Namastey!

third issue (February 2013) of Indian Comics Fandom Magazine includes, News articles, blogs & latest buzz from the Indian Comic Scene. Reviews by Youdhveer Singh. Articles by Manoj Pandey, Mukesh Gupta & Deven Pandey. Interviews Jazyl Homavazir (The Beast Legion), Mehfooz Ali. Gallery Indy Scene Articles, Pictures: 3rd Annual Indian Comic Con (2013) Comic Poll by Prahlad Dubey.

Mohit Sharma (Trendster / Trendy Baba) (27 February 2013)

*) - Mumbai Teen (Raju Rai): The New savior (The Times of India)
In an exclusive chat with Mirror, legendary superhero creator Stan Lee says Raju Rai's yogic powers will rescue the world this May.

Fourteen-year-old Raju Rai may not have a very glamorous name, but he has some pretty stellar ancestry. He follows a long line of American super-heroes including Spider-Man, X-Men, Thor, Hulk and Iron Man, created by former president and chairman of Marvel Comics Stan Lee. Raju is Lee's first Indian superhero, and lives in Mumbai. The teenager is a science prodigy who develops a body suit with his mentor, a scientist. The suit has the power to activate the body's yogic chakras. Through a series of accidents (then again, there are no accidents in a comic book world, are there?), the suit gets activated while Raju wears it, lending him his superpowers. The comic titled, Chakra the Invincible was announced two years ago, and is an indication that the West may be looking at India as the new site for comic super-powerdom, having already developed a thriving market for Hollywood superhero films and merchandise.

"I have always been fascinated by the ancient traditions of the East and have read many of India's revered texts including the Upanishads. That's why I wanted to create a character that imbued some of these characteristics into his powers. The idea of tapping into the mystical power of the chakras as the source of Raju's superhero abilities made perfect sense to me," said Lee, over an email interaction. Mumbai is the perfect bustling metropolis for the hero to be based in, said Lee. "Just as some of my other characters have swung from the rooftops of New York, for Chakra, we wanted to bring the excitement of Mumbai to audiences worldwide. Besides, Mumbai is a city I've always been fascinated by and hope to visit someday. Maybe, I'll even do a cameo in a Bollywood film if Chakra jumps from the comic book page and into the silver screen," he said. Sharad Devarajan, CEO Graphic India, who worked closely with Lee to conceptualise the character, said the comic will be published online on May 4, on the occasion of Free Comic Book Day, when comic book stores distribute free copies to fans. A free global release is only part of Lee's and Devarajan's big plans for Raju. They will publish Chakra in Malayalam, Hindi and Tamil, simultaneously. They are also in the process of striking television deals for an animation series. The internet will be Chakra's playground, said Devarajan. "People are consuming written content on smart phones, ipads, and e-readers, globally. With the technology we possess, the static image on a page can come alive online. For instance, each panel can lead to previous artworks, or to another comic that tells the same story from another character's perspective. In India, we think that there has never been a better time to look at the digital (space)." Yet, Raju's birth has seen many fits and starts in Devarajan's search for the perfect Indian superhero to transcend the local, and infiltrate global consciousness. Devarajan, who runs US-based Liquid Comics with Gotham Chopra, son of Deepak Chopra, lifestyle guru, and Suresh Seetharaman, brought down several Marvel and DC Comics titles in the late '90s, including Spider-Man. In 2004, he suggested they create a desi version of the superhero, to coincide with the release of the first part of the Hollywood franchise. The hero called Pavitr Prabhakar, migrated to Mumbai from a small town and wore a dhoti on his superhero exploits. The comic released in the US, but shut down in India after four issues. In 2005, he founded Virgin Comics with Richard Branson's Virgin Group. It was renamed Liquid Comics three years later, after Virgin exited the scene. During this time, however, several titles were announced, including Devi, The Sadhu and Ramayan

3392 AD. In December 2011, Lee announced a collaboration with Devarajan to develop an Indian superhero. Then, a fortnight ago, The Chernin Group's Asia investment arm, CA Media bought a significant minority stake in Graphic India, the comic-book and animation section of Liquid Comics created last year to focus on Indian myths and characters. Raju will finally come to life this May. Raju was created in keeping with Lee's penchant for the flawed hero. "I always want to make all my characters, including Raju, believable. In order to do that, I give them the same type of personal problems that you and I might have trouble paying bills, problems with bullies at school, a crush on a girl they think doesn't care for them to make us relate to them," Lee said. However, Jadavpur university professor Abhijit Gupta, who started the Comic Book Project in 2010, to digitise regional language comics of the pre-graphic novels era warned Raju faces a lot of competition. "The market for English-language comics is a worldwide market and is, therefore, extremely competitive. Chakra would need to be really good to compete with what comes out of DC and Marvel. However, it might help that it is set in India, and if it is relatively low-priced."

*) - Diamond Comics' Chacha Chaudhary, Saboo & Raka Launch Brand Licensing Program with Bradford License India
Bradford License India, a leader in brand licensing, has joined hands with India's leading comic publishing house Diamond Comics Group & Loyal Software Pvt Ltd, which holds the merchandising and digital publishing rights from Pran's Features, the author/creator of the famed characters. This partnership will allow Bradford License India to extend brand licensing opportunities for a wide array of Diamond Comics' much loved and highly popular cartoon characters - Chacha Chaudhary, Saboo and Raka. These characters connect directly with the youth of India, cultivating an instant sense of nostalgia for many. Diamond Comics is immensely loved by kids of all cities, breaking the limitations of economic development and placing credit to extensive distribution in all pockets of the country, gearing the brand for mammoth success in the licensing industry.

Diamond Comics Group holds a virtual monopoly in the Indian comics industry, having created about 66 comic characters and launched comics in multiple regional languages. The comic industry in India is relatively young at just 50 years, compared to that of the West. Even in this scenario, Diamond Comics has created a strong pan-India presence with over 35 years of hands-on experience, a high brand recall and robust distribution. Loyal Software Pvt Ltd is pushing digital comics on platforms like Readwhere and Rockstand, and is available on every Android and iOS platform. Mr. Prameet Saluja of Diamond Comics Group expressed his pleasure on the association with Bradford License India. "The market size of our indigenous comic industry is around Rs. 1.5 billion, while the animation and live movie industry is around $650 million growing at 30%. Diamond Comics has a solid association with its FMCG and TV distributors, and now we are eager to utilize Bradford License India's expertise in unique opportunity identification, marketing and business development to capitalize on our brand value further." Ms. Michelle Minieri, President of Bradford License India, elaborated, "We are excited to extend brand licensing solutions to Diamond Comics, which has an undoubtedly impressive portfolio of characters that are extremely well-known in India. We aim at taking these popular characters to new heights, attaining an effective level of penetration in the market through innovative strategies. These strategies will entail encompassing international collaborations, hybrid licensing efforts, creation of TV enabled software, mobile and internet applications and comprehensive retail strategy." Bradford License India is already in talks with leading retailers and is set to finalize extensions that will include apparel, gifts and novelty items under product licensing. Diamond Comics will also be extended into promotional licensing, with characters coupled with corporate brands in order to provide interesting tips on health, road safety or even life insurance. The licensed merchandise will be available in leading online stores, popular MBOs and other retail points including various college and campus fests. With the established network of Bradford License India and the extreme popularity of the characters amongst kids, youth and adults of the region, Diamond Comics is primed to integrate with top brands for its strategic licensing extension and extended presence in the burgeoning Indian market.

