Men of Strategy

Not often will you come across comics of this style. Even in manga, this particular type of manga is rare. I have encountered very few of its ilk, and have greedily sought out other works which I might consider similar. The reason for my vagueness shall be made clear, for this style of manga that I am talking of is not really an existing genre. The artwork is unique, in its duplication of the real world. Not a manga of handsome heroes then. Come on, take a walk down any street. How many movie star beautiful people will you see out there?

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The Beautiful People...Beautiful people...aaaaAAA

Humans are many, and not all get to be pretty. The main protagonist of this manga looks a beggar monk. And not a handsome young man clad in a beggar monks clothes, no. An actual beggar monk. It deals with the warring states period in China's history. A time which is fascinating to me, it was the kind of conflict that breeds a lasting Empire. And it did. The story deals with the Qin (Pronounced Shin I think) Emperor, founder of the Qin dynasty. And it deals mostly with the time he was just another king amongst many. Ruler of the state of Qin. All the kingdoms of the time were at war with each other, competing for supremacy. However Qin revolutionized the war, and conquered one kingdom after the other.

Locust style

It deals with a fictional (Or possibly derived from folk tales) clan of martial artists/scholars. I say scholars cause thats pretty much what they are, some are scientists and yet deadly assassins, Inventors are also killers and the main protagonist is deadly in all arts of war, yet looks a Buddhist monk. These deadly skills however have been accrued for one reason only. To prevent war. They are the Clan of Bokk. And they have just agreed to aid the tiny city of Ryo from an invading army of the Zhao empire. The army sets up camp across the river from the city and begins to amass. With no standing army and only peasant conscripts to rely on, the King of Ryo is left clueless. The Bokk send one man to aid the city. Kakuri the Sage of War. But what can one man do against an entire army? Can sheer intellect and the power of strategy truly turn the tides in a war already lost? Well, you will have to read it to find out.

Click and be amazed. Also gasp, spoiler!!!

The arts style is monstrous in its detailing, reminding me in some panels of early Berserk. Some pages will simply hypnotize the reader with the level of detailing, as the mangaka strives to display war in all its glory. Nothing is spared to the imagination. Blood and gore, are clear and present although never used as a crutch. The storyline is topnotch and filled with quite a few twist and turn. And the manga itself runs short enough to be completely satisfying by the time it ends.

And I mean completely satisfied.

So indeed, lovers of stratagems and the many arts of war, brothers and sisters sworn to the Red God, manga lovers from all walks, and just anyone who likes comic books. Read Bokko, its a classic manga from start to finish. It will change some of your pre set notions about manga. History buffs will have gala time, and once you have read it. You will be searching for more manga of its type. Same ugly faces, realistic yet highly detailed art. Art you can get lost in, and a storyline that is tight and complete. You wont find many like it. Cause as I said before, its not really a genre. They are mostly historical, though some like in fantasy, others in horror. You will have to do some looking.

Who knows they might make a genre out of it soon.

A Big Halloween Treat: An Interview with How It Should Have Ended

Since most everyone who reads Comic Addicts is too old to go trick or treating we decided to give a big ol' treat anyway. We were able to have a chat with the folks at How It Should Have Ended (HISHE). They were really cool folks who were happy to chat with us.

For those unfamiliar with HISHE it's a couple of guys, and a gal, who decided that movies didn't always end the way they felt they should have. So they started doing their own parody endings much to the amusement of many people. We here at Comic Addicts were curious about some of the things over at HISHE and here is what they had to say:

Rajat Reviews: Muhmmad Ali: The King of the Ring by Campfire

Who on earth has been alive anytime in the last 50 odd years and hasn’t heard of the King of the Ring? Muhammad Ali, the one true champion of the masses.

Campfire brings to us the legend of Ali in the form of a captivating graphic novel written by Lewis Helfand and beautifully illustrated by Lalit Kumar Sharma and it was launched in the Comic Con Express along with Jungle Book.

Ali is considered to be a true champion and one of the greatest sportsmen ever by many critics.

He was not only a Boxer but also a philanthropist and a social activist. Ali, as most of us would know, was born Cassius Clay, but converted to Islam after joining the Nation of Islam out of protest against racial discrimination, which was predominant and popular in the 60s in America, despite several laws and social protests against any form of racial prejudice.

Ali has been a legend and an inspiration to people of all ages and era, and not without reason.

