Rimi Barnali Chatterjee: Arfabad

Vi segnalo il racconto di genere fantascientifico Arfabad, di Rimi Barnali Chatterjee, pubblicato in italiano, solo in edizione digitale, da Delos Digital. Nel comunicato ufficiale si legge:

'Rimi Barnali Chatterjee, nata nel 1969 a Belfast da genitori bengali, ha conseguito il dottorato presso l’Università di Oxford nel 1997, e dal 2004 è docente di inglese all’Università Jadavpur, a Kolkata (India). Ha contribuito insieme al collega Abhijit Gupta a un programma per includere i fumetti come parte degli studi di Lettere. Collabora alla rivista di fumetti Drighangchoo, (...) prodotta dal dipartimento di inglese dell’università. Ha pubblicato tre romanzi, oltre a diversi racconti e graphic novel; sta lavorando a una pentalogia di fantascienza intitolata Antisense Universe. Il racconto Arfabad è ambientato in questo mondo; alla stessa protagonista, Zigsa, è anche dedicato il fumetto How Zigsa found her way, che Chatterjee ha pubblicato in un’antologia HarperCollins India. Il racconto Arfabad è apparso originariamente nell’antologia Multispecies cities, ed. World Weaver Press, 2021'.

Meet the Indian superheroes

[Archivio]

Vi segnalo l'articolo Meet the Indian superheroes, di Veenu Singh, pubblicato da Brunch l'8 dicembre 2013:

'Homegrown superheroes have been around for more than 25 years. Raj Comics’ collection of desi superhero comics have garnered a huge fan following not just in India but even in countries like Nepal and Bangladesh. Started in 1986 by publisher Raj Kumar Gupta, Raj Comics first began as Raja Pocket Books and published detective novels for children. Fuelled by the collective passion of Gupta’s three sons, Raj Comics gave a new lease of life to Indian comics, and also created a range of Indian superheroes. “When we were kids, the only Indian comics available were Amar Chitra Katha,” recalls Manish Gupta, CEO of Raj Comics. “Indrajal comics were almost dead. So there was a big gap. We decided to create our own Indian superheroes (largely based on Indian mythology) by getting some of the best creative writers of that time - Pratap Mullick, Dilip Kadam and Anupam Sinha - to flesh them out.” Today, though mostly published in Hindi, the comics also have special editions in English and are branching out in other Indian languages. (...) A look at some of the best-known Indian superheroes.

Nagraj

Nagraj

Who is he: The very first superhero, created by Raj Comics in 1986. The inspiration came from Spiderman. Raj Kumar Gupta, owner of Raja Pocket Books, was the one who suggested that he should be called Nagraj - the king of snakes. Nagraj’s blood cells have the power of snakes.

He fights against: Terrorism. Nagraj is known as the nemesis of all terrorists.

Area of operation: A fictional city called Mahanagar.

Look and costume: Nagraj doesn’t have a specific costume, but his body is covered with a snakeskin. He wears pink underwear and has a snake for a belt. However, when Nagraj needs to mingle with ordinary people, he covers the snakeskin. Even his hair is set in a way that it forms an ‘S’ shape. Currently, Nagraj is shown working as the manager of a security agency Snake Eyes. His new name is Nagraj Shah.

Personality: Nagraj has high moral values. He drinks only milk, he thinks it’s cool and healthy to drink milk. He is known to go to bars and ask for milk. (...)

Friends: Panchnag, a group of five superheroes who help Nagraj.

Love interest: While it’s not exactly a romantic entanglement, Saudangi is a snake woman who actually lives in Nagraj’s body and comes out to help him whenever he needs her.

Doga

Doga

Who is he: A man with a past. Doga has a dog-like mask on his face. That’s because he was brought up in inhuman conditions. After he was born, his parents dumped him in a dustbin. A daku [bandito], Halkan Singh, picked him up and used the baby to save himself from the police. But after that, he took the baby to his hiding place and the child literally grew up with the dogs and was even treated like one. Doga has a big following, including filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who is reportedly making a film on him.