Source: Equity Bulls

*) - US company set to bring Manga comics into India

Manga, the comic art form from Japan is slowly gaining in popularity with Indians, according to Ed Chavez, the head of Manga Comics who was here to attend the annual comic convention. With 'Chi' a lovable manga comic character for company, Chavaz took the stage at Dilli Haat, the venue of the 3rd Annual Indian Comic Con, to talk about Japanese comics in India. "We will be here in India with Manga comics very soon," said Chavez, Director Marketing of Vertical Inc, one of the leading manga publishers in the world. "Initial talks are on between different publishers," he added. Founded in 2003, the New York-based publishers Vertical, Inc. are North America's premier source for eclectic modern Japanese pop content. Beginning in late 2003, Vertical launched its first graphic novel series "Buddha". Since then the company has become US's premiere publisher for seinen manga (men's comics) and is now quickly becoming the main source for josei manga (women's comics) in the Western world. "In Japan, comics are popular as movies do their business in the US. The essence of Indian comics has originated from Indian mythology. But Japanese comics are related mainly with day to day activities of people. It can be innovations or science fiction," Chavez told PTI. The comics are usually written to read from from top to, bottom, to resemble the Japanese script. Even though the trend of comics being converted into full length movies has been in vogue for a long time now with popular series Spiderman, Batman, Superman etc now on film, Chavez says he thinks a comic loses its soul in the process.

"I am more of a comic person. I like to read it. I am not in the idea to do movies out of it", said Chavez. I like reading and watching movies. But movies won't sometimes do justice to the characters," added Chavez. At the Delhi Comic Con, people from all age groups participated in interactive groups and according to Chavez they all were familiar with Manga. "This is a good time for making the brand more popular as well as increase the business," said Chavez. Source: Economic Times

*) - The Graphic Saga

Explicit language, themes and artwork for a mature audience are determining the changing face of graphic novels and comic books. A graphic novel billed as the first ever to tackle the theme of zombie infestation; another, a prequel to the movie Agent Vinod; and a third, the exploits of a Sadhu in post-apocalyptic world. The new graphic novels that are slowly catching the fancy of audience have taut plots, explicit artwork and language, as well as themes that are nowhere close to the "regular". Graphic novels or comics by Indian writers are not only adapting fast to the dynamics of an ever-changing reader, but also accommodating styles used by writers in the West. Boasting of a cult fan following, works such as Superman: Man of Steel, Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth and The Killing Joke score because of their detailed graphic language and artwork. Jatin Verma, head of Comic Con in India and the brain behind Pop Art Publishing, which published Zombie Talkies, says, "Mythology will always fascinate Indian comic book writers and graphic novelists because we have all grown up on it. What has changed is the acceptability of uncommon themes. Publishers also want to invest in them even if they are too graphic because the target reader base is in the age group of 21-35 years of age."

A case in point is the comic, Agent Vinod The Jungfrau Encounter that was released last year. Adopting a completely different storyline from the film, the book received rave reviews for its fast storytelling style and stunning artwork. Saumin Patel, who did the artwork for the film, says a series of meetings before the movie with both Saif Ali Khan as well as director Sriram Raghavan set the dice rolling. "Both Saif and Sriram know comics very well, and when Yogesh Chandekar and I met them for the story, it clicked," adds Patel, who won the award for Best Penciller-Inker at Comic Con India 2012 for the comic. But, treading the thin line between graphic and gory is not easy, says Patel. "We wanted to leave a lot to the reader's imagination, so there were no limbs flying or bodies getting ripped. Even the scenes that depict sex were not explicit. That's what worked," he says. Zombie Talkies, which became the first ever Indian graphic novel incorporating the theme of zombie invasion, also worked for similar reasons. Siddharth Jain, its creator, says, "We were not scared of showing graphic images. For instance, I was very sure of the entire artwork for the sex scene in the vanity van because these things are a representation of the modern times. People are changing, and so are their thought processes. We have opened up to showing them on the silver screen, and books are just the next medium for it," says Jain.

*) - Chacha Set to Go Filmi

(Asian Age)

He is one of the most famous comic artists of India, and his iconic characters like Chacha Chaudhary, Sabu, Billoo, Pinki and Raman are still quite popular among children. Pran, the creator of all the Indian comic characters, mentioned recently that his all-time favourite Chacha Chaudhary will soon be immortalised on the silver screen. He informs, I have recently signed an agreement with the filmmakers about the copyright of Chacha Chaudhary for a feature film plot. A few year ago, we even completed 600 episodes of Chacha Chaudhary and Sabu series on television. Speaking about the origin and creation of Chacha Chaudhary, Pran says, When I was growing up there were no Indian comics. That was the time when all the comic books were imported from the West. We read about the superheroes with their superpowers. So when I decided to enter this industry I wanted to do something very original and different. I thought the feeble old wise man could be my hero because he has no superpowers but uses his wit and knowledge to solve problems.

The cartoonist also mentions how he sees a positive change in todays Indian comic book industry. He says, There was a decline in the Indian comic book industry sometime back, but now it is picking up again. By collaborating comic series with television and other mainstream media like movies and Internet, we can bring the cartoon characters back to life.

*) - Reviews

Review - World War

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-4/5

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3/5

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2 ! ... ! ! ! - Youdhveer Singh _________________________________________________________

Review - Appu Apharankarta

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 ... .. ... .. ... ! ,, .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... .. , , ! .. ! ! -3.5/5 ..

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Gallery

1. World Comics India, spreading awareness, education through simple pictures and sequential art posters with various regional NGOs.

2. ACKs Birbal the Wise

3. Lakshmi (Liquid Comics)

4. Tulsi Comics Universe by Inder Jeet Bhanoo

5. The Rhino Trail (Graphic Novel)

6. Kinnari by Meenakshi Krishnamoorthy

7. Mumbai Confidential

8. Panel from Krishna by Abhishek Singh (Image Comics)

9. Saurav Mohapatra (Mohaps.com)

*) - Indy Scene 1. Kuhaas The Mist (The Black Notebook)

Kuhaas - The mist, an Illustrated Fiction Novel, based on real trip into the Indian Civil War effected area as on May 2012 and inspired from the Tribal Myths. Describing issues and situations, being faced by Gov. ignored, Indian civil war affected areas, where politicians dont look for votes. A fiction, thats almost non-fiction, based on true researches in the year 2012. Raised topics how modern societies are killing tribal beliefs & their society, searching into the misconceptions of the RED FLAG, along with beautiful cultural details with sprinkles of untold tribal myths to make it an all age readable informative fiction novel. THE STORY In the woods were secrets hidden,

waiting for someone to unturn. When a regular tour turned out to be deadly and mysterious. The quest to know more for a mere article, got her into something unexpected. As she explored the truth of the Indian tribal rebels, found an ancient myth coming alive.

2. Advocate Vasant Sahni by Husain Zamin

Finally the first webcomic (in Hindi & English) of the series, Chori ka Aroop (Accusation of Theft) gets a publisher after Husain ji posted 22 page on the official FB page of the series.

3. Before Aaapki Poojita

Adhiraj Singh & team created few hilarious abstract, offbeat characters, themes before the jumbo webcomic Aaapki poojita.

Widhwa Ma Andhi Behen (Pop Culture Publishing, Twenty Onwards Media Pvt Ltd.)

