Friday, January 31, 2014

Tales of a few Cities.


Tales of a few Cities
By: Sreejita Biswas

The story of a man who gave up his job for the love of comics is not unfamiliar. But the story of a man who captures souls of cities through graphic narratives? That is unusual


In 2005, as Jai Undurti scoured the streets of old Hyderabad in 2005, capturing its streets and alleys with a camera, he realised that he was obsessed with the idea of the necropolis — the invisible city that remained intrinsically connected to the wireframe of the city he knew. A couple of years later, while working on an archiving initiative for Hyderabad- based NGO Yugantar, he conceived the idea for the Hyderabad Graphic Novel Project. Later, the Every City is a Story initiative came into existence. Pioneered by Undurti and some friends, facts and fiction from the heart of Hyderabad came together to give us the first graphic novel of the initiative — The Hyderabad Graphic Novel. 

Collaborating with artist Harsho Mohan Chattoraj and colourist Neeraj Menon, it took the team almost three years to finish the journey that Undurti defines as "Sheer insanity, with an inability to face reality, as we know it, all subsumed by that irreplaceable joy of creation." Stepping away from the genres popularised by giants in the Indian comics industry, the 100 pages plus graphic novel is not an accurate historical commentary about the life and times of Hyderabad. In fact, it is a rather simple idea — an amalgamation of urban legends and whispers that float around in the lanes and bylanes of the city, coloured by shades of imagination. 

"HGN is as much a story FROM Hyderabad as it is ABOUT Hyderabad. By that I mean it is a collection of stories that could only be written in a certain place, in a particular time, as much as it is about a certain place or a particular time. What we have now is what I hope will be a palimpsest, something that will be effaced by other writers, other stories. It is merely the starting point of our exploration," he explains when asked how hard it was to choose stories for a graphic novel about a city which has so many tales in every turn. 

The sights and sounds (including a dinosaur) accompanied by Chattoraj's detailed artwork and Menon's lovely play of colours, make this an arresting book. With tales fantastical and fascinating, the thought of a time travelling auto-rickshaw might seem a little difficult to stomach for the uninitiated. But when you flip through the pages, it seems natural. Undurti was inspired by the original trailblazer of Indian science fiction — Satyajit Ray. "I wanted to find my own idiom for Indian science-fiction. Ray was a pathbreaker who found his own language. When I discussed the idea, people seemed to like it, and Harsho's final artwork, with that thematic collision between dinosaur and the auto worked spectacularly," he says, smiling. 

Undurti believes the Indian comic industry is heading towards global recognition, but acknowledges commercial success still eludes most creators. "Right now, there isn't any chance unless you thrash out the umpteenth 'remake' of the Ramayana or have some superhero knock-off. But where is the fun in that? All you can hope is that somewhere down the line, you'll attract enough of an audience. The goal would be to make enough (money) to make more (comics). That's about it," he shrugs. 

Currently working to bring to life the Bangalore Graphic Novel, Undurti has the very talented Rupesh Arvindakshan on board for bringing to life the stories. He is currently penning the teaser, a seven-page intro titled Mileage about a man whose hobby is driving around the city at night. Undurti will adapt the stories to comic book scripts. And where do all the stories come from? Where else but from you, the lovely people of Bangalore! "We are not from Bangalore, so we are looking for writers, especially those who are from Bangalore or who feel a special connection to the city," he says. Now that's a project worth being part of. 

The author is the co-founder of Strip Tease the Mag, a magazine about comics and graphic novels from all over the world
Source:-bangaloremirror.com

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Delhi to host action packed 4th edition of Comic Con India-2014

An action packed 4th Annual Indian Comics Convention is all set to entertain audiences at Delhi's Thyagraj Stadium (INA), from February 7 to 9. Aside from charging a nominal entry fee this year onwards, the event will also witness the introduction of exciting new workshops, comic launches and prizes.
There will be shuttle services provided from INA & Delhi Haat Metro station for visitors.