Lewis Helfand has done a fantastic job of compacting the immensely colorful like of Ali in a slightly less than 100 page comic, which was then brought to life by none other than our very own resident genius, Lalit Kumar Sharma.

Click on the image to view full size

Blame!Blame!Blame!

BLAME!

As in, the sound effect accompanied with the thought of a gun being fired off. Not blame. Today we go for an acknowledged classic. Tsutomu Nihei’s masterwork, Blame!. Although it ties into a whole lot of side stories and even a One shot or Two, I still like to consider the series itself as stand alone. Allows the story a lot of legroom, space to breathe. Leaves a whole lot of questions unanswered. And you know what? I kinda like it that way. Blame!, or Adventure seeker Killy in the Cyber Dungeon Quest if you prefer is a story told in stark monochromes. Not just in the color scheme. Which yes, indeed is monochrome.

The protagonist wakes up somewhere in an endless dungeon known only as 'The City'. Endless or at least so massive, so as to seem endless. A focus is granted to the story by means of a search, a quest if you may. Killy as our hero is known, is searching for someone. He has been searching for so long that perhaps he has even forgotten what it is he searches for. Yet he continues. His search is for Net Terminal Genes, a possibly extinct genetic marker that will allow humans access to the Netsphere again. In a world where most humanity has regressed to neo tribal structure his search is almost hopeless.

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This City itself is divided into compartments that are completely sealed from each other. These Megastructures house entire civilization remnants isolated from each other. The only weapon powerful enough to break through is Killy's Gravitational Beam Emitter, or the Gravity Gun as I like to call it. It is clear that the protagonist himself is not really human, being closer in fact to the Safeguard, the defense mechanism of the City itself who endlessly hunt Killy. The story is revealed at a breathtaking pace, the reader will surely be hooked until the final page is turned. For the story is made even more intriguing by the fact that it raises more questions with each answered one. The artwork is stark, high contrast is used to dizzying effect. Some of the panels are moving in their simplicity and directness. Others can strike a chord deep within by their subtle imagery. Either way you look at it, Blame! is a trip. It spirals at breakneck speed, sometimes even out of control but winds down to an exhilarating climax. One you will have to read yourself to find out.

Oh special mention is the level of sophistication provided by the mangaka to the Sci Fi world inhabited by Killy. From the weaponry, to the uber powerful Gravity Gun, to the all encompassing, all consuming AI, to the Netsphere to the very concept of Net Terminal Genes. Also many of the minor characters Killy meets along the way are well developed enough to be called major characters of the series in their own right. A feat only someone of Tsutomou Neihei could have accomplished. The Sci Fi world created here is rich and diverse and scarily believable. It is not hard to imagine a future existing as provided for in the manga. A bleak future to be sure, but a future all the same.

Comicon Express Mumbai : A Comic Addict's journey from Delhi to Mumbai

It was a Friday night (yesterday, apparently) and the world was partying, while I was in the office, trying to wrap up my work as soon as possible so that I could go back home and finish my packing. After all, I was leaving Delhi early morning for Mumbai to attend the Comic Con Express – Mumbai representing Comic Addicts

Try hard as I might, it was 11.30pm before I could leave my office and reached home at 12.15am, past midnight, and was dead tired. Took an hour to pack up, another hour to grab a bite and rest my feet for a while and do my part of the preparation for the Comic Con. It was almost 3.30am by the time I was done, and the reporting time for our flight was 5.30am, so I decided not to close my eyes, coz if I did, I was pretty certain that I would miss the flight.

 At 5am I called Mayank and from his greeting it was certain that he had just got up!!! I told him to hurry up and left for the Airport. I reached at 5.30am and strolled around a bit and try to get some fresh air, for a change. I was expecting these guys to arrive any second. At 5.45am I called Mayank and he told me that he was just leaving his house!

Anime Review Presents – SAMURAI CHAMPLOO

Konnichiwa minna!

Has everyone been indulging liberally in anime while I was gone? Your oujo sama spends a lot of time watching anime and reading manga, and tends to get lost in those worlds – all for you! All so that I have recommendations that people will enjoy. Ready for what I have this week?
Samurai Champloo is an old anime, originally aired in 2004, and ever since it’s debut continues to remain one of the classics in the field. Set in the 'Edo' period, the story is centered around Fuu, a 15-year-old girl who works in her uncle’s teahouse. A random series of encounters bring her together with two ronin – Jin and Mugen – whose lives she saves, only to insist they help her find ‘the samurai who smells of sunflowers’. Though vague initially, the antics of the characters keep you sufficiently entertained, until just enough of the central plot is revealed to make you wonder what’s going on.