Kashmir ki Kahani

Uud Bilaw Manus (Pop Culture Publishing)

Sufi Comics

Sufi Comics is a web comic by brothers Mohammed Ali Vakil & Mohammed Arif Vakil that began in the year 2009. These comics are short stories taken from Islamic history & tradition to illustrate the eternal spiritual truths in the teachings of Islam. The first 40 comics have been published in the form of a book 40 Sufi comics. The book is currently being translated by volunteers in several languages.

Mohammed Ali Vakil & Mohammed Arif Vakil are brothers who grew up in Dubai where they attended a local Community Madrasah. Influenced by the spiritual and moral stories of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Holy Progeny (the Ahlul Bayt), taught at the Madrasah, Mohammed Ali began learning the art of drawing comics and used it to express these stories. Arif & Ali would publish these comics on their Blog http://www.vakil.org . Ali loves web designing, development & creating digital art, while Arifs personal hobbies include public speaking & sketch-noting. Both of have a keen interest in Spirituality & Personal Productivity. They currently reside in Bangalore, India and work together in their family real estate business, Vakil Housing.

*) Articles on Comics Groups-Pages-Blogs -352-

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 , , , ............. - Manoj Pandey http://manojcomicsworld.blogspot.in/2013/02/nutan-chitrakatha-352mamaji-aur-pagdi.html

Shukraal Profile

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*) Interviews Interview with Jazyl Homavazir (CG-Tantra)

Jazyl Homavazir is the proud creator of the web-comic series "Beast Legion" that has created a tremendous fan-base in a short span of time with its mind captivating content and illustrations. Having won Comi Con India Awards this year for the best web-comic series and fresh volumes ready to get launched, CGTantra thought of featuring the amazing web-comic series and its creator, doing its bit to generate a wide spread readership for Comics and Anime.

1. To begin with, Can you share a little about yourself? I'm Animation professional specializing in character design and 2d animation. I work for a studio called Anitracks. Apart from that I've worked with various companies on animation & design projects as well as illustration work. I have also done my 3 year diploma from Arena Animation. I'm a big time fan of Anime/ Manga. The Beast Legion is something I do solo and purely out of passion. It gives me great pleasure when the story is accepted & acknowledged by the readers. I have three basic goals in mind: a) First is to make a mark on the 2d Animation scenario & do my best to get it to a

higher level. b) To make an Anime adaption of Beast legion and have merchandise for it c) To spread awareness for manga and anime in India

2. How did the idea of Beast Legion come into existence? Ever since I was in school I used to keep doodling in my free time & create random comic panels. I had a story in mind but the direction & characters would change every time & of course, my drawing wasn't all that good either in 2006. I got into Anime after watching the epic series, Naruto which forced me to go online & discover more episodes after it stopped airing on TV. From then on, I started watching other series & fell in love with the style & medium. In 2007, Animax hosted it's first pan Asia writing competition where the winning entry would be made into an episode. I scripted the first 5 eps of the series at that time. However they never passed through the first round. I then went back & traced back on what had gone wrong with the story & for the next two years worked on modifying it & creating a 52 episode saga. Then came the time of getting it out. Winning awards was never my intention even when I started the series & it isn't even now. I just wanted to get my story out to the widest range of audience in the best style I could. Rather than just letting it waste as a script, I decided to actually create a comic of the first 4 episodes in case I could pitch it to a studio to serve as a storyboard. However, along the way, I came across web comics & I instantly thought it was the way to go. So, myself & a web designer friend of mine came together & launched www.thebeastlegion.com in April 2010. Having the comic free to read online is a decision I had taken & have no regrets. My comic is such that it isn't restricted to any one type of audience, it's a fantasy series that every person can enjoy. It has it's jokes & it's darker shades.

Running a web comic has it's ups & downs but the lessons I've learned throughout this 2 year journey have fully prepared me for any future web-comic ventures I decide to take. 3. Can you brief us about what Beast legion revolves around? Beast Legion is based in a high fantasy world, where most characters possess pieces of armor that allow them to transform into mystical beasts with phenomenal powers. The journey revolves round an exiled Prince, Xeus's journey, to save his war torn homeland from the clutches of an evil Warlock,Dragos & his band of Shadow Nexus warriors. It updates with a new page every Monday & Friday. Sounds cliche? I know. But it's the way his journey unveils is what gets readers hooked to the series. I'm no great writer, nor do I have a degree in fine arts, but I have watched enough animated shows to create a scenario that will keep audiences excited throughout & that's extremely necessary for a web-comic series to survive.

4. What is your take on the way Comic Book and Anime industry is shaping up in India and the kind of readership that it enjoys here? I have a three layered answer for this. For comics... if you had asked me this 2 years back, I would have said "bleak". But Comic Con India has clearly shown the amazing response towards this medium & opened up a doorway for readers to connect with their favorite artists & in my

opinion, its looking pretty good. We still can't compare it with other events happening across the world, but I'm very positive the response will grow. As for Anime/Manga, in my last one & a half years, I have come across a wide range of fans of the medium from readers to artists to cos-players, each having tremendous love & respect for the genre. The problem is the widespread reach & the target audience. Most people mistake Anime for Cartoons. Cartoons usually tend to be one shot stories with the hero coming out on top with every episode. Anime however, focuses on a more mature (say PG 13) approach while still keeping the characters appealing to people of all ages. Problem is that there is very little awareness and to some extent a close mindedness towards this medium in India.

I know friends who only discovered the term, "Manga" after they read the Beast Legion & have started following other series. People need to realize that Anime/Manga is more freely available to read on the internet as opposed to any other series. As for web-comics, a major part of web traffic for the Beast Legion comes from US & the UK. India probably falls 5th on the list. In my opinion, people are yet not accustomed to reading comics digitally in India & rather have a printed copy which they can read at one go. I respect that sentiment & that's why I have printed copies available exclusively at local conventions. However, it is my hope that people will drop by the website more often to check the comic as it updates each week. However, with the advent of social media &Facebook pages, I see this trend changing & it's looking very positive. People can always subscribe to the Beast

Legion Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thebeastlegion & get updates every time the comic updates. 5. Having won Comicon Award for best web-comic series , what has been the response so far ? And how does it feel , winning the same? Comic Con Awards Night will always be one of the most glorious moments for me. I had faith in my comic but I was nervous till the very time my comic's name was announced. To get the web-comic award for my very first web comic series & that too at the very first Comic Con Awards is a moment that will never be forgotten. That day had a tremendous impact on the site as well. Unfortunately, I had very little net access while I was in Delhi at the time. But yes Indian readership grew considerably thereafter. This year's set has even better stories including Xeus transforming for the first time. So I'm pretty positive. 6. When is the next launch happening and what will the new volumes be all about ? At the Mumbai Film & Comics Convention on 20th & 21st October, 2012, I will be launching Vol. 2 of The Beast Legion series which will comprise of issues 5 to 8 of the series. What's more special is that people who buy the set will be able to read Issue 8 even before it completes online, as well as get a little surprise for their buy. It is something that I will be revealing in due course of time. I will also be conducting a presentation, not only on promoting the Beast Legion Launch, but also on Anime/Manga promotion in the country & hoping it brings positive results. As promised, here's an exclusive first look at the Issue 8 cover done by artist Rafael Perry. The sets will resume Xeus' journey after his loss to Dragos' as well as him dawning his Beast Transfer armor for the first time in issue 6. There will be limited edition sets of Vol.1 sold on first-come-first-serve basis for those who missed out & will be at a discount. 7. Do you plan on widespread publishing or distribution for the print version series? I'll be very honest. I run the Beast Legion absolutely single-handedly, right from drawing to funding.I'm lucky to have a family who supports my passion, but I alone do not have the means to publish this series in print on a wide scale. The

Indian Comics distribution & publishing scenario is not very welcoming for an independent creator like myself. I'm always on the lookout for a good publishing deal; however, most deals I've got are pretty one-sided. So for now, I'm sticking to self Publishing. 8. What would you like to say to the readers of CGTantra? I have been a regular visitor on CG Tantra for a while now. I may not be very active in posting, but I enjoy the quality of art, especially the digital arts section. It's always great to see people pursue their passion & succeed with it. Just today I read a Walt Disney quote, that I have been following since the last few years now & it goes "All our dreams come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. Giving up is not an option". I can only urge CG Tantra readers to drop by www.thebeastlegion.com & read the comic absolutely free & share your feedback through the comments section or if you are active on social networking join our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thebeastlegion or the twitter feed at twitter.com/thebeastlegion. I hope you enjoy reading the series as much as I do creating it & look forward to your feedback as well as meeting you guys at Comic Con Mumbai. Have fun & stay focused.

