Wednesday 8 December 2021

                                      Q&A with graphic novelist Nandita Basu

Rain Must Fall  is author Nandita Basu's second graphic novel ( The Piano being the first). It is a tender coming of age story of a teenager and her friendship with a ghost and how they both help each other to resolve personal contentious issues. A wonderful story, which will appeal to all teenagers as well as adults.

Here's a brief Q&A with Nandita, conducted over mail.

Q1. So let’s start from the beginning. When did you realise you wanted to be a graphic novelist? Are you a professional visual artist or self-trained?

Well I was in my twenties when I was introduced to Franco-Dutch graphic novels by a friend and that world drew me in completely. I was into writing but this introduction changed my expression. As far as being an artist goes, I am not trained. I used to draw comic panels and illustrations to entertain a very dear friend of mine who was terminally ill. Writing stories and drawing was a way to brighten up her day.

Q2. What in your opinion is more important in a graphic novel – the visuals or the story?

It’s actually a very delicate balance. Words and visuals are constantly in conversation with each other, and if any one of them become dominant, it could just end up sounding like an argument. I suppose it is much like brewing a good cup of tea.

Q3. Since you also play the piano, was your first graphic novel (The Piano) partly autobiographical?

No, it’s not autobiographical. But having said that, I think every writer ends up expressing some part of their life sub-consciously in a book. Of course the piano, Marcus Aurelius is a real piano that I own and I do relate to it as more than an inanimate object . But I have never had to lose it thankfully. But that’s where the similarity ends.

Q4. Now about your latest (2nd) work- Rain Must Fall. How did this come about?

Honestly, I don’t plan books. They just happen. So in this case. Rain just fell. It took me about four months to finish it. This was right in the middle of the pandemic. But I must add, it was not because I had a lot of time on my hands then:) It was quite the contrary. So I have no idea how Rain Must Fall ended up happening. It just did.

Q5. How did the idea of using a ghost (albeit a friendly one) as an important character come to you?

We are all ghosts inside, aren’t we!! The spirit is the finer part in us, ( that’s my belief) and it is beyond boundaries of society . So I felt the friend Rumi had to encounter quite literally had to be out of this world. Besides, When I was about 14, I had a great desire to meet the ghost of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and hang out with him. Of course that never happened. That was also an inspiration for Rain.

Q6. Rumi is rather an unusual name for the teenage protagonist. Any specific idea behind it?

Yes, I love Rumi’s poetry. This poet found eternal truth and in that way his name stands for freedom for me. For me that name represents going beyond the physical form.  I wanted the main character of my book to carry a name that speaks of the same freedom. It also fit the character because  I didn’t want a conventional gender oriented name for the protagonist.

Q7. Do you think confusion regarding gender (as in the case of Rumi) is a common phenomenon nowadays amongst teenagers? If yes, why?

Well, I don’t believe it’s confusion. It’s more about someone confronting their own truth. And it’s a process, the time involved can be different for everyone. The way one approaches it can also be different. These days teenagers are more aware and have a lot more avenues and information which they can access when they identify differently. So that just gives them more space to express and even start understanding their own feelings. That’s the only reason one gets to see/hear about it more.


Q8. I think in India there’s still low acceptance of boys opting for activities traditionally associated with girls ( like the character of Dada in the novel). What do you think?

Absolutely, but if I may add, the Arts as a discipline is not a preferred professional choice for most families, (I don’t think this is restricted to India alone). Add that to a boy and it’s a recipe for disaster.

Q9. Rain Must Fall is a much longer work than The Piano. Was this intentional? And how long did it take to complete it?

Yes, The Piano was meant for a different age group. Another thing I wanted to convey in that book was a sense of time passing without the reader being caught in it. So the briefness was important. Rain Must Fall, is meant for a slightly older audience , also the story has a lot more emotions, the characters needed a little more depth as opposed to the one’s in The Piano. Like I have mentioned earlier I finished it in four months.

Q10. Do you write down the story first and then work on the graphics or both the things go on simultaneously?

It’s integrated. I actually see most of the pages and hear the dialogues in my mind before I write and draw. And once I start drawing/writing it’s all at the same time.

Q11. Both your works have been in monochrome. Why so? Also, would you like to continue in the same vein or add colour in future?

Well, one reason is I feel I have more control when I use black and white. Also, it is more cost effective for the publisher. I do not see my self using a full colour palatte even in the future. It would at best be 3 colours.

Q12. Any major influences? Which is your favourite graphic novel?

