Graphic Novels: A Personal History

An edited version of this appeared in TOI Chennai today.

It was the summer of 1988. I, safely perched atop my father's knees, was doing a dramatised reading of Chacha Chaudhary Aur Raka. By muscling my way through multiple polysyllabic Hindi words I was adding to the joy and pride of my parents.

Years passed, Chaudhary got replaced by hordes from the DC and Marvel universe. In between was a sporadic sprinkling of Amar Chitra Katha and Raj Comics followed by regular heavy doses of Tintin and Asterix. And then there was a summer spent in college reading manga (Japanese comic books) back-to-front and right-to-left.

With age, my fascination with sequential art remained undeterred and I felt myself gravitating towards stories of a higher literary calibre, told with an economy of words and deftness of brush strokes. These were stories that painted a broad canvas of human emotions in a way that I found very different from the more conventional text-only prose.

Definitions abound (a quick search on the internet will show you that), and are often confusing and contradicting. The Americans started calling this medium Graphic Novels and the Japanese Gekiga to differentiate it from comics and manga. It covers fiction as well as non-fiction, but is clearly meant for a mature audience. It's all encompassing when it comes to genres. And its impact on pop-culture cannot be ignored.

Since most graphic novels are printed and published abroad they can leave a sizeable hole in your pocket. Though popular titles are now easily available in bookshops, it is advisable to do some scouting based on your prior tastes and preferences. There are also a handful of Indian graphic novelists out there - Amruta Patil's Kari and Sarnath Banerjee's Corridor would be my recommendations.

But if you are like me, and on a monthly basis spend a large chunk of your hard earned money on books, then give a holler next time you are in a bookshop. I'll most likely be in the graphic novel section ogling at Volume 1 and 2 of Absolute Sandman.

Sandman sits on the thin line separating comic books and graphic novels and is still the only comic book to ever be on the New York Times Bestseller List. Written by master story teller Neil Gaiman it was originally published in 75 issues that were later released in ten volumes. It is now being re-released in four Absolute volumes. The story revolves around Dream of The Endless and weaves characters from mythology, literature and history in genre-bending ways.

One of the most anticipated films in theatres this year is Watchmen, an adaptation of a graphic novel of the same name created by Alan Moore (writer) and Dave Gibbons (illustrator). Included by Time Magazine in its list of "the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present" don't let the fact that this is a story about caped crusaders fool you into thinking that this is another comic book meant for children.

Fans of Tarantino and Rodriguez would love to read Lone Wolf and Cub - a staggering epic created by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima in the seventies. These 28 volumes of manga (a total of 8700+ pages) are set in Tokugawa era Japan and tell the tale of a master swordsman and his young son. This masterpiece has served as an inspiration for some of the most brilliant moments in world cinema over the last 30 years.

Based on Paul Auster's story City of Glass (from his acclaimed The New York Trilogy), City of Glass: The Graphic Novel serves as a successful example of an adaptation carried out by independent artists of a previously published piece of prose. David Mazzucchelli and Paul Karasik's artwork takes the story to a dimension the original author could have never imagined possible.

And then there is A Contract with God by Will Eisner, the book that cemented the term Graphic Novel into modern lexicon. It is a collection of short stories set in a Depression-era-affected Jewish community of the 1930s.

Other interesting titles for collectors - Blankets by Craig Thompson, Bone by Jeff Smith, The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and Maus by Art Spiegelman.

Superhero

My story Split Infinitive and the Destroyer of Worlds has just come out in a new collection by Scholastic titled Superhero. Soon available in all leading bookstores.

... and Other Unlikely Stories

My story Sneezed out of Existence has just come out in a new fantasy anthology by Scholastic titled The Moustache Maharishi and Other Unlikely Stories. Check it out at your nearest book store.