EXCLUSIVE PREVIEWS: Zombie Talkies!

Welcome my friends to yet another round of awesome previews and news for you as we inch closer and closer to this weekends sure-to-be-awesome Comic Con Express in Mumbai!

Today we bring you another crazy comic that will be launching at the Convention, ZOMBIE TALKIES! Starting off as a script for a film project that was originally titled “Shaadi of the Dead” in keeping with the legacy of zombie flicks like those of the legendary George Romero, the comcis creator had a moment of truth/ saw the light/ saw through the matrix (or whatever analogy you prefer) at the San Diego Comic Con which led him to see that the adventures of the un-dead can be just as big a genre here in India as they are in the west.

So with the blessings of film icon Shekhar Kapur and a zeal to share their vision far and wide, the creative team not only kept working on the movie (which is now on its way to theatres near you someday soon!) but also decided to do a comic book – a couple of young up-and-comers in the form of Harshvardhan Kadam and Anish Patel came on board and along with Vaspar Dandiwala formed the team that started bringing this graphic gore-anza to life.

With a working title of “Bollywood of the Dead” they threw themselves into their tasks like a sacrificial lamb to the zombie hordes below and now we finally get to see where all this has brought us.

Having a sit-down with Holy Cow!

You've all been aching to learn more about upcoming issues of Ravanayan, we've all been teased by art from Skull Rosary and been enticed by hints of much more still not revealed – well be at peace good readers!

We at Comic Addicts have finally nailed down the elusive creative head of Holy Cow Entertainment (HCE), Mr Vivek Goel himself along with some of his creative co-conspirators and now bring you an in-depth and honest talk about what in the coming months will make you exclaim “HOLY COW!!”

Thanks for taking out time to sit with us Vivek, its a real pleasure.

To start with, tell us how does it feel to be at the forefront of changing face of indian comics?

It feels great, honestly. Finally I have got the chance to do the things I always wanted to do, the projects, the kind of art, stories, experimentation with different art styles without being answerable to anyone. Also, I love teaching comic book art and with HCE, I finally can do that. Being a self taught artist I understand the value of time and if it took me 2 years to prepare myself I can cut short that period for my young interns to 8 months under proper guidance thereby infusing new blood in Indian comics which we seriously need at this point of time.

How did the idea for Holy Cow Entertainment germinate? what are you looking to do within that banner?

It basically started with a need and a want. A need to give myself a stable platform as an artist and a want to something unique in the form of projects of different genres, giving independent ideas a stable platform. Now is the time that creators take control of their own content and the only way possible is self publishing stuff.

Our basic aim under the banner of HCE is to unite the artist writer fraternity, to give them creative freedom so that they can deliver the best possible comics for the Indian market. The Indian comic industry is very disorganized and fails to understand that we need to work together in order to flourish together as comic making is a team work, no single person can rule it!

Exclusive Preview: Retrograde!!!

The wonderful portable digital dictionary on my computer describes the word 'Retrograde' as 

Retrograde [re-truh-greyd] adjective, can be used in several contexts:

1. (astronomy) moving from east to west on the celestial sphere; or--for planets--around the sun in a direction opposite to that of the Earth
2. Of amnesia; affecting time immediately preceding trauma
3. Going from better to worse
4. Moving or directed or tending in a backward direction or contrary to a previous direction

Going by the preview images, I'd say it contains elements from all of these and more!

My dear readers, I feel extremely pleased to introduce you to the upcoming 2-part Graphic Novel by our very own fellow addict, Akshay Dhar.

Retrograde is being published by Pop Culture Publishing, who are also the good people behind Comic Con Express - Mumbai, which is taking place on 22nd and 23rd October in Mumbai! I'll be there, will you?

A great reason for you to be there will be to get your hands on the first issue of Retrograde. It is being launched at Comic Con Express - Mumbai, on Day One. I wouldn't want to miss out on this one. Retrograde along with the next issue of Ravanayan are on my personal top 'must-haves' list for this season.