For starters this year Comic Con has partnered with the Charles M Schulz Museum to bring a special 'Inside Peanuts: The Life and Art of Charles M. Schulz' exhibit to India for the first time. 

The exhibit shipped in exclusively for the convention will take visitors through the journey of Schulz's life from his Minnesota roots to the development of the twelve main characters that make up the unique world of Peanuts. 

Cosplay (Costume Contest), one of the major attractions at Comic Con India, will continue to give out prizes to everyone in costume in five different categories which include comic book, animated series, manga, sci-fi and gaming. The contest will also award a VIP ticket to New York Comic Con to one lucky winner each day. 

Other highlights of this year's event include workshops from famous personalities such as Mark Waid, an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work on Marvel Comics' Captain America;  Gabriel Bá, a Brazilian comic book artist best known for his work on The Umbrella Academy and Casanova; David Lloyd, a British comics artist, best known as the illustrator of the story V for Vendetta;  John Steele Layman, an American comic book writer and Fábio Moon, a Brazilian comic book artist best known for his work on Casanova.

"We are kickstarting our 4th year in a big way by revamping our entire event, adding more exhibitors and content. We aim to take the fan experience up a notch and bring it closer to International standards. With the introduction of nominal ticketing, we hope to provide a lot many more amenities to visitors and our participants," says Jatin Varma, founder, Comic Con India.

There will be shuttle services provided from INA & Delhi Haat Metro station for visitors. Spread across 50000 Sq foot of area, this year the comics convention will be divided into three main zones which include the experience zone, exhibitor zone and food court. Tickets are already available online for Rs. 100 per day.

Pran Kumar Sharma.

'Chacha Chaudhary' Creator to be Honoured

By IndiaTimes | January 21, 2014, 5:10 pm IST
New Delhi: The third annual Comic Con India Awards will honour Pran Kumar Sharma, creator of "Chacha Chaudhary", with the Lifetime Achievement Award on Feb 9.

Image courtesy: Comic Con IndiaPran Kumar Sharma


The award is an attempt to bring into focus the novelty of this art form and acknowledge the efforts of numerous writers, artists and publishers in the field.

The awards ceremony will take place on the last day of the 4th Annual Indian Comics Convention, starting Feb 7 at the Thyagaraj Stadium here.

"At CCI Awards we honour and felicitate the best Indian comics and comics creators, and give them the recognition they deserve amongst their peers. We have competitive categories along with a special Lifetime Achievement Award given by Comic Con India every year," Jatin Varma, founder, Comic Con India, said in a statement.

Comic Con India is also honouring Tinkle Magazine with a special award for its over 30 years of contribution to Indian comics and graphic arts. The other categories include best graphic novel, best colourist and best cover.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

India’s war stories get graphic

They don't wear capes and cloaks, or soar into the skies with a mission to save the planet. But their exploits are no less extraordinary than any superhero. Brimming with patriotic fervour and ready to lay down their lives in defence of the country, men in uniform are the latest characters to be discovered by the Indian comic book industry. 

"There is a lot of potential in this segment, especially among teenagers," says Jatin Varma, founder of Comic Con India, an event where comic book creators and fans converge. "Some of the most popular video games like 'Call of Duty' are based on the armed forces. So it's obvious that any good comic that depicts a compelling action story in a war setting will find takers." 

However, in a market that has traditionally thrived on comics with mythological and historical themes — like the Amar Chitra Katha series — or desi superheroes like Nagraj, Super Commando Dhruv etc, does space exist for true-life stories of modern warriors? "It's a gap waiting to be filled up," says Aditya Bakshi, son of a former Army general who took a break from his career in the merchant navy to start Indian War Comics a few years ago. Bakshi's first comic, on Kargil hero Capt Vikram Batra, titled 'Yeh Dil Maange More' after the battle-cry of the slain officer who killed five men during the 1999 Indo-Pak skirmish, sold a few thousand copies. This encouraged him to plan another on Ashoka awardee Col NJ Nair, who fought Naga insurgents. A third one was on Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan who lost his life fighting terrorists in the 26/11 Mumbai attack. "It's now becoming difficult for me to return to my old career," Bakshi says, with a laugh. 