He fights against: Any evil against humanity. He believes in uprooting problems rather than addressing the symptoms.

Area of operation: Mumbai. (...)

Look and costume: Doga dresses like a normal human being during the day. He goes by the name of Suraj and works as a gym instructor.

Friends: He has some sidekicks like Lomri (a fox) who loves him (though Doga is unaware of this) and Inspector Cheetah. Doga also has an army of dogs that work for him. He understands their language and values their loyalty. 

Dhruva

Super Commando Dhruva

Who is he: The son of circus acrobats; he is a trained acrobat too. His parents were killed in a fire, which seemed like an accident, but wasn’t. So he became a super commando to avenge their death. He was adopted by the police officer on the case.

He fights against: Any and all kinds of crime. But Dhruva always works within the law.

Area of operation: A city called Rajnagar.

Look and costume: He doesn’t have any specific look. His costume is very similar to that worn by circus acrobats. He has an array of gadgets to help him in times of trouble. His bracelet has a starline rope, and small blades pop out when needed. He always wears skates and a utility belt that stores flares and smoke bombs. He rides a motorcycle and is an expert at it. (...)

Personality: Super Commando Dhruva is the only superhero within a family setting and he upholds family values. He has a sister (the daughter of the police inspector who adopted him) and is very close to her.

Friends: He has his own commando force of Peter, Karim and Renu.

Love interest: Natasha is the daughter of Rajnagar’s biggest criminal and had her own force. But after meeting Super Commando Dhruva, she fell in love with him and is now a part of his squad.

Parmanu

Parmanu

Who is he: Parmanu has the power of atoms in his special suit, designed by his maternal uncle who is a scientist. His parents and schoolfriend were murdered and he was saved by his uncle who raised him. Now, Parmanu wants to take revenge with the help of this special suit.

He fights against: Criminals. He never takes the law in his hands though.

Area of operation: Delhi.

Look and costume: During the day, he is inspector Vinay, but in a crisis he dons his special suit with which he can fly as well as transport himself to any place. Parmanu can even reduce his size. He uses the power of atoms to create atomic blasts.

Friends: Pralayanka (Mamta Pathak) is like a superwoman who likes Parmanu and helps him. Sheena Mathur is the love interest of inspector Vinay. Probot is the robot created by his uncle to help Parmanu.

Bhokal

Bhokal

Who is he: Bhokal was born in the fairyland of Parilok but when some people from Earth killed his parents, he came to Earth to seek revenge. But a strange thing happened when he visited our planet. He found out that his real parents were also Earthlings.

He fights against: Any injustice or crime.

Area of operation: A fictional city called Vikasnagar, ruled by a king called Vikasmohan.

Look and costume: Bhokal dresses like a warrior as he is a warrior in the king’s court. But when he utters the word ‘Bhokal’ he magically dons his superhero persona - green and pink armour and a magical, unbreakable sword and shield.

Friends: Tureen (she is his wife now), Shootan (he can hypnotise anyone), Atikroor (powerful and heavy set). (...)

Shakti

Super Woman Shakti

Who is she: Shakti was a regular married woman who was severely wronged by her husband. He killed their girl child and when she found out, he tried to kill her too. But Kali the devi saved her and gave her the power to save women in distress. Shakti lives as Chanda in Delhi with a friend and works as a nurse in a hospital.

He fights against: Those who commit crimes against women.

Area of operation: Delhi.

Look and costume: Shakti has a very contemporary look. She wears a tiger skin and has a third eye (usually covered with a headband) that opens in extreme situations. She can generate fire with her hands and has the ability to change any metal into a weapon.

Friends: She works alone.

Parmanu

Doga e Shakti

Shakti

Topolino 3038: Topinadh Tandoori e la rosa del Rajasthan

La nostra Diana in questo periodo è impegnata con la sua bimba, ma giusto qualche minuto fa mi ha passato una succosa dritta: il numero 3038 di Topolino, in edicola oggi, include una storia tutta indiana, Topinadh Tandoori e la rosa del Rajasthan - Un musical bollywoodiano a fumetti, con danze, colori, rime e, naturalmente, un matrimonio. A seguire sei pagine di testo e fotografie dedicate al cinema indiano. 