Interview with Mehfooz Ali

Mehfooz Ali jo Indian Comics Communities, Groups aur Forums mey ek janapehchana naam hai. Achrach ki baat hai ki kabhi inka sakshaatkar nahi liya gaya. Inke saath January 2008 mey RC ki Gen-Next Writers Meet mey kaafi samay bitaya tha aur baaten ki thi. Mai us event ki pics lagana chahta tha par RC forums abhi band hai.

Mohit: Apne baare mey bataiye? Kuch aesi baaten bataiye jo humey nahi pata. Mehfooz: Mera naam mehfooz ali hai or maine recently M.Sc Biochemistry complete kiya hai Dehradun ke DIBNS College se..filhal to kahi job nahi lagi hai lekin kai jagah baat chal rahi hai or jaldi hi aapko khushkabri sunaunga..basically me thoda sharmeele swabhaav ka hoon lekin ab is cheez ko badalne ki koshish kar raha hoon..apne isi swabhav ke karan mein bachpan me kai baar embarrassed hua..shayad 1st class ki baat hai. us samay hamare hi muhalle ki ek aunty g key yaha padhne chala jata tha..ek baari bahut zor se susu aa gaya lekin aunty g

shayad or kaamo me lagi hui thi..bahut wait karne par bhi wo nahi aayi to mujhse control nahi hua or mene unka gadda hi geela kar diya...is baat par dono taraf se daant padi thi..mujhe reading ka shauk bachpan se hi raha hai or mere paas 2001 se lekar abhi tak ke CRICKET SAMRAAT ke lagbhag sabhi(except 2-3) issues hain..ved prakash sharma ke 140 se zyada novels mene padhe hain sath hi anil mohan,rakesh pathak,amit khan ke bhi 100 se zyada upanyaas padhe hain..hindi novels padhne tabse kam ho gaye jabse mujhe English novels ka shauk laga..mene English writers me khaled hossaini(afghanistan),Paulo Coelho(Brazil),chetan bhagat,akash verma,dan brown or stephnie meyer ko paadha hai.i like the writing of khaled hossaini and THE KITE RUNNER and THOUSAND SPLENDID suns are 2 of the best novels Ive ever read.i loves THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho..

Mohit: Hum peechhle saal June mey mile the jab aapki M.Sc. poori ho gayi thi. To last year Post Graduation karne k baad se kya badlaav aaye life mey? Mehfooz: kai pharma companies me resume diya hua hai..filhal interview call ke liye wait kar raha hoon..or comics to roz hi padhta hoon..aajkal ipl ke bhi maze le raha hoon..ek dukaan hai jaha ab bhi purani comics mil jati hain..3-4 din ke baad waha se old comics khareedne chala jata hoon..manoj comics me crookbond or ram Rahim ke kai comics mene wahi se liye hain..lekin ab meri wajah se uske paas kuch khas maal nahi bacha hai.kyunki mene use kafi kuch le liya hai..pichle 2-3 maheeno me interview ke doran india ka jo sach samne aaya hai usko jankar dukh hua..post graduate bando ko bhi wo response nahi deta koi jiske wo hakdar hain..or aaj bhi india me dharm ko lekar logo ki mansikta sankeern hai..halanki sabhi aise nahi hai lekin is cheez ka azadi ke itne saal baad bhi barkaraar rehna ajeeb hai..ummeed karta hoon aane wale saalon me yeh poori tarah khatam hogi.

Mohit:. Iske alawa future Plans kya hai aapke? Mehfooz: Ek baar job final ho jaaye to apni sketching ko nikharne ke liye koi animation institute join karunga.irada govt sector me hi jane ka hai lekin is beech private job karta rahunga or sath hi apni sketching sudharkar comic making me bhi aane ka irada hai..2 characters bhi soch rakhe hain..dekhte hain waqt kya dikhata hai lekin apne se poori koshish zaroor karni hai ek baar..comic drawing ke liye..

Mohit: Ab mudde ki baat.ha haComics prem kab shuru hua? Mehfooz: comics padhne ka shauk mujhe 93 me lag gaya tha..tab gali muhallo ki dukano par comics tangi rehti thi jinko dekhkar ajeeb romanch hota tha..mein or mera dost Jabbar aisi hi ek dukan se comics kiraye parpadhte the..hum 2 comics lete or wahi pavements par bethkar padhte..kyunki tab ghar par le jakar padhne ke liye poori comics ke paise dene hote the jo ki humare paas nahi hote the..phir hamara school change ho gaya or mera comics padhna chhut gaya..kareeb 3 saal ke baad 1998 fab. me mene school jate samay VINASH ka ad poster ek dukan par dekha..us samay rikshaw se school jata tha or wo dukaan ghar se bahut door thi isiliye waha nahi ja sakta tha lekin ek din ghar se aise hi nikal pada comics ki talash me.main sadak par kareeb 700-800 meter ki doori par ek paan ki dukaan par comics dikhai di..sabse pehle mene wahi se comics khareedi thi..zahreeley(nagraj) khareedi thi waha se..bas phir to me usi dukan se comics khareedne laga..is beech kai or dukano ka bhi pata chal gaya or me waha se bhi comics lene laga..98 ke

collection ke doran me apni comics ke covers par ek wrinkle tak bardaasht nahi kar pata tha..

baad me kinhi karno se mujhe apne sare comics bechne pade mid 2000 me..lekin mene rent par comics padhna jari rakha..2001-2006 ke daur me rent par comics padhi..sirf doga,scd or nagraj ki..2006 ki kisi comics me NAGAYAN ka ad dekhkar mann me khalbali mach gayi or march 2007 FUNKAR se meri comics khareedari me reentry hui..tab se abtak comics khareed raha hoon..