Last month, the Air Force chief unveiled Bakshi's latest comic on Flying Officer Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon, the only Param Vir Chakra awardee from the Indian Air Force. Next in the pipeline is another Paramvir Chakra hero, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal. "We plan to ramp up and release one title every month," says Bakshi. 

So who's reading these comics? "School children form a bulk of the readership," he says. "Then, there are college students, especially those in the National Cadet Corps as well as armed forces personnel. A number of people interested in war history also wrote to me from other countries. That's why we have started an iPad version. Another platform is the Aakash tablet, where the comics are available for free." 

Most of those involved with war comics either have an armed forces background or are former officers. The newest entrant is Major General (retd) Ian Cardozo, who has authored a 21-part comic series on Param Vir Chakra awardees for Roli Books, the first two titles of which were published recently. Cardozo, himself a war veteran who lost a leg during the 1971 Bangladesh war, says he was inspired by the British Commando Comics which brought a number of stories — drawn from the two World Wars — into the public domain. "When I was young, I was fed a regular diet of Commandos," he says. "The way the plot played out and the manner in which action was depicted was at the back of my mind when I started writing the Param Vir Chakra comics. But while many of the stories in Commando are fictional, we were retelling true stories. Therefore, we had to be sure that facts were depicted correctly and historical accuracy was maintained." 

To ensure that the comics would stand scrutiny in any military mess, Cardozo says he pored over little things that would be obvious to a military man even though they might be missed by a lay reader — the colour of Indian and Chinese uniforms, or the direction of smoke from a fighter jet in air. 

While the defence forces have given a nod of approval to these comics — copies have been placed in unit messes, libraries etc — diehard comic fans are adopting a wait-and-watch approach. Abhijit Jadhav, a comic book collector, says that he finds some of the artwork good but the storyline is all too predictable. "You know how it's going to end. The military hero charging at the enemy, only to succumb to bullets after killing a few. Sometimes, the chest-thumping nationalism can be quite excessive." 

The creators, though, insist that the comics are largely inspirational. Col (retd) Anil Kaul, who is in the process of launching the war-themed Sabre Comics, says that people adapt the patriotic message in their own lives. "If you can see how a soldier fights and lays down his life, won't you be inspired to take up issues that can make the country a better place?"
Source:-TOI

Friday, January 10, 2014

4th Annual Indian Comics Convention set for 7-9 February 2014.