We have the first five pages of Retrograde for your viewing pleasure. They are more of a teaser, if you ask me, coz the point at which the preview ends is nail-biting and gripping enough to keep me excited until the 22nd of October!

It is a story set in a post-apocalyptic world where only a handful of individuals are left, fighting for survival and a chance to live their lives again, as few men (and women, of course).

This One's for the Girls!

This is for all of the geek ladies out there. Halloween is a great time because you can always look forward to dressing up as your favorite super-heroine and going out to parties or what not, right? The big question is this: why do costume companies feel the need to slut up the costumes?

We're geeks, we know that if the gals in the comics were real they would be anatomically lacking proportion and the outfits they're wearing are completely impractical. Still we accept it as we read comics because it's fun. There's something empowering about a woman in a tight leather or spandex outfit and heels beating on some thug at least twice her size. Still the question remains, why make those costumes any skimpier than they already are?

The other part of that is they make slutty versions of the guy superhero costumes too. No one is going to believe that just because you're wearing a shiny red mini skirt and yellow glasses that you're Iron Man.

What You Should be Reading : Dan Slott’s Amazing Spider-Man hits the Big Time!

(Click to enlarge!)

I’m usually not one for clichés, but Spider-Man and Wolverine are right up there in my list of all-time favourite comic book characters. The story goes that I came back to reading comic books three and a half years ago, a time when both characters were beginning with their respective iconic runs, with the rotating team of Web-Heads (Joe Kelly, Dan Slott, Fred Van Lente, Mark Waid etc.) on the Amazing Spider-Man and Jason Aaron (of Scalped fame) on Wolverine : Weapon X and later the new volume of Wolverine (and now Schism and Wolverine and the X-Men). For today though, let’s just save the talk on Aaron’s Wolverine for another day and concentrate on what Spidey’s been up to of late.

(Click to enlarge!)

The Run-Up

See, the story leading up to Slott’s solo run really starts with the Spider-Man crossover event One More Day , co-penned by the then ASM writer Joe Michael Straczynski, a.k.a. JMS (grudgingly) and the then Marvel Editor-in-Chief (and now Chief Creative officer) (Seriously, someone cast this guy as Perry White already, he loves being called chief) Joe Quesada. It involved Peter Parker making a deal with Mephisto (essentially The Devil) to save his (once again!) dying aunt in exchange for his marriage with Mary Jane Watson being erased from history. It was basically Marvel’s attempt to de-age Spidey and bring him back to his “more relatable roots”. Fans were obviously angry and plenty threatened to boycott the series. The initial year or so of Brand New Day, which was essentially what followed One More Day, was a critical disaster, as the writers were too concerned with establishing the new status quo and new villains, who felt a lot like rip-offs of classic members of Spidey’s Rouges gallery. However, once the dirty work was done,

NOTES AND SCREENGRABS FROM THE AVENGERS TRAILER

 So yes, finally on the 11^th of October 2011, Marvel has released the first theatrical trailer for the Avengers.

If you have been living under a rock the size of Switzerland, you can check it out down here.

• We know Nick Fury has some kind of information on an impending threat either from Loki or someone else in a sequel, which is why he starts assembling the team.

Yeah, I'll take a Royale with cheese... (Click to enlarge awesome-ness!)

• The general tone Mark Ruffalo’s Banner is being handled with seems similar to Norton’s, which will hopefully make this transition a lot smoother.

FML! (Click to enlarge awesome-ness!)

• ScarJo farts fire.

(Click to enlarge awesome-ness!)

A quick word with Abhijeet Kini, doodler extraordinaire!

Hi Abhijeet. Its great to have to speaking to us today hopefully we'll get lots of info out of you on whats ahead!

So its been almost nine months since the Delhi Comic Con, and we are now edging towards Comic Con Express - Mumbai. Excited?

Totally! Having the comic con come to my city was something I had always been waiting for, and here it is!

The horror... (Click to enlarge)

What made you decide to take a booth this time around at the convention and what can your fans expect to find there?

I had a lot of interactions with people at the Delhi Comic Con, without a stall to start with, and it was nice to see people finally being able to put a face to the names they’ve read in bylines - mine being one of them. So I decided to go for one this time around and have people know where to come and find me. Also, I’m going to be having some limited edition merchandise, featuring my artworks on it. Also on sale is an ambitious project I have been working on along with talented Delhi-based writer Anupam Arunachalam, called “Milk and Quickies”. We are completely looking forward to have people read this one!