Mohit: Aapke story ads, write-ups aur scenes padhe hai maine aur aap artist bhi hai...aapki kahaniyan, art iske baare mey vistaar se bataiye? Mehfooz: forum par hi meri shortstories ka topic hai alis present.yaha me short stories likhta hoon..kisi superhero par abhi tak koi kahani nahi likhi..lekin aage aisa karne ka irada hai..or sath hi professional penciller banne ke liye practice shuru karne wala hoon..mene apni penciling bhi forum me lagai thi lekin unfortunately wo attachments ab kaam nahi karti..sanjay singh g ko apne sketches dekar aaya hoon.wo mujhe scan karke bhej denge or phir usko yaha lagana shuru karunga..abhi bahut mehnat karni hai hath saaf karne mein..writer jaisi halanki koi baat nahi hai wo to bas jab man karta hai likh lete hain kuch..ek mazedar baat ko aapse share karna chahunga. 2008 ke writers meet se aane ke baad me forum par bahut dino tak zyada posting nahi kar paya tha kyunki waha stories likhne ke bare me jo baate batai gayi thi wo dimaag me ghoomti rehti thi or me jab bhi post likhta to mujhe lagta ki yeh jam nahi rahi hai.isme kuch galti hai,aisa nahi likhna chahiye etc etc.me general posting mein bhi writing skill se mix karne ki koshish karta tha.isiliye posting nahi kar pata tha.bahut ajeeb daur tha wo.tab mujhe mayank bhai ne samjhaya or mere mann ko kuch shanti mili or tab jakar posting ne speed pakdi.aaj bhi us kisse ko yaad karta hu to ajeeb lagta hai.

Mohit: Waise andazan kitni Comics padhi hongi aapne? Kitni variety aur publications ki padhi hai? Kya antar laga aapko unmey? Mehfooz: comics mene bahut padhe hain.3-3.5 hazar to padh hi liye honge.zyadatar rc hi padhi hai lekin sath hi manoj diamond or kuchek marvel ke bhi padhe hain.bachpan me jab rent par padhte the to tab shayad manoj comics zyada padhta tha.lekin rc ki baat sabse alag thi.isiliye 3 saal baad 98 me jab comics khreedne shuru kiye to rc hi khareede. agar baat hindi comics ki kare to no doubt ki rc ki quality sabhi publications se acchi hai.iski stories,artwork sab bahut accha hai.bas aajkal stories presentation kafi complex ho gaya hai.usme wo simplicity nahi hai jaisi pehle hua karti thi.kai baar to is wajah se bahut uljhan hoti hai.rc ko wahi presentation dobara apnana chahiye jaisa pehle hua karta tha. manoj comics me hawaldar bahadur,crookbond,ram Rahim padhe hain mujhe teeno hi pasand aaye.hawaldar bahadur ki comedy mast hai.ram Rahim ki kahaniya bhi bahut acchi hain or koi bhi issue(alien,suspence,mission,thrill etc) unki comics se achhoota nahi raha. baki baat agar marvel comics ki kare to usme to artwork se lekar stories tak indian comics se bahut zyada aage hain.indian comics ko abhi bahut zyada mehnat karni hai us mukam tak pahuchne ke liye.

Mohit: Indian Comic Industry ko kya baaten khaas banati hai ya thi? Mehfooz: mene jitni bhi publications ko padha hai sabme alag taste aaaya.rc,manoj,tulsi diamond or ab fenil comics.sab ek doosre se kafi alag hain.pehle superheroes par comics to banti thi lekin rc ne nagraj,scd,doga,bheriya,parmanu jaise superheroes ki jo kahaniya di usse indian comics superheroes ki chavi mazboot hui.pehle general stories ke sath thrill horror suspence or sath hi or kahaniyo ki chitrakathayen chalti zyada chalti thi lekin rc ne indian comics ko superhero centralized kiya iske liye wo badhai ke hakdaar hain.unke superheroes ke baad hi or publications ne iski ahmiyat ko samjha.

indian comics me bahut kuch hai jisse yeh yadgar banti hain.mujhe lagta hai pran ne jo diamond comics ke liye kiya or anupam sinha g ne rc ke liye usse indian comics ki disha hi badal gayi.

90s ke daur mein MANU g,DHEERAJ g,KADAM STUDIO,ANUPAM g,BEDI g ne apne artworks se lakho logo ko comics ka deewana bana dala tha.or usi daur ke hazaro fans aaj bhi comics padhte hain..

Mohit: Maine aapki posts mey kahin pehle bhi ye padha tha ki aapne apna saara collection bech diya tha? Ye kaise hua? Ab aapke collection ki kya haalat hai? Mehfooz: baat 2000 ki hai.tab shayad mere paas 400-500 comics ho gaye the.chupane ki jagah limited thi isiliye gharwalo ko collection ke bare me pata chal gaya.us samay itni sari comics dekhkar meri ammi g baut naraz hui or unke paise calculate karne lagi ki yeh comics kitne ki aayi hongi..me unko samjhane laga ki yeh 1 din ka kaam nahi hai balki 2 saal ka nateeja hai lekin at last me dar gaya.kyunki wo comics agar mere abba g dekh lete to itne paiso ke bare me sawal karte.

wo poochte ki itne paise tere paas aaye kaha se jo itni comics khareed lay??or mere paas koi jawab dete nahi banta..isiliye mene sabhi comics 2-3 baar me karke bech diye. .or nayi comics khareedna band kar diya..abhi filhaal mere paas jo collection hai usme kai comics aisi hain jinke naam bhi us samay nahi sune the jab purana collection tha..lekin us collection ki kuch comics hain jo ab mere paas nahi hain..mere paas abhi yahi koi 1000 ke kareeb comics honge..

Mohit: Aapko 1990s ki comics aur us daur se bahut lagaav hai, kya antar dekhte hai aap ab ki comics aur pehle ki comics mey?

Mehfooz: jab kisi daur me koi comics padhna start karta hai wahi daur uske liye yadgaar ho jata hai.lekin ek doosri baat yeh bhi hai ki facts yeh kehte hain ki us daur ki comics(artwork+story) best thi..to is lihaz se me khushkismat hoon ki mene us daur me comics padha jabki yeh apne shikhar par thi..stories presentation ab complex ho gaya hai.pehle simple tareeke se kahani chalti thi.frames hote the,captions hote the,simple coloring ke sath hi bahut accha artwork hota tha.halanki ab bhi artwork utna bura nahi hai lekin 90s ke jaisa visible artwork nahi hai. aaj ke artists bhi acche hain lekin 90s me manu g jis tarah se story ke acc. artwork dete the wo misaal ek hai.

us daur ke characters comics se bahar aate prateet hote the jo ki aajke effects or digital colouring me bhi nahi karte..aaj bhi acche artists hain LALIT SHARMA,HEMANT KUMAR,LALIT SINGH ka kaam shandar hai or dekhkar inki mehnat jhalakti hai lekin phir bhi yeh comics feel nahi jaga pati..

Mohit: Aapke pasandida comic characters kaun se hai aur kyu? Mehfooz: 1.nagraj-kyunki uski comics mene sabse pehle padhi thi.sach kahu to mujhe nagraj bachpan me sirf uske hairstyle ke liye pasand aaya tha.uske alag hairstyle ne hi usko sabse alag kiya.

2.doga-uski kahaniyo me jo akrosh hota hai who bahut accha lagta hai.90s ki sabhi comics uski yadgar hain.

3.hawaldar bahadur- uske jaisi comedy maine bahut kam dekhi hai..indian comics me hawaldar bahadur ki comics padhkar mujhe sabse zyada hasi aayi.or uske pet dilogues jaise kutte fail honaanta gafeel hona

baki inke alawa batman,spiderman bhi bahut pasand hai halaki inki zyada comics nahi padhi mene..