A Pregnant Pause

Nine months away from the blog (ignore the last two blog entries) – shameful for someone who is addicted to writing and the internet. Yours truly can always conjure up a multitude of excuses, but what dear reader would be the point of such a futile exercise? Instead let me elucidate, nay, wax eloquent about my life in general. Forgive me my hubris (and the hoity-toity language), for I have never seen happier times.

Here goes – got published (have more writing projects in the pipeline), acted in two large theatre productions (one more on its way), started doing film reviews, became a creative consultant of sorts, sold my old IIT comp (miss you buddy), finally made the switch to Nokia from Sony Ericsson and …

An eventful and memorable year, which makes me look forward to the next one with greater expectations.

I am not one for resolutions, but am addicted to To-Do Lists.

To-Do in 2007

Blog regularly
Keep track of books and movies seen
Travel extensively
Get back into quizzing
Attend Clarion
Learn to play the guitar
Maintain contact with old friends
Write, write and write
And …

Seven Science Fiction Stories

Alive

Visit http://aliveindia.co.in and spread the message

Aargh!

Every now and then I reach the conclusion that the Universe has nothing left to teach me. Or that whatever else is left, is either useless or redundant. I wallow in the splendid muck of my ignorance. And then the Universe drags me out, gives me a cold shower, cleans me from head to toe and proceeds to give me a whipping which would make any Los Angles dominatrix proud. I hear you loud and clear Universe.

You.
Are.
My.
Daddy.

My faith in humanity is shaken. Aargh!

In other news the US visa system sucks.

8 Count

from my bed
I watch
3 birds
on a telephone
wire.
one flies
off.
then
another.
one is left,
then
it too
is gone.
my typewriter is
tombstone
still.
and I am
reduced to bird
watching.
just thought I'd
let you
know,
fucker.

Charles Bukowski

The Book of Answers

* I have been on a break of sorts the last few weeks. Lots of parties, great friends, excessive amounts of booze, no rest, no writing, no sex (grrrrrhh!!), otherworldly ideas, otherworldly confessions, retrograde amnesia, lacunar amnesia, Korsakoff syndrome, no books (uggh!) … Did I mention great friends – they make up for everything. Absolute indulgence!

* I have absolutely no pitch control while singing. This hurts because I think I have a genuinely good speaking voice (even Pacino doesn’t sing, so there).

* Trying to write Science Fiction after a long time. And this is supposed to be for 12+ kids – a very tough crowd. But I feel inspired. Only, I haven’t started writing yet (maybe after this post). Currently going through what I could label a writer’s block of sorts.

* Have put down the following in ‘things to do in life’ – bring back the craze of board games (currently working on an idea). Have put down the following items to buy from my first (already finished that, ok! second) writing pay check – a PS3 or Xbox 360. Get back to video games.

* Found this book called the Book of Answers - essentially a more elaborate magic 8-ball. I have decided to make all crucial decisions for the next three months based on my magic 8-ball. It makes sense to lead life with the following probability distribution – 50% Yes, 25% No and 25% Ambiguous. If one is as strong a believer in the complete inter-connectedness of things as I am then it makes complete sense to trust an icosahedral answering device. The Chinese used I Ching. I could use this. Throw logic completely out of the window and trust a ball. That’s my new motto – trust the ball!

* Went to Goa. Saw a guy getting his ass kicked at Calangute beach. What an awesome sight. I haven’t been in a fight for a long time. I remember the last time I was slugged (though not in a fight). I had to beg a drunk junior to take a swing at me. He obliged. I was left with an inch long gash on the inside of my mouth. What sweet misery. The pain was intoxicating. Someone want to open a real Fight Club?

* Want to spend a full day speaking in free verse. Will ask P. She’ll be game for such an exercise.

* Read the 12 part Crisis on Infinite Earths again after a long time. Somehow I have always preferred Marvel over DC. But this is a classic, though it did lead to more confusion in the DC universe.

* Been doing some research on the anatomical juxtaposition of two orbicualris oris muscles in a state of contraction. Henry Gibbins, Sr. MD (1808-1884) must have been one jobless bugger. Check out some philosophical kisses here (My favourite – a Nietzscheian Kiss).

