Comics explore serious issues

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Comic books are coming of age. The 70-year-old Archie comics for teens features the first gay wedding between characters Kevin Keller and partner Clay Walker in its new issue. Indian comic book authors attest that new-age comics are taking up contemporary issues and portraying them in a more popular and easily understood way.
Adhiraj Singh, a comic book author from Mocha Coffee & Conversation says, “Comics are the safest medium to reach out to the unfashionable minds. A comic book called Hush by Prateek Thomas depicted child abuse and molestation of girls in school. Though my comics are mostly based on humour and actions, I would like to focus on women’s rights and empowerment in my future comic series.”
New-age comics are now offering a realistic reflection of our life. While Amruta Patil’s multi-hued and deeply engrossing Kari (Harper Collins) is a narrative of two suicidal lesbians who jump from a building, The Barn Owl’s Wonderous Capers talks about issues of caste and social aspirations of the middle class in a light manner.
A Delhi-based organisation, World Comics, comprises of grassroot activists, cartoonists, artists and students, who write comics as a medium of self-expression. From problems faced by tribals to corruption, these comics reflect their understanding of the social issues.
“Comics have the unique potential to portray issues that can be complex to communicate. More than mere fantasies, contemporary topics are turning themes of comics in a big way. Now, all over the world, comics are used for health and political issues,” says graphic novelist Vishwajyoti Ghosh of Delhi Calm fame, a graphic novel which depicts contemporary Indian history and the dark days of Emergency.
Seconds Shweta Taneja, a fantasy and mythology comic author. “Comics or graphic novels are increasingly dealing with issues that are here and now. Sita’s Ramayana by Samhita Arni and Moyna Chitrakar, which talks about gender bias in our society, and Kabul Disco that discusses Americans in Afghanistan are some of my favourites. I feel that comic readers are more open to reading about issues that are brushed under the carpet or talked about only in whispers in our society. With readers accepting comics as a mature medium, issues like pre-marital sex and changing norms of dating and love can be explored through comic or graphic novels in future,” she says.
But Neel Devdutt Paul, editor, Tinkle Digest, shares a different point of view. “While internationally comics have always been a tool of satire and social commentary, Indian comics haven’t really gone that way. Mainly because the target age groups have traditionally been younger readers. However, things are rapidly changing. At ACK (Amar Chitra Katha), we are in the process of developing a magazine that addresses issues that teenage audiences will identify with, and casts a humorous light on them,” he sums up.