Graphic novels make a comeback

For a genre that was once considered only for kids, graphic novels have accomplished quite a feat to steadily gain mass recognition

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a graphic novel is worth much, much more. Picture books or books with illustrations capture every child’s imagination. As we age, we generally pick a book that is serious in content and storyline, and forget about graphics. We no more want to read a book that has characters with capes, super powers, and bad nicknames. However, this scenario is fast changing as more and more graphic novels for adults emerge out of the wood work and their fan following continues to increase.

Bharat Murthy

There was a time when graphic novels meant superheroes and their impossible stories, but today these books deal with serious subjects like politics, social issues, mythology and tackle stories with complex issues too. “Graphic novels are often mistaken for comics. The story in comics continues in many parts, while it takes one or at most two books to complete the story in graphic novels. Plus, the plots too are much longer and complex,” says graphic novelist Bharat Murthy.

He is an animation film director and authors comic books. His recent graphic travelogue, The Vanished Path, is an account of his journey through the ruins that mark the Buddha’s life, the places where he lived and taught, and the lands from where all traces of that past have almost disappeared. “It is my travelogue from Sarnath to Lumbini, from Kudan to Bodhgaya, and many other places in between. I have tried to bring alive the sights and sounds and smells of these places through the graphics. Whether it is Buddhism you’re interested in or travel, this is a journey you will enjoy,” he adds.

Sarita Dasgupta

The big change, between then and now, is the appearance of varied themes. Novels these days are not confined to narrating fictional tales instead they tackle a variety of themes. Sarita Dasgupta’s debut work Feathered Friends is an illustrated collection of Aesopian stories about forest birds learning to live in harmony with each other, while growing into independent individuals. “The appeal of graphic novels these days is not limited to their story lines, how these stories are told plays a huge part as well. My book is set in the thick of the forest, where there are all kinds of birds. Each bird is gifted with a special talent and purpose, and together they enrich each other’s lives as well as their own,” she explains. She thought of experimenting with this genre as it has a great advantage over regular text-only books. She believes that illustrations help in understanding a concept in depth. “A lot can be conveyed through images which work almost like imprinted moving pictures,” she adds.

Another young writer Tejas Modak too agrees. He is the author of the graphic novels Private Eye Anonymous: The Art Gallery Case and Animal Palette. “I am a storyteller. My pursuit is to tell stories through words and pictures that will entertain, enthral and inspire people for a long time,” he says. Even though cartoon strips in newspapers and magazines are very popular, no theme is beyond the reach of actual graphic novels, he adds. His book revolves around Anonymous, a wise detective with a flair for ironic humour and a knack for finding trouble. “It’s a mystery novel, illustrated with stylish graphics and peppered with some intelligent humour. The suspense unfolds when Anonymous is hired to protect paintings from art thieves and things don’t quite go as expected,” he adds.

Tejas Modak

In the past, many Indian books like Amar Chitra Katha, Chacha Chaudhary, Tintin, have captivated readers of all age groups. And the new authors continue the legacy in their own way. “Those are evergreen, but today with changing tastes and styles, graphic book creators are adapting to new trends, which would have been unimaginable two decades ago. They are no longer just confined to narrating fictional tales; instead they tackle a variety of themes,” says Bharat.

Tejas, who has grown up reading comic books, feels that illustrations in the book make things more entertaining. “If you can entertain folks as they are learning, they will retain more of the information,” he adds.

zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

Originally published on The Golden Sparrow