Mohit: Comics se judi aur kuch khaas yaaden? Mehfooz: yaaden bahut sari hain. TURUPCHAL ek dost le gaya tha or usne 1 maheene baad di thi lekin usk cover ekdum tod marod diya gaya tha..mujhe wo gussa aaya tha ki bas..uske baad mene usko koi comics nahi di..SAPERA raat ke 3 baje padhi thi kyunki jis raat isko lekar aaya tha light nahi thi us raat..KOBI OR BHERIYA set ke liye mene bahut chakkar kaatee the..or TANASHAH ke liye mene apne chote bhai se set pata karne ke liye sabse zyada phone karwaye..JIGSAW wala set shayad 10 april 1998 ko aaya tha or who pehla set tha jisko mene khareeda tha..abhi recently 10 april guzri hai14 saal ho gaye is baat ko..kamal ka daur tha wo..shayad ab kabhi wapis nahi aayega..mene jis dukaan se pehli comics khareedi thi wo panwadi ki dukan thi.aaj bhi jab me aisi dukaan se kuch leta hoon(daily he he) to pan ki khushbu mujhe us daur me pahuncha deti hai..aisa hi kuch mere dost Supratim ke saath bhi hai..

me bhi tab books ke beech me comics lagakar padhta tha lekin meri ammi g mujhe har baar pakad leti..or mujhe DEEDAREZI(urdu ka word jiska matlab aankho ki beaarami hai) band karne ko kehti thi..bankeylal ki TERI FOO KI FUU ne jo hasaya thahum sab telephone ko usi naam se bulane lage the or aaj bhi kabhi kabhi teri fuu hi kehte hain..bachpan me jis comics ne mujhe rulaya tha uska naam hai WULFA..kamal ki comics thi..i m sure ki mere saath or bhi bahut fans use padhkar roye honge.

Mohit: ..aur Favorite Comics? Mehfooz: ..bahut sare hain.. vinash, parlay, tanashah, soorma,kaliyug,nishachar, kohram, kobi or bheriya,wulfa,takkar(unfortunately ab nahi hai),mard or

murda,khaki or khaddar,doga ke shuruaati sabhi comics,parmanu ke manu g ke draw kiye sabhi comics,shatranj.

vinash mene tabse ab tak 4 baar khareedi hai..jisme 2 mere paas tab thi or 2 ab hain..recently nagayan series,amar prem,akhiri dhruv series,vartmaan,nagadheesh,nagraj ke baad(only),born in blood,atankharta nagraj series,nikal pada doga series,doga diaries acche comics hain. iti kaand mene 2 li thikyunki yeh rc ki pehli hard bound comics thi..or ab negatives bhi 2 hi lunga.

Mohit: Online Comic Communities aur forums par kaise aagman hua? Mehfooz: iska shrey rc forum ko hi jata hai.forum par aane ke baad hi me orkut par gaya or phir fb par.or forum par mein sirf comics se judi yaado ko taza karne gaya tha lekin yaha aaya or ab tak yahi hoon.

Mohit: RC Forums par ab aapko 5 years ho gaye hai yahan k baare mey kuch unshared baaten? Mehfooz: bahut kuch hai.2007 se iski shuruaat hui thi or tab jaisi posting hoti thi waise ab shayad hi kabhi ho.both in quantity and qualitywise.2007 me forum par sabse pehla interaction Rahul(taker)se hua tha..uske baad shadab bhai,mayank bhai, sagar, parijat, mohit se bhi baaten hui. shadab bhai ne mera user avatar or signature banaya tha kyunki me tab bhi aaj ki hi tarah computer ke bare me kuch khas nahi janta tha.or ab tak mera signature or avtar badla nahi hai.

Mohit: Aap ab tak kitne Comic Events ka hissa ban chuke hai? Mehfooz: aabhi tak sirf 2..2008 ke writers contest ke baad abhi 2012 me comiccon 2 me gaya tha. is beech nagraj janmotsav me jane ke programme saal dar saal bane lekin unfortunately ja nahi paya.

Mohit: Apne shehar Saharanpur k baare mey bataiye? Wahan ki kya khaasiyaten hai? Mehfooz: Saharanpur bahut purana shahar hai..iska naam yaha k ek buzurg shahharoon ke naam par pada tha.yahan lakdi ka kaam bahut hota hai.chhote chhote showpiece se lekar bade bade furniture tak videsho me export kiye jate hainlekin badkasmati yeh hai indian government ne abhi tak is field ke logo ko saahi disha nahi di hai warna Saharanpur walon ko yeh kehne ki nobat nahi aati ki yaha jaisi wood carving poore india me kahi nahi hoti balki log aisa kaha karte.yaha ke zyadatar log business minded hain or apna business karna hi pasand karte hain chahe wo choti si dukan ho ya factory.

yaha itc factory bhi hai or bahut kam log aise honge jo apne shaher ki manufactured cigarette peete honge lekin hum unme hi hain.baki yaha railway line indian border se zyada door nahi hai.or border par hoti hulchul ko yaha open maalgadiyon me lade saman ko dekhkar hi mahsoos kar lete hain.2 states ka border yaha lagta hai-uttranchal or hariyana..yaha ke aam ke baagh or shahad bhi bahut mashhoor hai.hamara shaher bhi 2 hisso mein hai..railway pul ke is paar purana shaher hai or us paar naya shaher hai..me to purane shaher me rehta hu..baki yaha hindu-muslim ratio barabar hone ke baavjood bhi kabhi(except 90) dharmik unmaad nahi bhadka.sabhi dharmo ke log bahut harmony ke saath yaha rehte hain..

Mohit: Aap abhi Bihar bhi rahe the kuch mahine, aese anubhav aur jagaho k baare mey kuch share kijiye? Mehfooz: bihar mein patna ke Mahavir Cancer Sansthan se project kiya hai mene last year.tab me waha march-may ke doran raha.kai baar aisa hota hai jis cheez ka dar aapko lagta hai wahi cheez aapki samne aati hai.same hamare sath hua.waha

jis cheez ki sabse zyada problem hame hui who thi khane ki.rehne ke liye to hame hospital ke top floor par bada room diya gaya tha..jaise hamare yaha jagah jagah par avg dhabe hote hain waisa waha kuch nahi tha.or khan ke liye ya to bilkul low standard dukane thi ya phir mahnge restaurents.aisa shayad area ke karan bhi hua tha kyunki jaha hamara sansthan tha wo area patna se 5-6 km door phulwarishareef me tha.ek samay to aisa aaya tha jab baat baat par chidan hone lagi thi.bardasht nahi hoti thi chhoti chhoti baatein buri lagti thi.

human nature ka ek bahut anchua pehlu waha jakar explore hua.wo yeh ki aapko bhale hi sar chupane ko acchi chat naa mile lekin bharpet khane ko accha khana zarur milna chahiye. cancer hospital hone ke karan roz koi naa koi dead body dikh hi jati thi or peeche vilaap karte hue parijan dil cheer dete the..me hospital ke exp ke bare me ek kahani bhi likhne ki soch raha hu. baki waha kahi ghoomne ka mauka hi nahi laga kyunki project tough tha or samay nahi mil pata tha..

Mohit: Jeevan mey aapka aim kya hai? Mehfooz: aim zyada nahi hain..bas 1 govt. job chahiye chahe 2-4 saal lage isme..comic artist banna chahta hu..halaki mujhe pata hai ki isme kitni mehnat lagti hai..or saath hi shaher me koi acchi si dukaan dekhkar usme koi kaam karna chahta hu..afterall business minded city se hone ke naate yeh natural baat hai..