That Was the Week That Was

I have condensed the last three weeks into one+. So the Tuesday following the Monday need not be the same good old Tuesday. It never is.

Saturday: Gave the IELTS at the Residency Towers (right opposite Bike and Barrel). Reached the test centre half an hour early. Irresistible urge to down a couple of beers. Resisted. Some how. Test - complete snooze fest. Slept off for ten minutes during the Reading Section. Found the Writing Section tedious. After test drank 2 beers in 5 minutes and left. Saw Sub (don’t know her name) for the fourth time this week. She brushed past smiling.

Sunday: Woke up late. Went for the Speaking Section (interview) at Residency Tower. Talked about neighbours and happiness. Interviewer was this nice middle aged woman. Enjoyed myself for a change. Was generally excited. Wanted a tour of fantasies – so decided to meet the fab-four (they are not a group, different girls). To my amazement saw all of them. Sub at Subway. Usual flirting on the lines of ‘are you stalking me?!’ Much laughter. Exchanged numbers. Decided to meet sometime. Saw N (she looks hot with those spectacles). Met U at gym (realised gym has not been a good socializing place in the past). U has bad habit of flexing and exposing in the men’s area (in retrospect it isn’t a bad habit). Forgot about completing fantasy. Evening went out with good old Ra-to-the-power-2. He’s always good company. Found M at Zara. Was amazed and astonished. Universe has been looking out for me. The fantasy was carried out. Spent night thinking about the complete inter-connectedness of things.

Monday: Wrote a parody of Woody Allen’s The Whore of MENSA. Happy with the result. Evening went for a play reading at house of Ra3. Partied afterwards at the same place. Met some interesting people. One called D was quite enchanting. She left early. Good old Ka, Ra1 and Ra2 (different from Ra-to-the-power-2, have decided to call Ra2 – the artist formerly known as Richard – he was pleased) proved good company as usual. Left at 2 AM.

Tuesday: Slept all day. Realised that I poke people with my big toes when drunk. Use it as a method of communication. Found the reasoning behind this bacchanalian habit interesting. Wrote down these observations for future use. Saw some TV.

Wednesday: I don’t like the middle of the week. A very confusing time. Edited over five thousand words. Don’t remember much else.

Thursday: Met Ra3 at Amethyst. Had lunch and talked. Saw a group of girls on the adjacent table. Memorized one of them. Vivid image. Struck by her eyes. Evening went for King Kong premiere. Peter Jackson is a genius. Andy Serkis should be nominated. The movie should earn $ 2 Billion. Movie has shot straight to my top 5. Decided to stop at Hi-Look for bread-omelette. Met old friends. Felt good. Went home. Wrote all night.

Friday: Bad morning. Felt tired. Had to go judge an event some place. Event was starting late. Had three black coffees. Pain in back started. Event was good. Memory from previous day materialised herself next to me for about two hours. Those eyes. Felt inspired. Felt a fever coming on. Back was in bad shape. Did something foolish. Would regret next day. Still went home and wrote for six hours. Then died. Well almost. Slept for the longest possible time.

Saturday: Slept all day. Evening met the tribe (may we flourish). Told them about Eyes. Told them about foolishness. Was chided and made to feel guilty. ‘Dude! Expected you to act with greater finesse’ So did I. Went home and slept some more.

Sunday: Met the tribe again. Have realised that a good ol’ self destructive streak would be fun. Feel like a stubborn kid who always wants the forbidden candy. A strange evening. Weird confessions from everyone around.

Monday: Wrote a lot. Carpal tunnel syndrome about to strike. Have taken a decision. Need the Universe (as usual) to assist.

Tuesday:

Aced IELTS
Finished Reading:
The Pythons Autobiography by the Pythons
A Book of Illusions – Paul Auster
Freakonomics – Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner

Was there a point to all this. May be!