Comic Capers

Who is the man with a brain faster than a computer?

If your answer to this question was Chacha Chaudhary, then you’re probably a fan and should be figuring out by now what this article is going to be about OR you’re just familiar with the most famous character of the Indian Comic industry. Either way, since you have come so far, we suggest that you read on further before we tell Sabu that you’re friends with Raka (we really don’t want any more volcanic eruptions on Jupiter).

“Sigh…those were the days.”

Did you just say that to yourself? Well, you are not alone then. Who doesn’t want to relive the good old days of childhood innocence when you could run around all day with not a worry to bother you and just 50p or Re1 for renting the new Nagraj or Super Commando Dhruv adventure or finding out how Suppandi is getting into trouble or what kind of mischief are Billoo and the gang up to. Indian comics have come a long way since then.

It began in the 60s when Phantom and Mandrake were introduced to Indian households by Indrajal Comics. In 1967, Anant Pai (known to Tinkle readers as simply Uncle Pai) came up with Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) which earned him the title of Father of Indian comics. As the name suggested, it was about timeless tales from Indian mythology (Ramayana, Mahabharata), folklore and other historical characters of prominence (Birbal, Panchatantra). Following closely were Chacha Chaudhary and other creations of Pran under the banner of Diamond Comics. Tinkle and Champak were more like educational magazines, carrying stories with morals, puzzles and reader contributions etc. In the 80s we got our very first brand of local superheroes, courtesy Raj Comics, in the form of Nagraj, Super Commando Dhruv, Bhokal and many others. Together these comics managed to capture the imagination of millions of kids and became household names.

The story behind Amar Chitra Katha is particularly poignant. The comic series was started by Anant Pai in an attempt to teach Indian children about their cultural heritage. He was shocked that Indian students could answer questions on Greek and Roman mythology but were ignorant of their own history, mythology and folklore. At the height of its popularity, in the mid-eighties, it had been translated into Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Punjabi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Sanskrit and Urdu and selling half a million copies a month. Some titles were also translated into French, Spanish, German, Swahili, Fijian, Indonesian, and Serbo-Croat! To an extent, these books, with their homogenized and unbiased character descriptions went a long way in promoting national integration.

The character of Nagraj is believed to be inspired by mythological Ichchhadhaari Naags (shape shifting snakes). His stories serve a rich blend of mythology, fantasy, magic and science fiction. Many of Nagraj's fans believe that over time Nagraj's comics have developed a Snake Mythology of its own which is unique to the popular Indian beliefs about snakes prevalent among the masses. Nagraj’s origins were quite humble as he was endowed with relatively ordinary powers and often faced human enemies. It is ironic that Nagraj has now been transformed into a mythical-magical creature facing fantastical creatures as his enemies, with elements of sorcery/magic and even time and space travel. Many cite this as a reason for the continuous, meteoric rise in popularity of Nagraj Comics, something purists scoff at!

Many of these comics have really made an attempt to change with the times. The original comics are now reprinted in sleeker and more durable editions, with thick cardstock covers and better colour separations. Raj Comics also seems to have taken a page out of DC and Marvel Comics’ stories with the creation of a Raj Universe for its super-heroes just like DC and Marvel Universes. It has also gone online and hosts a discussion forum for die hard fans, with a section completely devoted to Nagraj. ACK has also undergone some serious evolution. ACK-Media (its holding company) has recently partnered with iRemedi Corp to deliver ACK comics on the iPhone platform. Popular ACK Titles may be directly purchased from Apple's iTunes Appstore.

The comics industry, like most other things in the modern world, is mainly an American mainstay. Superman, Batman and the likes are household names all over the world. But they didn't become famous overnight, the process has spanned decades. Constantly reinventing themselves with the changing times they have managed to maintain a loyal fan base, age no bar. They have learnt to cater to the different needs, from the campy to the refined, from the colourful to the dark. Supported by big-screen adaptations and other forms of media, their popularity has only faltered to be taken to new heights every time. Comics have evolved into Graphic Novels, which has injected new life into the medium and given a whole new dimension to storytelling.

But that's all in the west. The Indian Comic industry hasn't really moved forward in the direction of creating a global appeal or maintaining their fan base or luring new readers. Granted that they are still very popular but are still a far distance away from what they can be. A dhoti-clad Spiderman wasn't enough so clearly it's not about Indianizing everything. What might work is taking the purely Indian appeal of the characters we have right now and giving them an international makeover.

There has been talk of an animated Nagraj adaptation for the big screen for a few years now and even a movie based on the character of Doga (to be directed by none other than Anurag Kashyap!), but we hope it is not a case of too little too late.

Note: This is an article I wrote for a monthly newsletter at work. Actually, co-wrote with Adeeb.

High: Nothing in particular.

Low: Need more sleep.

Points: To Viru and DD gang for great going in the IPL, excluding the last match. Buck up guys!