Well inspiration maybe. Influence would mean I would have to be insanely talented to integrate certain art styles in my work. I don’t believe I fall in that category. I love the work of Comes (Belgian/Dutch graphic comic artist), I adore the illustrations of Sukumar Ray. I don’t have one particular favourite book, but the one’s that come to mind right now – Stilte (Dutch), Persopolis, Maus.

Q13. How do you think you have evolved from your first graphic novel to this one?

Well, I always seem to have a problem knitting the middle part of a story, I think I am getting a little better with that. But maybe the reader will know better.

Q14. What is your next project?

Like I said before, books happen to me. So when the next story decides to appear I will start engaging with it. Right now there are just glimpses of it, so there is not much to say there.


You can buy the book here - https://bit.ly/32ujRkK


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Sunday 21 November 2021

Getting to know Shakti Comics, new publisher of Phantom comics in India

Q & A with Shakti Comics


Q1. Congratulations on your first issues of Phantom, Mandrake and Flash Gordon. 

Tell us about the response you are getting?

A. The response is tremendous. It is beyond our expectations whether it is Hindi, English or

Bangla. We are getting lots of emails, messages and phone calls from readers mentioning

that they are happy with our work and our sellers are also very happy as the stock they

acquired initially is sold out very soon and almost all of them reordered.
 

Q2. Tell us briefly about Shakti comics. Since when are you in business? Who are the team

members?

A. Of course, Shakti Comics has actually been here in the comic field since 2004, then, it

was a retail shop in Meerut (near New Delhi) where people used to get comics on rent. 

In 2020, we launched it online and started publishing in 2021. The Team Members are:

 

1. Mr. Shankar, a very senior Phantom Phan since the times of Indrajal comics

2. Shakti Studios: takes care of translation and cover art management.

3. Artist: we have Anupam Sinha Sir onboard, well renowned Indian artist who has

created many Indian Super Heroes.

4. Ankit Mitra: An International Level Art enthusiast: Phantom Cover Artist.

5. Subhomoy Kundu: Nostalgic Art Enthusiast: Bengali version Production Head.

 

Q3. How / Why did you decide to get into publishing from retailing?

A. It was a great experience to make sure comics were reaching readers through our efforts

in the new normal. Still there was a huge void to be filled as there are only a few publishers

that too are producing very few new stories. Then we decided that our role should be

changed from retailer to publisher to do something for the Indian comic industry, especially

for regional comic fans who have a limited number of titles to read.

 

Q4. How/Why did you shortlist Phantom, Mandrake and Flash Gordon for your first

publication?

A. Yes! Here comes the question… When we decided to switch our role. 

We were thinking of many  stories and characters… then Mr Shankar suggested 

why not Betaal (Hindi for the Phantom)? 

 The obvious answer was “Regal has that…” 

Mr Shankar then  asked why they are not printing in Hindi?

So, we contacted King feature syndicate and acquired the rights for Hindi and Bangla

(exclusive) and English (shared with Regal). 

During the discussions with King Feature Syndicate we locked Mandrake 

and Flash Gordon also. Today, we are very happy with the response

from the public for all three characters.

 

Q5. Are you a Phantom and Mandrake fan yourself?

A. Yeah… I read all Indrajal comics on rent during my childhood, some of them I purchased

and collected also.

 

Q6. What are some of the challenges that you faced while coming out with the first issues?

A. Most of the team members were new and not much aware about the Phantom except Mr.

Shankar that too upto 1990.

After that we were totally untouched by the changes that came to the Phantom universe. 

Then in India  we do not have Phantom artists for cover arts also. 

But still we managed and results were in front of us.

 

Q7. We already have a publisher for Phantom and Mandrake comics in India i.e, Regal. 

How are you different from them?

A. We are focused on making a premium product. Regal has the phantom and Mandrake but

not Flash Gordon nor the rights of Hindi and Bangla. And for Phantom also the stories are

different. Apart from that we are focused on making every issue a more collectible one in

every aspect… cover art… back cover design, story title… binding and paper quality of

international standards.

 

Q8. How do you explain the recent growth of interest in Phantom and Mandrake comics in

India?

A. It was always there… English readers were always enthusiastic about them. Now the

Hindi and Bangla readers are also getting these through us so we are happy that we are

bringing them in regional languages as well.

 

Q9. The first 3 issues have come out in 3 Indian languages-Hindi, Bangla and English. Do

you plan to publish in other regional languages as well?

A. Yes, if we will get enough demand then we will definitely be happy to publish in other

languages also.

 

Q10. How difficult was it to find a good translator for the Hindi and Bangla version?

