiko started his electronic Facebook studio called AikoGraphics
"Painting advertising on walls is his work..." - RICHARD ODA, cousin
"Class..." - ONYA KOKAS (moved to Lusaka, Zambia)
"Painter..." - ARFAAN AHMED, brother to Arshad who got him KADS gigs
"Can do it..." - MR. KIKOLOKOMBA, his Last Art Teacher in S5 when he found Aiko painting his first KADS Uganda backdrop six years later
"Awesome..." - JENNIFER HENGSTENBERG in 2007 who paid Aiko his first 1 Million UgX post-graduation after training how to paint for 23 years; Aiko's giant "Kampala Skyline" painting was valued at 5 Million by Xenson (Samson Ssenkaaba), a Ugandan High Art maker whose work he admires
"Senior... (Respect)... Akon..." - EDMUND ASINGWIRE, his Art Manager from St. Michael Royale Hostel (Mukono)
"Ballistic..." - IAN KATEREGGA, one of his Favourite Campus Classmates
"Art..." - BRIAN SEMUJJU aka Don Zamo (singer)
"Clever..." - JOHN SEMAKULA, Newspaper editor and supervisor
"Funny..." - FRANK OBONYO, Journalist
"Boyfriend... Naturally bright..." - EMILY AMPAIRE (MUGYENYI), Campus classmate whose name he found out in 2005 after two years attending the same lectures, he labelled her "galfi" and his remedy for heartwreck
"Kind friend, gentle soul... 36 out of 40 marks..." - ANGELA KIGOZI, who inspired him to start the 55 Foundation
"Sugar... Inner man... Pastor..." - MARIAM NAKAFU
"Wuuuuuuu... My Secret Admirer..." - STELLA MAYOKIA, a Lugbara workmate he fancied in 2010 because of her sassy personality and admirable intelligence, her surname spelled backwards means a lot to him
"Creativity..." - RON PHILLIP BEEHAMYA, one of only two yearmates in three consecutive institutions from Ordinary Level to Campus though left before S4, met again in S5
"Skills..." - MICHAEL MWEHITSYE, his only yearmate from Senior 1 to University but never sat in the same stream
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Tumu + Tumi (Ugatoons Family Portrait by Aiko in 2020)..
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"Passionate..." - CHRIS TUMUSIIME NTWIRE, UCU Campus friend studying Business Administration
"Double Happy-iness..." - MARTHA CHEMUTAI nicknamed Chummy who recommended him to International Alert for a 2008 documentary in Kasese (his immediate first after Maisha Filmlab); he calls her a "Powerpuff Woman"
"Done a lot in documenting Lugbara..." - CHARLES KIRIKIRI BUA
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Lili (by Aiko)...
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"Eddydove... Name should just be Aiko [Happiness]... Best Friend and all... Humble, loving and respectful... Peaceful warrior..." - LILLIANE AJURU ANDAMA, his (Lugbara-Itesot) Best Friend whom he listed as "Arua's Most Beautiful" in the 2000s decade
"Cartoonist..." - LOICE EPETIRU, who recommended him for a comics gig in Nakulabye
"OMG..." - CYNTHIA LETASI, Lugbara Woman he considers very superfly like a pearl since 2001
"Akiri [Lugbara Translate: Skill]..." - STELA
"Neat..." - EUGENIUS, Arua-based artist
"Amazing..." - MAUREEN NANKYA aka Mona, The Office (TV series) director who gave him an assignment that sparked back his mojo like an epiphany while drawing the third portrait of several characters in 2020 and inspired the "Ugatoons" portmanteau
"Mr. Aiko..." - AZAR in Kansanga (KLA City)
"Going to be famous..." - HOPE SARAH MINDRERU, East African Lawyer