Mohit: Asal zindagi k friends aur jude khaas log, unke baare mey kuch kahenge? Mehfooz: mera friend circle ajeeb hai..isme scooltime friends,college time friends,Dehradun college friends,mohalle ke dost,forum ke dost,yaha ek caf hai jaha me din me jata hu waha ke friends or kaam se related dost bhi hain.sabhi se acchi dosti hai.ab baki sab circles ke bare me aapko kya kahu kyunki aap unka sirf naam hi jaan payenge.forum ke kuch dosto ke bare me bata deta hu. yaha sanjay singh,supratim saha,Rahul,vishal,mohit,shadab bhai se mera interaction hota

rehta hai. supratim jaisa comics janooni person mene nahi dekha.jis tarah se usne apna collection poora kiya uske bare me 1 hi word kaha ja sakta hai strange.

he is very nice person,soft hearted,passionate about work and a genuine comic lover. usse baat karke hamesha accha lagta hai halanki uski padhai ke karan zyada baat nahi ho pati. abhishek sagar se bhi chatting ho jati hai..bahut accha lagta hai usse baat karke..

sanjay singh g bhi har Sunday dariyaganj me comics khareedari ke bare me batate hain.or kuch hamare liye bhi le lete hain.

mohit se bhi accha interaction hai.uski kahaniya or poems paddhkar accha lagta hai..

Mohit: Internet forums, communities ki achchhaiyan aur buraiyan? Mehfooz: tough q hai.me yahi kahunga ki koi bhi cheez ek limit me use ki jaye to sahi hai lekin ati buri ho jati hai.phir aapke dimag me har samay yahi sabkuch chalta rehta hai or isse aapki social life suffer karti hai.ek chota sa ex me rc forum ka dunga.pehle(90s) aisa koi madhyam nahi tha.fans comics ka wait karte the or comics acchi lagne par unme se kuch fans letters likhte the.bahut kam log hote the joki rc jate the. forum ke baad fans rc se direct interact karne lage or iske sath hi social networking ke madhyam se bhi roz choti choti jankariya hasil karne lage jiska negative effect yeh pada ki ghar ki murgi daal barabar wali baat ho gayi.bahut zyada touch me rehne se charm kam hone laga or fans ko chhoti chhoti baate buri lagne lagi.jabki 90s me unke paas sirf letters ya greenpage ka hi sahara rehta tha.jab me 3-4 din zyada time tak online rehta hu to mujhe us doran kuch or karne ka mann nahi karta.comics padhne ka mann nahi karta.or logo se bhi milta hu to wo baat nahi aa pati.isiliye me time limit me rehkar net use karne ke favor me hu..baki agar baat forums,communities ki ho to yeh accha madhyam hai ek jaise shauk rakhne walo ke liye.rc forum se pehle meri sath comics par discuss karne ko koi dost hi nahi tha or ab itne log hain.yeh bahut acchi baat hai.pehle me soch bhi nahi sakta tha ki india ke har kone ke fan se comics par baat kar paunga lekin forum ke zariye yeh sab possible hua.

Mohit: Online bane aur friends k baare mey kya kehna hai aapka? Mehfooz: jo dost humlog milkar banate hain unki baat alag hoti hai.halaki online friendship bhi milne ke baad gehri ho jati hai or kai baar wo hame acche se samajhne se lagte hain.facebook or orkut ke sath hi rc forum me bhi kai dost online banaye mene jinme aaj bhi kuch se regular touch me rehta hoon.rahut(taker) se sabse pehle interact hua tha mera forum par.uske baad shadab bhai(shasid), wishumaddy(mandar), shaan, muneer(munnabhai),saumya(supercommando bunti)mohit(trendster),mayank bhai(nice duffer),arun bhai,ravi(sparky ravi),vishal(bunty),honey kr,supratim(rajiv

340), yooudhveer,akash,sanjay singh,rahul ranjan(prince caspien)etc etc(kuch naam reh gaye ho to sorry).halaki ab inme se personally kuchek se contact hai lekin yeh wo log hain jisne forum ke is safar ko yadgar banaya.sanjay singh,supratim,vishal,mohit,Rahul or shadab bhai se baat hoti rehti hai.sabhi acche bande hain. Mohit Sharma (Trendy Baba)

*) - Third Annual Comic Con India (Delhi)

On an ordinary day Dilli Haat is a good place to buy handloom saris, pashmina shawls, perhaps stop by the food section for momos and fruit beer or (if its that time of the year) kahwa. Had you been there last weekend you might still have done all of these, but with some unexpected fellow-shoppers; the venue was playing host to the Delhi leg of Indias Comic Con, a celebration of Indian and international comics. A large area at the back was given over to a stage and a number of stalls displaying or selling comics and comic-related merchandise. One thing that was immediately clear was the sheer diversity of the ways in which the comic form is being used in Indias nascent industry. Vimanika Comics and Holy Cow Entertainments Ravanayana series both draw on Hindu mythology, as do many of Campfires titles. Campfire also reinterprets a number of literary classics in graphic form. Some comics spoof or play with classic superhero tropes. One of these is Munkeeman, created by Abhishek Sharma and written by Anant Singh, which takes up a Delhi urban legend and runs with it. Singh also collaborated with illustrator Abhijeet Kini on the animal fable Chairman Meow and the Protectors of the Proletariat. Vidhyun Sabhaneys Mice Will Be Mice is about a failed science experiment on the rampage, with multiple references to Frankenstein and King Kong. Prominently displayed at the Popculture Publishing stall were the Timpa books, created by Jhangir Kerawala and featuring a young, Tintin-like hero who solves crimes in Calcutta. A stall put up by Chennai-based publishers, Blaft, displayed prominently Kumari Loves a Monster (with a special pre-Valentines day discount) in which short poems in English and Tamil describe the love between a series of beautiful women and monsters.

But a large section of the hall was devoted to World Comics, whose aim is to use the medium to disseminate information, and whose display table featured a number of anthologies and posters. Sufi Comics used the comic form to educate people about Islam. Ari Jayaprakash and Anisha Sridhars Kuru Chronicles, a vast project that includes some stunning artwork, drew attention. On a panel session on the art of writing comics, Campfires Jason Quinn declared that India would shortly be outstripping the West in the quality of the comics it produced. It was rather too obviously a crowd-pleasing statement but the amount of talent on display at events like these is heartening. Sharad Devarajan, the Co-Founder and CEO of Graphic India and Liquid Comics, is convinced that India has the potential to become one of the biggest creative exporters in the years ahead. Despite all this there were some conspicuous absences. Among the missing were Level 10, creators of the excellent Odayan series, and Libera Artisti whose comic Autopilot was one of my favourite finds last year. Also missing were the prodigiously talented team from Manta Ray. A great deal of the art shown here wasnt in the form of comics at all. A booth from B.I.T displayed sample prints of its students artwork, including a miniature pair of superheroes and a wonderful image of Krishna plaiting Radhas hair.

Elsewhere, a number of interesting t-shirts were on sale. On offer at the Chimp stall were a confused Batman at the crease and a veshti-clad Supermaniam (of which my father is now the proud owner). At the Popculture publishing stall, one saw a growing stable of superheroes, desi versions of their Western counterparts. SuperKudi, WonderBai, WolverAnna and SuperMummy dont seem to have starred in any stories yet but can be found on a range of mugs, cushions and similar merchandise. One counter even offered superhero cupcakes. In many cases the products seemed aimed less at comics fans in particular than at people who simply followed popular culture; at least two stalls were selling t-shirts based on popular Internet memes.