A. Hindi translation was not so tough as we all are quite good in Hindi and English. 

But, yes Bangla translation was a little difficult. Initially, we gave the responsibility 

to a translator but he could not cross the bar, then it was given to Subhamoy 

and team and they did it very well.

 

Q11. You have chosen a very different, smaller size for the comics (~ B5) as compared to

Regal or Frew. Any particular reason the same? Will you continue to publish in the same

format?

A. There are three reasons:

1.The size is very good for KFS strip placement.

2. Also Indrajal used to come in the similar size

3. In this size there is no wastage of paper… and Phantom loves the Jungle.

 

Q12. How do you choose the cover artist for the comics?

A. Initially we wanted to put some amalgamation of Indian touch to Phantom that's why we

chose Anupam Sinha and Subhomoy to revive the nostalgia. But now we are taking it more

seriously and the theme is more important. Some artists do bright stories well, some do dark

ones better like Ankit Mitra. So, we are going according to that.

 

Q13. What will be the frequency of publishing these comics?


A.    We would like to catch up on a monthly publication scheme

 

Q14. What are your plans for the future? Are you going to add more characters to your

publishing list?

A. Yes of course we will add more characters. Some are already in contract. some are in

process. Also, indigenous stories are in the pipeline.



You can order your copy of the comics here - https://www.shakticomics.com



One stop shop for your favourite literary merchandise - https://booksetcstore.com


Sunday 3 January 2021

Interview with new Phantom artist - Sanjay Valecha

Hello Phans,

Hope you have enjoyed reading the 2 Christmas special Phantom comics from Regal publications (Kerela,India) which came out in December 2020. The artwork in the stories (written by TonyDepaul)  is by one of my favorite Phantom artist -Paul Ryan.
The cover artist for one of these 2  comics was the seasoned Indian Phantom artist - Vincent Moses Raja.(We interviewed him earlier and you can find that interview on this blog).

The other cover was drawn by a new artist - Sanjay Valecha. It features a 'pumped up' Phantom taking on the bad guys along with his trusted partner Devil

We managed to talk to Sanjay and given below is a brief Q&A with him


Q1. Tell us briefly about your background.Are you a professional artist? Where exactly do you stay? 

My name is Sanjay Valecha. My home town is Neemuch (Madhya pradesh - A state in Central India).  Art is my hobby but I have made it  my part-time profession since last 2 years. In this time I have worked on  at least 10-12 comics for different publishers and many other book cover and concept arts. I couldn't complete my study, due to personal reasons, but I am studying now from distance education. I am working at Municipal council Neemuch as a computer operator.
Earlier I was working at a printing press as a graphic designer in part time. I gives at least 4 hours daily to my illustration work.

Q2.  Who were your inspirations? Did you get inspired by any particular artist? 

From my childhood I loved  reading comics. They are two Indian comics artists who always inspire me, first is Mr.Dheeraj Verma and the second is Mr. Edison George a.k.a Manu. I like both of them for there artworks and art techniques.

Q3.  Are you a Phantom fan yourself? When were you introduced to Phantom?

Of-course I am a Phantom fan. I have read many comics of Phantoms and I have a collection too

Q4.  Have you drawn Phantom for any other publication earlier?

No. It’s first time I have drawn Phantom for any publisher.

Q5. How do the current Phantom artists compare with the classic ones like McCoy/Sy Barry?

The classics had their own style  which is very different from the current artists.They can't be compared

Q6. What do you think is the reason for Phantom's enduring popularity in India?

I think the  simplicity of the stories of Phantom's comics is the main reason for the enduring popularity in India.

Q7. How did you  get to draw the cover for the Phantom comics by Regal?
      
 Being a passionate illustrator, I saw an ad of Regal comics and I contact them to do the cover .

Q8. Did you receive any guidelines from King Features to draw the cover?
      
 No

Q9. Were you able to read the stories before you drew the cover ?
        
 No

Q.10. Do you draw digitally now or the traditional way using paper and pencil?
        
 I draw in the traditional way using paper and pencil


Q11. What has been the feedback so far on your cover art for the Phantom comic?
      
 I   have not received any so far (  Phans go ahead and tell him what you felt about the cover art. Feedback is always good for the artists)

Q.12 Would you like to do a complete Phantom story someday?

Yes, of course. If I  get the chance, I would love to do it

Q.13 Do you accept commissions and how can people contact you for the same?
          
You contact me  at +919009291167 or mail me at svalecha2013@gmail.com


If you are having trouble getting hold of Phantom comics by Regal contact them directly at 94810 52592


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