India has seen a steady growth in the INDIAN comic industry from the early 1960’s. Many benchmarks were set by pioneers such as Abid Surti, Anant Pai and Pran. However, the quality of the English language was not up to the mark. I guess these were the reasons that made me prefer comics with international superheroes. The first comic that I ever lay my hand on was that of Superman and not Chacha Chaudhry or Tinkle. Come 2004 and my world changed when I got hold of the first issue of Spiderman India – I did not really like it (I am really sorry, just my opinion). While on one hand there’s our friendly neighborhood Spider man swinging around in New York and on the other, what is Pavitra Prabhakar doing in India?

I stopped reading Gotham comics for a while until in around 2008, I came across Ramayan 3392 A.D. , this was according to me the best retelling of a classic , the appearance of each character was totally amazing. I later got hold of other titles such as the Sadhu and the Snake Woman. I really congratulate you for the amazing work and am very grateful for creating a stir among comic book readers. You had in a way unknowingly given birth to a brand new cult of comic book readers in India who would want to read something that has traces of their country’s culture. The artworks are amazing and the depiction of each character is so original.

But of late, the advent of the animation industry in India has in a way shadowed the comic book industry. Now, there are hundreds of colleges that provide a person with the skill sets required to become an animator. While these colleges aim at teaching the technicalities required for animation, they somehow tend to forget teaching them the basics of art which according to me is a necessity. I am studying in an animation college myself but it is my firm belief in the comic field that I fought my way into writing my thesis on the future of Indian comics in a global scenario.
While doing my paper I have realized that a lot of people (in India atleast) treat comics as a commodity of children. Many children prefer video games and animated movies and not comics at all. I have a question for you sir, am I passionate about something that is slowly becoming extinct can nothing be done to make them popular enough again? While on the other hand 28% of the total books in Japan that are sold every year are manga alone. When will our country reach such a stage?

I really am looking forward to becoming a comic book artist (a successful one) but I already am getting this horrible feeling of nothing much happening for me in this country. Will there ever be a chance for this industry to ever grow?

I really pray for the success of this industry.

Regards,
Rahil Mohsin

Not yet another “FAN” but an air conditioner, the best thing that I liked about you is the film that you did on Elizabeth; an Indian who took the courage of doing a project on their queen that too in their country, this needs an extra ordinary “gurda” and you are blessed with it.

I am sure there is a major planet placement problem with you, the kind of understanding and the explaining ability that you possess is absolutely “Himalayan”, if you only work on rectifying this front no one can dare to stop you; not even your own self.

Whenever I see you it reminds me about Pt. Hridhaynath Mangeshkar an amazing symphony talent, I can go to the extent to simply say he is better than A.R. Raihman, but even after the extra ordinary talent how many have recognized his astonishing faculty.

I pray to Shri Krishna to get the problem resolved to a certain extent at least, so that the world experiences not just the “slum and the dogs” in this country but also the other side of it.

Regards,

Sanjay Devkar
Hare Krishna

II Vande Mataram II