In earlier editions of the Comic Con, there appeared to be at least as much of an effort to market the event to children as to adults. Last year, in particular, the Chhota Bheem theme song seemed to provide an inescapable and often irritating soundtrack to the festival. There were still a number of children present this year including a girl in a purple tutu and Spiderman t-shirt, and two small superheroes sharing a dosa outside the Tamil Nadu restaurant yet things seemed far more geared to the adults who accompanied them. The t-shirts that were on offer in many places came in adult sizes only, and even the hugely popular Amar Chitra Katha stall seemed less crowded than in previous years. Last years event

also included big promotional displays for forthcoming movies from Disney and Marvel. These were missing this time. What all this seems to indicate is that the conventions organisers and participants are beginning to feel more confident that there is an audience of adult comic book fans who are willing to come out and participate in events like these. Graphic Indias Ashwin Pande, who has attended the comic con for the last three years, notes that it has become nerdier and more fan-friendly with each successive Con. That this is true is clear from the sheer number of people crowding into the Random House and Hachette stalls (these two publishers distribute DC and Marvel comics respectively in India). Its clear from the growing number of international publishers at the event; this year saw display booths from Top Cow, Drawn and Quarterly, Fantagraphics, First Second, and Vertical.

And its certainly clear from the cosplayers. The first Comic Con, held in Delhi a few years ago, could boast only a very few people in costume, and those who were there were dressed as relatively mainstream characters. This year saw a conspicuous absence of Batman and Superman costumes; though there was, as always, a full complement of Batman villains. Instead, we had Lady Loki and Spider Jerusalem, Doctor Who and a number of manga and anime characters (the city has also played host to an Anime convention for quite a few years now). But a convention implies much more of a sense of community than is easily felt at the event in its current form. At the moment theres little space for fans and artists, or for fans and other fans to interact with one another. In part, this may be because of the venue. Dilli Haat is, after all, designed as a series of small stalls, whether they are selling papier-mch boxes or superhero mugs. In the last couple of years the convention has moved to other cities; Mumbai has had two comic cons, and Bangalores Koramangala Stadium hosted a Comic Con Express in September 2012. Its possible that in different venues the imbalance between comics and merchandise sorts itself out. As Swati Moitra, a fan, pointed out, this year in Delhi the merchandise seemed to outnumber the artists presenting their work. Fans might adjourn to the food court for friendly conversation, but the crowds there, at least on the weekend, were more conducive to blood feuds than to the creating of communities. The single stage might provide a focus for initiating discussion, but it was rarely used for this purpose. A panel held on Friday, during which writers Samit Basu, Anant Singh and Jason Quinn discussed the art of writing comics, was one of the few exceptions. The majority of the stage events seemed purely informative allowing writers, editors and artists to introduce their work on the assumption that they were speaking to an audience unfamiliar with their work. In most cases this was true, particularly the upcoming Indian artists. At the moment the goal of the convention seems to be to showcase the work that is being done; its only when we get past this stage that well be able to have exciting panel discussions about the role of women in Indian comics, or even see fans costumed as Munkeeman or SuperKudi. Yet it was also clear that many of those gathered at Dilli Haat wanted to find and develop a community. People looking over the shoulders of strangers to comment approvingly on the books they were buying; people screaming and running up to cosplayers who were just as excited to have their costumes recognised. As crowded as many of the stalls were, artists and writers still seemed thrilled to have the opportunity to talk about their work with people who knew where they were coming from. Fans will find each other and forge a community for themselves

even in the most harrowing of situations, but the comic con could provide a little more help than it currently does. The Comic Con is a hybrid beast at the moment, suspended halfway between a fan convention and a family outing. And while theres something rather nice about being able to wander off in the middle of a talk about superheroes and have a look at saris, I suspect at some point the organisers are going to have to pick a side and move on, possibly to a more conventional (no pun intended) venue. But the work that the comic con has already done for the fans and the industry is wonderful, and I have a pile of new things to read.

It was a bright winters day in the Capital and visitors at Dilli Haat got an up-close look at an emerging sub-culture. The three-day Third Annual Indian Comics Convention which comes to a close this Sunday brought together comic book fans from across the country.

Young people dressed as characters from comic books and films mingled with tourists buying traditional souvenirs. There were girls dressed as Pokemons and Loki from the popular comic and film The Avengers . Wand-wielding wizards and Japanese Manga characters made the convention more like a carnival. The detailed

costumes worn by some are an integral part of the comic book-related sub-culture internationally. Cosplay, short for costume play, is slowly becoming popular in India as well. The event brought together fans and businesses connected with comic books and graphic novels. The convention featured stalls selling comics, action figures and other merchandise. Apart from that, it also hosted discussions and workshops. There was an aspiring Spiderman (five-year old Hardik Prakash) who accompanied his sister, the Pink Fairy (eight-year-old Vinayaka). Their mother Anita Sinha said she wants to pass down her love of comics to her children. We used to read comics like Diamond Comics in our childhood. These days, comics are not easily available for children, Ms. Sinha said. Her passion for comics seems to have percolated to her young son. Ms. Sinha said, Other children say they want to be a doctor or engineer when they grow up. If you ask my son, he says I want to be Spiderman. Comic Con is an attempt to create a space for comic books fans to interact with each other, which the founder and organiser of the event Jatin Varma found missing in India. Mr. Verma said his motivation is to get people who might be passionate about different elements of pop culture together. A boost to comic industry

The convention is the perfect venue for engaging with international comic publishers. It also gives a much-needed boost to the nascent Indian comic industry. With publishers like Vimanika Comics and Campfire Graphic Novels, experimenting with indigenous storylines, there is a growing realisation in India that comic books arent all about super-heroes and villains. Comic Con brings independent, smaller publishers on the same platform as the industry leaders, Marvel and DC. One such venture, Blaft Publications, offers something different to readers. Basically Blaft deals with bringing all the different regional literature into English, so everybody can read it, said Anitha from Blaft Publications. With titles such as The Blaft Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction and Stupid Guy Goes to India, Blaft is making graphic novels appealing and relatable to a new audience, who may not be interested in conventional Western comics. For Vimanika Comics founder Karan Vir Arora business is booming. His company publishes graphic novels based on mythologies with Shiva being a bestseller. The first three years, we [Vimanika Comics] made losses. We basically bled dry. But this year, money has started to roll in. Business is good. Mr. Arora said. He explained that Indian readers do not have the same expectations from comics, as their international counterparts do. There is a gap in the market, which publishers like Mr. Arora are hoping to fill. People are bored with the same old superhero stories. Ive grown up on those stories but now people want a change. Thats why we decided to keep the stories about warriors and gods, Mr Arora. While Comic Con has grown each year since its inception in 2011, it still has a long way to catch up with its Western predecessors. Last years event saw 35,000 visitors and sales worth Rs. 50 lakh. A small company can make a big change. We have nothing to lose, Mr. Arora said echoing the sentiments of many at Comic Con. It may not be a mainstream event, but at least its a start.

**Poll - Best Online, Social Media(Fans) Responce by an Indian Comic Publication**

"Poll Conducted - Indian Comics Fan Junction & Indian Comics Universe Fan Club Top 3 Publications: Fenil Comics, Raj Comics & HCE, getting about 5/6 (87 Votes) of total. Total 15 Publications listed in the poll, out of which 5 got no votes & 3 publications (Diamond, ACK and Chariot) received 1 vote each. Although RC is second, but the fact that when you have less series & updates to manage, it is easier to satisfy majority of your total fans. But when there are multiple characters 7 series alongwith huge fan-base, then it is difficult to make all fans happy....Spare a thought for Fiction Comics getting noticed in both the polls(an online popularity poll conducted last year) even before its launch." **Credit & Special Thanks to Mohit Sharma{Trendster} ji for generating the Poll Stats** - Prahlad Dubey.