A city might be an interesting cauldron of stories that inspires creative minds. But for a flaneur, a combination of narratives might create a series of stories — interspersed with dialogues and pictures.
For three comic artists, Bengaluru-based George Mathen aka Appupen, Cochin-based Gokul Gopalakrishnan and Delhi-based EP Unny, cities are their canvases of imagination.
Appupen and Gokul, known for their alternate comics works are pushing the boundaries to create something that is surreal within the real world. Unny, known for his news cartoons reflects the changing world through his sketches. Their works on display at The Flaneur in the City exhibition at Galleryske in Bengaluru, are an apt representation of what the world around us looks like now. Interestingly, the exhibition raises the question of comics and its evolution in India.
The graphic narrative which has been in existence for years seems to have taken a leap with many graphic novels getting published. But it isn’t the best phase as yet. “The comic art scene in India needs to be consolidated if interesting work needs to be done. Publishers are not sure about what the readers want. A graphic novel looks beyond a comic book and this gap needs to be bridged,” says Gokul. His narrative A Superhuman Existence, questions if a super hero is valid. Gokul says, “There is no such thing as a superhero who dictates terms, I have explored this idea and believe that we need to be the superheroes and save ourselves.”
A few artists also take the viewer on a fantasy trip. In Appupen’s work, the world of Halahala is brought alive. Halahala, is a mythical world that shares its name with a deadly poison in Indian mythology. “I got into comics with Batman. But when people started looking for alternate comics by independent artists, that’s when my idea of flushing the world of Halahala came up. It’s a created world that takes the viewer into a fantasy world. I was impressed with Herge’s works. Even if I create a quarter of a fantasy like what he created, I would be happy,” says Appupen. While the two young artists consider their comics to be alternative, veterans think otherwise. Unny, who is known for his news cartoon characters, thinks the comic world has many streams, instead of a only a mainstream. “For comics to be able to survive, the notion of mainstream must be eliminated. The more the merrier,” says Unny.