An action packed 4th Annual Indian Comics Convention is all set to entertain Indian audience at Capital’s Thyagraj Stadium (INA), from February 7– 9’ 2014 between 11 am- 7 pm.  With the aim to expand the scope and size of the events and make it sustainable across India, Comic Con India has decided to introduce nominal ticketing at all the events starting with the 4th Annual Indian Comics Convention.
For the 4th Annual Indian Comic Con, the Tickets would be Priced at INR 100 per day; 3 Day Pass – INR 300 and the Super Fan (VIP) Ticket – INR.350 (Limited Number Available Only) – ONLY SOLD ONLINE. Tickets are now available online at www.BookMyShow.com. Tickets would also be available at box office at the venue. Super Fan ticket offer is only online, will not be available at the venue.
There will be Shuttle services provided from INA & Delhi Haat Metro station for visitors. Spread across 50000 Sq foot of area, this year the comics convention will be divided into 3 zones – (i) Experience zone (ii) Exhibitor zone and (iii) Food court.
Famous International personalities like Mark Waid, an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work on Marvel Comics’ Captain America;  Gabriel Bá, a Brazilian comic book artist best known for his work on The Umbrella Academy and Casanova; David Lloyd, a British comics artist, best known as the illustrator of the story V for Vendetta;  John Steele Layman, an American comic book writer and Fábio Moon, a Brazilian comic book artist best known for his work on Casanova; will be attending and taking special sessions at 4th Comic Con India.
Jatin Varma, Founder, Comic Con India, shares, “We are kickstarting our 4th year in a big way by revamping our entire event, adding more exhibitors and content. There will be a lot more for the visitors to do at the event. We aim to take the fan experience up a notch and bring it closer to International standards. With the introduction of nominal ticketing, we hope to provide a lot many more amenities to visitors and our participants.”
Comic Con India has partnered with the Charles M Schulz Museum to bring a special Inside Peanuts: The Life and Art of Charles M. Schulz exhibit to India for the 4th Annual Indian Comic Con – Delhi. This is going to be one of the major highlights of this convention. The exhibit shipped in exclusively for visitors at the convention takes the visitors through the journey of Peanuts & Charles M Schulz over the years. The exhibit starts off with Schulz’s life from his Minnesota roots and illuminates his creative process and work environment. It tracks the development of twelve main characters that make up the unique world of Peanuts. It also takes the visitor on a journey from the 1950′s to present day popularity and resonance of the Peanuts comic strip and the legacy of Charles M Schulz.
Cosplay (Costume Contest), one of the major attractions at Comic Con India, will continue to give assured prizes to everyone in costume. Under the 5 categories created to increase one’s chances of winning gifts. Each day, one winner will be chosen from each of five categories:
1. Comic book/graphic novel
2. Animated Series/Movie
3. Manga/Anime
4. Sci-Fi/Fantasy
5. Gaming
All 3 days, one lucky winner out of the chosen 5 will get the awesome chance to win A GOLDEN TICKET TO NEW YORK COMICS CONVENTION 2014, with a VIP ticket to the event!!
From this convention onwards, Comic Con India Awards which is an initiative of Comic Con India are going to take place during the main convention itself. CCI aims to recognize the work of all the professionals of India’s Comics Industry. It’s an attempt to bring into focus the novelty of this art form and acknowledge the efforts of numerous writers, artists & publishers in this field. The 3rd annual CCI Awards ceremony will be held at the venue on the first day of the convention, i.e. Friday 7th February 2014.
More than 5 new titles will be launched at the convention. The main participants for the 4th Annual Indian Comic Con are Amar Chitra Katha, Orange Radius, Abhijeet Kini, Pop Culture Publishing, Random House, Campfire Graphic Novel, Holy Cow Entertainment, HarperCollins Publishers,Vimanika Comics, iComics, Manta Ray Comics, DC, Vertigo & Kodansha Comics By Random House India, Viz Media by Simon & Schuster India, Blaft Publications, Chariot Comics, Scholastic India, Meta Desi Comics and more!!
There will be International Exhibitors like 2000AD, british comics publisher best known for its Judge Dredd series; Toynk.com; Marvel & Image Comics By Diamond Book Distributors; Cyanide & Happiness, a famous webcomic; Knockabout; Fanfare; Comixology, World’s largest digital platform for comics bringing international content from all across the globe.
At the convention, there will also be some Awesome Anime & Manga Merch from Japanese Merchandiser IINE Toys, along with the best and most exclusive International merchandise at the convention from across the globe. Also, there will be exclusive Indian merchandisers including Kook N Keech by Myntra, Wacom, Collectors Heritage, Hysteria, Firki, Purple Sack, I Wear Me, Chimp, Chumbak, Keep Chilling, Superhero Toy Store, Funko, Super Hero Toy Store, Planet Superheroes and lots more!!
Comic Con India is dedicated to creating unique events and giving the fans, exhibitors and partners a platform to celebrate their undying love and passion for comics & pop culture. Comic Con India is dedicated to expanding India’s popular culture by creating high profile events that cater to fans of not only comics, but also, gaming, movies, television, merchandise, toys & more.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

''Sholay'' new comics & mobile shorts by Graphic India

Sholay's legendary villain Gabbar Singh's backstory explored in new comics & mobile shorts by Graphic India