"Solid... Lapiz [Pencil]... Concentrates on his computer..." - WANYAMA WANGAH, his Advanced Newswriting lecturer and 1st Supervisor at The Standard (UCU) Newspaper who advised him to use less words in his cartoons
"Bwana... 100 words..." - SAMUEL APEDEL, Lecturer and Sunday Vision Editor who told Aiko to write content for Letters to the Editor after failing to get internship at New Vision in 2005
"No excuses... Smooth operator..." - BEN BELLA ILAKUT, Dean of the Mass Communication faculty at UCU
"Best Cartoonist..." - THOMAS FROESE, German-born Canadian newspaper columnist and author
"Ayiko 'bua..." - DAVID BANDUYO, invited Aiko to Gmail in 2008
"Swagger..." - SHARPE COLE NIMUSIIMA, one of his Favourite Classmates at UCU who inspired him to start blogging, always revised together on the night before the semester's last examination day (alongside Kim)
"My G, still dope..." - JOHN MUCHINA KIMANI
"Pentium processor..." - DANIEL KYAZZE aka Golig Bronze, one of his closest classmates at campus
"Ongo..." - KEN ANDREW LUBEGA, a technician he relies on in Arua
"Dedication..." - JORGE LYNCH, Panamanian procurement consultant who paid him 80 and 100 US Dollars for two different logos
"Nice..." - KRISTOF TITECA, Belgian Lecturer who paid him 25 Euros for an "Arua Boys" portrait/ MAUREEN GUMA KIRUNGI, added the Most Endorsements for Aiko on LinkedIn/ MUSTAFA SUHAIL, led Aiko in reciting the Shahada behind the Makerere University Kampala (MUK) Ivory Tower on MAPA Day 2002 plus sponsored him during his first Ramadan
"Lugbara-locating GPS..." - JOEL OKUYO ATIKU, King of Ugandan Cinema
"(Should) try again... Can do great on the international market... Blessed with talents... GOD wants to take (him) places... A lot of greatness coming (his) way... Champ..." - ALLEN HARRIET GAZARIANO, whom he regards as the Red Princess
"Poet..." - LINDSAY HAMES, mother and believer from Great Bend, Kansas (USA) who inspired him in 2020 to use layers plus brushes while colouring digitally
"Gifted..." - CHRIS CLARK, Ukrainian in America
"If everyone was like him, the world would be a better place..." - DAPHINE, Art student in Lira
"One of the Best Cartoonists I know..." - RACHAEL NAKANWAGI NSAMBA, a woman he considers very stylish in fashion commenting on Patrick "Salvador" Idringi's Facebook post asking his friends to suggest a cartoonist for a certain project (1st September 2020)
"Still got it..." - JOSEPH ALUBA, former schoolmate at Macos
"Draftsman..." - CYNTHIA SHARRON AMANIYO, a Cousin's niece while in Kyebando
"ED... Aiko..." - DOREEN NYAKATO, twin from Kigezi
"Google films... Hard-working Ugandan..." - MARK MUTAHI, hilarious Kenyan playwright
"Hero..." - ANGELA WAMAI, Kenyan filmmaker
"Kaibigan [Friend]... Mentor... Loves Art..." - JOSEPHINE CANONIZADO MUNGCAL, Filipino in the UAE
"Unique art style..." - YUNUS SEBYALA (Animator)
"Creative..." - JOHN STEFFEN
"Man of GOD..." - JOSEPH KATIMBO, Old Boy in Jinja and Mukono
"Artista..." - ALEX TAREMWA
"That artist is a winner..." - OSCAR KEVI
POKO POKO [NEGATIVE CRITICISM/ TRASH OCEAN/ KASASIRO/ GASIA/ JUDGEMENT/ DIRT THROWN ON HIM/ ROTTEN TOMATOES/ JIBES/ ISH-UES/ CRUCIBLE/ DARTS/ DEFAMATION/ SHELLS/ NOISE INTERFERENCE/ GOSSIP]:
Stubbornest Child...
Doesn't know Luganda...
Hypocrite (1994)...
Proud (1996)...
Shy...
Dirty mind...
Did not deserve to be Headboy...
Quiet, stinky mouth...
Psycho...
Escaped from Butabika Mental Hospital...
Bedwetter...
Demon-possessed...
Going to Hell...
Stupid, daft, fake and boring (2001)...
Cassava-stem legs (2002)...
Doesn't know how to draw...
Horny, Casanova, Playboy...
