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At a one-day festival, desi comic book artists to tell stories of our times
The Indian Comics Festival in Mumbai aims to showcase works of contemporary comic creators discussing pressing issues, challenging the misconception that comics are just for children. The event will feature panel discussions, music performances, and the opportunity for comic creators to showcase and sell their works. The festival also includes an open competition for young comic creators, with the winner's work being published by The Comic Store.
MUMBAI: A cut away from the spectacle of the annual Comic Con events, the one-day The Indian Comics Festival, which will be held in Bandra on Saturday is an attempt to showcase works of contemporary writers who are using the literary form to discuss pressing issues such as climate change, mental wellness and existentialism, illustrated in atypical styles.
While many readers are rooted to Tinkle, Amar Chitra Katha and Chacha Chaudhary, and western imports from Detective Comics (DC) and its famed universe of Batman, and Superman or Marvel Comics’s (MC) iconic characters such as Hulk, Captain America and Black Panther, Anand RK, an independent comic artist and participant, said, “We have our own talent pool of comic creators, who lack the financial support to release and promote their books.” Anand received the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award, touted as the Oscars of the comic world, in 2021.
“There is also a misconception that comic books are just for children. There are many creators delving into layered subjects. It’s really for everyone,” said Likla Lall, a comic book writer. “Comic books today are a sharp literary tool, used to narrate stories of our times with arresting visuals,” said Suha Khopatkar, another creator. “We need more platforms like these to show how contemporary Indian comics have evolved.”
So, at the House of Pandora, a restaurant and bar in Bandra, today, “writers, illustrators and graphic designers will meet, while fans of comic books can interact with them,” said Jude D’Souza, who runs the Revolver Club, an audio store in Mahim, and a co-founder of the event. “The works are on par with Japanese Mangas and American comics. But the creators need to connect with the right audience,” said Hamza Sayed, owner of Comic Book Store, in Bandra, and co-founder of the event. Sayed himself was surprised by the number of Indian comic artists around when he opened his store four years ago, and “promised to help promote their work and find new audiences”.
The day-long event will have comic creators RK, and Abhijeet Kini of the comic book series ‘Angry Maushi’ talk about their careers, artistic journeys and inspirations. Doodle artist and illustrator Santanu Hazarika and illustrator and board game designer Ayushi Rastogi will discuss storyboarding and story-telling. This will be followed by a panel discussion on the future of Indian comics and music performances.
Alongside, around six Indian comic creators will showcase and sell their works at no cost. Khopatkar will display her illustrated book ‘Just Give Me Some Space’, on the pressures of an architecture student to excel; her other work ‘Batata Pav and All Things Portuguese’, written by Vaishali Shroff, discusses the relationship between Indian and Portuguese rulers; while ‘Dear Creativity,’ is an introspective work where she has a conversation with her creative side.
Most comic creators are college students or fresh graduates and do not have enough
funds to self-publish, or buy expensive display stalls at larger comic festivals. The other shortcoming faced by writers is that publishers print only few comic books and the payments are paltry. “Not many creators can sustain themselves by just creating comics in India,” said RK, who took up side gigs when he started out. However, since 2019, he has managed to focus on his craft, thanks to assignments from American studios.
The festival has also announced an open competition for young comic creators, which has already garnered 30 entries. The winner’s work will be published by The Comic Store.