Media News
Bangalore, January 7, 2014
Graphic India and Sholay Media and Entertainment announced today that for the first time, fans of the epic film SHOLAY will now get to experience a new graphic novel interpretation of the secret history of one of Indian cinemas most legendary pop-culture icon’s - Gabbar Singh.
Sholay Cover
Experience the comic book story that imagines the legend of Bollywood’s greatest cinematic villain, the infamous bandit, Gabbar Singh who has captivated audiences for over 30 years! Journey to his past and witness the never before seen tragic and twisted story of revenge and redemption that turned an ordinary boy into India's most famous and feared villain!
The new graphic novel, entitled, “GABBAR,” will be on sale in January across all major bookstores in India through Graphic’s Indian publishing partner, Westland Tata. In addition to the book, a motion comic episodic series of the same story will be released in English and Hindi exclusively across mobile devices.
Also included in the GABBAR graphic novel are a series of “Sholay Shorts,” featuring all-new, original short stories based on fan-favorite characters from the movie including THAKUR BALDEV SINGH, SOORMA BHOPALI, SAMBHA and more done in different artistic styles from leading Indian creators across the country! Graphic India recruited leading Indian artists and writers for the comics including, Saurav Mohapatra, Jeevan J. Kang, Edison George, Saumin Patel, Ashwin Pande and many more.
Commenting on the partnership, Sascha Sippy, Chairman of Sholay Media and Entertainment said, “Gabbar Singh is without a doubt India’s most remembered cinematic character. The plans for Sholay moving forward in this space are immense! Our partnership with Graphic India has allowed some of India’s leading artists and writers the chance to reimagine the origins and characters of Sholay in new and exciting ways for comic books.
“India’s greatest and most frequently quoted villain, Gabbar Singh, will finally have his own comic book,” added, Sharad Devarajan, Co-Founder and CEO of Graphic India. “Sholay is known and beloved by potentially hundreds of millions of people across the country and remains the quintessential film to define Bollywood cinema. We are thrilled to be working with Sholay Media and Entertainment to take these iconic characters into exciting new stories through comics and digital shorts for the first time.”
In addition to GABBAR, Graphic India is also releasing, “Sholay: The Graphic Novel,” which is the official graphic novel adaptation of the original film retelling the epic story and a must have collectible book for every Sholay fan. Relive the classic story of Thakur's quest for revenge against the bloodthirsty and maniacal daaku, Gabbar Singh, and the bond of friendship between Jai and Veeru who have captured the hearts and minds of an entire nation. Discover why SHOLAY remains a beloved and treasured cinematic masterpiece.
For further information please contact:
ActiMedia Private Limited
Anita Dawson
Mobile: +91 9341394633)
Email: anita@actimediaindia.com
Source:-http://www.afaqs.com

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Sholay's Gabbar Singh immortalised in comic book

Sholay's Gabbar Singh immortalised in comic book
Sholay's Gabbar Singh immortalised in comic book


Epic film Sholay is all set for a graphic novel interpretation of most legendary villain witnessed in cinema history -- Gabbar Singh.

The comic called Gabbar is expected to hit the stands this month across all major bookstores in India through Graphic's Indian publishing partner, Westland Tata. In addition to the book, a motion comic episodic series of the same story will be released in English and Hindi exclusively across mobile devices.

Also included are original short stories based on famous characters from the movie including Thakur Baldev Singh ( Sanjeev Kumar), Soorma Bhopali (Jagdeep) and Sambha (Mac Mohan).

Sasha Sippy, Chairman of Sholay Media and Entertainment said,"Gabbar Singh is India's most remembered cinematic character. The plans for Sholay moving forward in this space are immense! Our partnership with Graphic India has allowed some of India's leading artists and writers the chance to imagine the origins and characters of Sholay in new and exciting ways for comic books."

Sharad Devarajan, Co-Founder and CEO of Graphic India, said, "Sholay remains the quintessential film to define Bollywood cinema. We are thrilled to be working with Sasha Sippy and take these iconic characters into exciting new stories through comics and digital shorts."

The makers also plan to release Sholay: The Graphic Novel retelling the story in the form of a collectible book.