Poor handwriting...
Mad...
Controversial...
Young, naive, baby, has not lived...
Ashames the family when he wears shorts...
Poverty-stricken...
Living in a Shell, reserved...
Slow...
Devil-worshipper, Kibwetere, Pagan, Atheist...
Kony Rebel (2003)...
Just existing and not living...
Wannabe...
Punk...
Shabby...
Everything he wants to give me I'll get from another man, not impressive (2005)...
Red card...
Gigolo...
Ape, monkey, nigga...
Unreliable...
Ugly...
Twakowa [Translated from Luganda: We got tired]...
Tewali ky'amanyi [There is nothing he knows]...
Talina mukisa [He has no favour]...
He has a sugarmummy in Ntinda (2007)...
Starving, hungry...
What will he do with 10 Million?
Disappointing (2008)...
Still living with his parents...
Fired (2009)...
Lonely...
Toyboy...
Lazy...
Lousy (2010)...
Cannot afford a beer...
Coward...
Uncircumcised...
Child-molester, Defiler, Rapist...
Weak...
Sick...
Wife-snatcher...
Will die young...
Shambaboy...
Mufu [Deadbeat]...
Ava Kotido [He's from Kotido], Katala...
Scrub, not in her league...
Pauper...
Destitute, homeless...
Doesn't know what a Swift code is...
No bank account, no NSSF pensions (2011)...
It's like he does not want money...
He imagines things that cannot come true...
Selfish...
Leaves home early and returns late...
Earlyman, no car...
Doesn't even know how to ride a bicycle...
Cannot dig...
Pussy mind to believe Arsenal can beat Chelsea...
Earns money like a girl...
Small small boy...
No customers...
Skinny...
Sleeping, needs to wake up...
Edioti, idiot, wise fool...
Fala, yala...
Jobless, unemployed, bum, where does he work, no job...
Peter Pan...
No game...
Depressed, suicidal...
Uneducated...
Cannot read Lugbara...
Not important in society...
Sende yo [Lugbara Translate: No money]...
Marijuana still in his head...
Amateur (2017)...
Asi onzi [Bad heart]...
Dependant...
Onzoroko [Dirt]...
Knows how to draw but parents are poor...
There's nothing he can teach us...
Weak sperms...
Despicable intelligence...
Always indoors...
Poor skills of art (2018)...
Eddie Bosiko...
Eats at the wrong time, malnourished, poor feeding...
Loser...
Useless man, no importance on Earth...
Wasted school fees...
Learner...
Only knows how to spend money, not make it...
What's wrong with Edward?
Is he really okay?
Does not talk to people...
Ungroomed...
No future...
Spent 20 years in Arua but has no car (2020)...
Cannot make money from home...
Not prepared enough, not ready, (has) not gotten to (his) purpose, too disorganised, not branding work well, in the wrong place, has a wrong team, still in bondage (witchcraft or spirits)...
Nagging...
Needs psycho-social help...
Cursed, should be admitted to a mental institution (2021)...
Sits on his bed all day...
Adds no value to people...
Vulnerable...
No friends...
Needs to interact with the public more...
Irritating way of life...
Inactive...
Always told what to do...
Has no lover...
If you bring him a wife, he will run away...
No game...
Senior slut...
Fasts food every week and starves for nothing... (2022)
Musiru [Ignorant]...
Low life...
Where is the money? He should become a bodaboda rider...
Doesn't know paints...
Registers people into Illuminati...
His mother gave birth to a girl not a boy...
Smelly bedroom...
Connects people to sugarmummies...
Poor, should become a Station Presenter...
Doesn't know how to paint...
Not funny anymore...
CAVEAT EMPTOR (MENTAL NOISE CONTROL (ANTI-PHASE)/ MINDSHIFTING/ DEPRESSION IS A CHOICE/ THE ROAD TO EMMAUS): Only GOD the Creator alone is holy, holy, holy and worthy of worship; hallowed be HIS name, yesterday, now and forever ever, forever ever, forever ever, amen!
"Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults..." - ISAIAH 51:7
Worship GOD!
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