Seriously graphic: Graphic novel is now set to reinvent itself

When images and words team up to tell a tale, it’s a powerhouse of a narrative. But over the last few years, the graphic novel has remained on the fringes of the Indian publishing industry and failed to hit the best-seller lists. Attempting to resuscitate its fortune and strengthen its standing, the graphic novel is now set to reinvent itself — in a new serious avatar. A host of new graphic novels are now focusing on real world issues like culture, gender, social class and relationships. And they are entering segments like biographies, anthologies, and also infotainment texts to help teach subjects like physics and calculus.

MATURE THEMES
“A graphic novel offers greater scope for handling mature themes and issues,” says Jatin Varma, founder, Comic Con India. “In the last few decades, several graphic novels have made the genre popular and have given it the respectability that it deserves. Graphic novels are now recognised as a medium for serious storytelling.”

Agreeing with him, Girija Jhunjhunwala, director, Campfire Graphic Novels, says, “Graphic novel format helps in narrating story more effectively and makes serious topics like World War II more interesting. We have also seen a rise in the readership of biographies. Many a time people do not pick up a biography daunted by its size but it interests the reader in the graphic format as it’s thinner and the format helps develop familiarity with the subject and makes a story more personal. There are things that can’t be communicated through just words. Visuals illustrate our subconscious labyrinth while the words lead the plot.”

INFOTAINMENT AND ANTHOLOGIES
Teachers and educators have realised the important role that graphic novels can play in education, points out Girija. “Young readers often find bland text boring. The sequential image-text combination makes graphic novels a good tool that can supplement textbooks, as they make the subject easier to understand. In this manner, graphic novels can be used as a fun and entertaining ‘infotainment’ medium to teach various subjects. Graphic novels have, in fact, even been used to teach complex subjects like physics and calculus,” she says.

Orijit Sen, one of the first to tap into the potential of this format to raise awareness about the Narmada Dam Project issue in 1994 with his book River of Stories, says, “Anthology is another area that works well in this segment.”

He adds, “We are good with short-form narratives. There are few artists who have created some amazing stories in this form. India is yet to publish a strong and powerful long form narrative that matches the international standards.”

MAINSTREAM ATTENTION
There is an emergence of a growing library of Indian graphic novels of the non-fiction variety that is attracting a strong community of creators and readers, says Girija, who is hopeful that the genre will slowly find acceptance among a larger section of readers.

“Graphic novels have their own devoted readership,” says Ajitha G.S., senior commissioning editor, HarperCollins India, adding, “In a graphic novel, the art and text are treated as one whole. The whole of it works or does not work. There is no formula to how there should be of each. Appupen’s graphic novels, for instance, are entirely (or almost so) silent. Amruta Patil’s novels are very talky. Vishwajyoti Ghosh and Sarnath Banerjee use text and art to equal effect. None of these disregards either text or art. They use them in different ways so that the particular story they are telling works most effectively.”

Talking about the growth of graphic novels in India, Orijit says, “It has come a long way but is yet to get the mainstream attention. Big publishers are still way behind to tap the full potential of this segment and educate the consumer about the same. Unlike West, in India we do not have publishers fully focused on comic publishing and funding artists. Self-publishing is increasing but because of lack of editing skills, it is way behind international standards. Most of the artists have full-time jobs as not many publishers agree to provide advances during the time the work is created. This creates a big challenge for the artist to fully focus on the work.”

Campfire Graphic Novels is holding a month-long exhibition titled ‘Telling Stories Through Pictures’ at IHC to educate people about graphic novels.