 

Yomics

In India il mercato editoriale del fumetto è, tanto per cambiare, in notevole espansione. Da qualche anno le grosse produzioni bollywoodiane utilizzano il fumetto quale veicolo promozionale, e versioni grafiche delle pellicole di maggior successo vengono talvolta incluse nei cofanetti di dvd. Oggi Yash Raj Films ha lanciato il suo catalogo di graphic novel sotto il nuovo marchio Yomics. Sono già acquistabili i volumi dedicati a Dhoom e ad Ek Tha Tiger. In preparazione quello ispirato a Hum Tum (il cui protagonista era proprio un fumettista). Il progetto è affidato a Uday Chopra.

Autori vari: Amul's India

Vi segnalo la recensione del saggio Amul's India, firmata da Anwesha Mittra e pubblicata oggi da The Times of India. Nel subcontinente il burro Amul è da cinquant'anni un'istituzione. Le campagne promozionali commissionate dall'azienda sono rimaste praticamente invariate nella concezione, ma con uno slogan nuovo (e una vignetta nuova) quasi ogni settimana. In modo arguto e colorato commentano qualsiasi argomento, dalla politica alla cronaca all'intrattenimento. Un fenomeno pubblicitario forse più unico che raro. Il volume include anche un contributo di Amitabh Bachchan.

'Amul’s little moppet in a red polka dotted dress and a blue ponytail delivered on a regular basis a humorous take on everything that bothered us, everything we thought deserved a repartee. Like a true spokesperson of the masses, she rose to every occasion, be it a cricketing double century, scandals surrounding politicians, to controversial diplomatic policies, with an infallible gut and a tongue-in-cheek attitude. And in the process made Brand Amul synonymous with honesty, purity and subtlety.

Since her birth in the 60s, (...) she has remained an icon of sorts in the advertising world, surviving odds of the trade and yet being steadfastly consistent. Our impish little Amul girl today not only looks the same, but retains that crispy cheekiness with which she pranced into out hearts the first time and said naively, “Give us this day our daily bread: with Amul butter.” As a deserving tribute to Amul’s journey across five decades and a massive advertising success on its back, the book Amul’s India is an attempt to deconstruct the brand, the little things that went into making a heroic success of the Amul girl, sentiments of its makers, and of those who loved to pass by an Amul hoarding each time. Like a celebration of the memorable Amul hoardings, the book in a non-linear pattern chronicles decades of having fun with subjects such as politics, Bollywood, sports and personalities among others. (...)

The journey was of course not a seamless one as the brand landed up in a couple of legal wrangles only to emerge unfazed and stronger than ever. (...) But there were those like painter M.F. Husain who loved Amul’s ‘Heroin Addiction - Fida on you’ that had the barefoot artist paint Bollywood diva Madhuri Dixit, and requested for a personal copy for his studio. (...)

Amul’s India is another interesting way to get different perspectives on popular ads that formed an inexplicable part of our growing up years. (...) Amul through various hoardings over a period has mocked at men, celebrated female achievements or at least brought them to the fore, and depicted the rapidly changing status of women. (...) Some popular brands lost out to competition in a desperate bid to change their mascot. Time and again companies attempted to reposition themselves, but Amul never did. It didn’t have to, nor does it need to, for we prefer its unvarnished views of India in that ‘utterly butterly delicious’ manner'.

The Obliterary Journal - Volume 1

The Obliterary Journal - Volume 1 è una succosa antologia di fumetti indiani. Riporto di seguito un estratto dalla recensione di Indrajit Hazra, pubblicata ieri da Hindustan Times:

'If it’s hard to get butts to move into galleries and for people to go out and see contemporary, edgy works of art in your city, one way of going about things is to bring the proverbial mountain to Mohammad. Which is what this omnibus does by bringing excerpts from longer graphic narratives (not all of them being standard strip cartoons) and panels from art works (illustrations, photographs, paintings etc) between an easily accessible pair of covers.

What is overwhelmingly evident is the serious way in which this volume - the first among future anthologies - deals with being playful. The strip cartooned foreword itself marks this tone firmly as it presents the book’s manifesto: pictorial devices waging war against textual forms. (...)

The range of graphic narratives on display in The Obliterary Journal is impressive. The standard comic book format is showcased in the excerpt from Jai Undurti’s (story) and Harsho Mohan Chattoraj’s (art) ‘The Hyderabad Graphic’ at the beginning of the book. The artwork is ‘traditional’ - black and white inkwork realism - but what makes it more than a usual story is the high literary tone of the narrative. (...)

The treatment is straightforward with the complete comic book story ‘Nowhere to Run’ by Anasua (story) and Subrata Gangopadhyay (art). This story of a zamindar’s son in 1971 Calcutta running away to join the Naxalbari movement is maudlin. Barring for the kitsch value, there really isn’t much here.

Far, far more interesting is the breath of fresh air that one encounters in the genuinely poetic single-page art works by ‘Durrrrk Mixer Grinder Serial No. 30277XM03’ and Malavika PC (illustrator) titled ‘One Score and Three From the One Gross’. The description of ‘Durrrrk’ as the ‘writer and medidator’ of 23 single-page works is apt. The zen-like quality of the image of a gigantic bird’s talons holding up an unconscious figure in shorts with his binoculars (...) or that of two viral creatures shouting ‘Mayhem!’ and ‘Plutarch’ at each other touches on a playful beauty.

‘Autoraj: Caught By Traffic’ is an eye-catcher, where Zen Marie turns Bangalore auto-driver Rajuna into a photo-montage super hero bashing up baddies in frozen frames. What Maries does is set her auto heroes in the same hyper-kitsch zone in which Magnum photographer Thomas Dworzak placed Afghan men in his book, Altered Spaces: Taliban Portraits. The effect is hilarious-interesting, a good zone to be in.

The book ends in the truly superlative ‘Emerald Apsara: The Adventures of PR Mazoomdar NO. 19’ by Orijit Sen. The artwork is deceptively traditional panel cartoons. But the narrative is one opium smoke caught in a bottle. I won’t give the game away, but the ‘short story’, showing a figure with his face covered, flying in a balloon-powered scooter and approaching a Rajput palace in the opening panel, is visual narrative art at its finest'.

Aggiornamento del 7 aprile 2022: nel 2014 è stato pubblicato The Obliterary Journal - Volume 2.

Roberto Cardinale e Stefano Nocilli: Kepher#4 - Resurrezione

Kepher#4 - Resurrezione, il quarto albo della miniserie fantascientifica a fumetti di Roberto Cardinale e Stefano Nocilli, è ambientato in India.

Yukichi Yamamatsu: Stupid guy goes to India

Yukichi Yamamatsu, autore giapponese di manga, nel 2004 visitò l'India allo scopo di promuovere le sue opere. Da quel viaggio, Yamamatsu nel 2008 trasse Stupid guy goes to India, un esilarante fumetto tradotto ora in inglese, da leggersi rigorosamente da destra a sinistra. Riporto la recensione di Kavita Lal, pubblicata ieri da Hindustan Times:

'Obsessed as we are about how the Anglo-American writer sees facets of India and presents them to readers in that part of the world, this comic book description of a Japanese man’s dealings with contemporary India is a change. Yukichi Yamamatsu visited India for the first time in 2004 as a 56-year-old manga artist with a sole purpose: to sell manga comic books in a country that doesn’t have them. This conceit forms the basis of Yamamatsu’s comedy routine as a stranger in a strange land. This isn’t a book for those looking for confirmation about India being an ‘!ncredible’ land for tourists. “I had no interest in sightseeing, so I refused,” Yamamatsu tells us in a panel about shooing away a hotel guide. “But no matter how much I said ‘no’, he stubbornly persisted. So I kept saying it in as many ways as I could.” (...) As soon as Yamamatsu lands in Delhi airport, he starts his adventures that increasingly resemble classic cross-cultural slapstick comedy. There is much situational comedy, heightened by the fact that Yamamatsu never stepped out of Japan before. Standard tropes such as clingy touts, ever-following beggars, smarmy streets and smarmier public toilets acquire some freshness courtesy cartoon depictions. (...) Some of the gags are repetitive. (...) But Yamamatsu’s depictions of most of the people he encounters as shouting - making him think they are angry at him for no reason - is funny. (...) The right to left reading of the panels takes a while getting used to. But Yamamatsu and his Indian publishers are successful in getting many of us our first taste in the mainstream manga format. This story is as much about a funny foreigner bumbling through Delhi as it is about how an Indian city can be for unsuspecting tourists'. 

Aggiornamento del 25 marzo 2022: nel 2014 è stato pubblicata la traduzione di un nuovo volume di Yamamatsu, Stupid guy goes back to India.

Annual Indian Comic Con 2012

La seconda edizione dell'Annual Indian Comic Con si svolge a Delhi dal 17 al 19 febbraio 2012. Sito del Comic Con India.

Aggiornamento del 20 febbraio 2012 - Children drifting away from comics, Hindustan Times:

'The second Comic Con India (...) showcased a huge range of heroes, both new and old. (...) But the children who were once the biggest lovers of comics were largely absent. (...) Abhishek Sharma [autore di Munkeeman] agreed that more children were now increasingly drawn to interactive media. (...) "This generation of kids is more tuned in to watch television or surf internet, than read comics. (...) I'd say it is just organic growth. With increased avenues of entertainment, the kids prefer those which are more eye-catching. Most of the comic lovers are from our generation". (...) The annual event celebrates the use of cartoons and comics in the ancient Indian tradition of story-telling. (...) Indeed the comics with their increasingly darker themes and subjects seem to be catering more to young adults than kids. From epic tales being told from the antagonist's perspective, such as Ravanayana, to a graphic novel by Ari Jayaprakash based in Sonagachi, the world famous red-light district of Kolkata, the new comics seem to be breaking new grounds in story-telling. Jayaprakash said this trend meant that comics were gathering acceptance even with more mature audiences. "The central character of my story is an Aghori woman. It is based in an alternate Kolkata, which has become a dark place. Set in Sonagachi, the story has a lot of mature themes," he said. Incidentally, Aghoris were the central characters in more than one novel. Aghoris are devotees of Lord Shiva and are said to follow practices such as staying in charnel grounds and cannibalism. Indian superheroes, such as the Avatars of Vishnu, were also a big subject for many books. However, while the stories largely followed the mythologies, the illustrations had a lot of western and Japanese-style Manga comic influences with elaborate costumes and character details'. 

Abhishek Sharma: Munkeeman

Il regista Abhishek Sharma si lancia in un progetto del tutto nuovo: firma Munkeeman, un fumetto ispirato al fantomatico Monkey Man. Tere Bin Laden director pens graphic novel, Hindustan Times, 13 febbraio 2012: 'The graphic novel is said to be inspired by Monkey Man, a half-monkey, half-human creature, which allegedly attacked and petrified people in Delhi in 2001. This was also used as a subplot in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's film Delhi-6. “It is not just an ordinary comic. It is a tale of a monster who thinks that he's a superhero. It is a tragedy of a brother who loves his stepsister. It is an experiment of a scientist that has gone horribly wrong. It is after all a comic with a decent dose of sex and violence,” Abhishek said in a statement. “Why Munkeeman? That's the question every person who remembers the mass hysteria of 2001 is going to ask. Well, my answer is simple - he has been ignored for a very long time and before he comes back to draw some more attention to himself, let's give him his due. This is his story in his own words. He wanted someone like me to make a movie on him but for now this is the best I could do," he added'.