Whats next after UBiMa? We have heard rumours of a sequel and there are definitely fans of the character looking to see more Bee-hari action – any light on the horizon?

Haha, I have heard similar rumours about the sequel too. And if they are true, well, the Bee-hari hunk would be back soon…we’ll have to wait and see. Besides this, I have been busy over the last few months with a couple of comics for Tinkle (more on that soon) along with the usual Tinkle stuff I do (Butterfingers, Defective Detectives, Sea Diaries, etc), and also some independent projects, one of them being “Milk and Quickies”.

Review: HABIBI by CRAIG THOMPSON

Who says you can't write a Graphic Novel about Islam? 

 There have been a lot of issues for anyone trying to depict Allah or his Prophet Muhammed. 

Cartoons, like that which was published in Jyllands-Posten, a Dutch newspaper caused controversy which ended up with the cartoonist having a Fatwa (holy kill order, assassination) placed on him. The offending cartoon can be found below. 

And that was from a Dutch cartoonist. 

Recently, a very important and interesting graphic novel was written by Child Psychologist Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, a Kuwaiti. The 99 series is based around the 99 names of god in Islam. 

Exclusive RAJ COMICS Preview: Antardwand

Credits

Antardwand. The inner struggle.

Bhokal - The protector of the fairy folk, the warrior who fights for truth, justice and freedom is back in a awesomely drawn issue by Hemant, with a story that looks extremely promising!

Continuing from Dhikkar, Antardwand promises to be an intruding tale of Gods, Demi-Gods, Sages, Saints, Power, Struggle and the ultimate attainment of Power.

Intro: Antardwand - The Inner Struggle

Prince Alop is after the Bhokal Shakti and has started an intense penance which will bring him what he currently desires.

This has caused some hoolaboo among the Devta Gan, who assemble to discuss the situation with Shiv.

The preview looks very promising and after Dhikkar, I am kindda excited to read all about Bhokal’s origin which in itself, by the way, is one of the first "Origin events" in the Raj Universe - all of which is happening after the actual character launch. Most of the origins until now have been given around the early starting days of the character, like Nagraj, SCD, Doga etc. This series is a new direction that Raj has boldly decided to go and that too for a character that is already well set.

So the inner struggle continues and I just can’t wait to get my hands on this one!

Halloween Film/TV Recommendations for Comic Geeks

In keeping with the wonderful advice we give you, our readers and fellow geeks, along with staying within the Halloween spirit today we're going to help you with a dilemma you may be facing. You may be asking yourself, "How do I fulfill the need for something creepy to watch AND get my comic book fix at the same time?" Well here is a list of films and TV shows that will hopefully help to fix that problem.

Swamp Thing

Either the films or the TV series will work. It has mutants, action, and suspense. Not to mention that it stars a comic book hero who can manipulate the elements, and oh yeah, bring people back from the dead. How cool is that?!

The Incredible Hulk

For this one we recommend the series rather than the movies. Why? The series had a much more Frankenstein's monster feel to it. Of course there is also the comic hero thrashing on the bad guys too.

Hellboy

The live action films and the animated ones are great for that comic book creature feature need. There are monsters galore, evil spirits, and a demon trying to keep the peace. Besides, what's not to love about a wise cracking demon doing a blue collar job?

REVIEW!! Year One: Batman / Ra's Al Ghul

Writer: Devin K Grayson
Art: Paul Gulacy
Collects: Year One: Batman/Ra’s Al Ghul issues 1 and 2

After so long, we return to the caped crusader in a series of one shots titled as Year One which detail the first meetings of Batman and his cohorts with Gotham city psychopaths (Year One: Two Face, Year One: Scarecrow) or just detail their experiences with handling the hero job (Batgirl Year One, Robin Year One, Nightwing Year One, Metamorpho Year One). Nowadays, any title which connects to Batman’s early days or preliminary experiences with crime fighting is automatically considered to be a Year One story (Batman and the Monster Men, Batman and the Mad Monk, Batman: The Long Halloween), all brought about by the phenomenal success of the original, one and only one Batman: Year One with story by Frank Miller and art by David Mazzuchelli (see review here).


Well, this isn’t one of them.

The game is afoot! Comic Con Express, Mumbai - Cosplay Chaos and Coolness!!

Dear Addicts,

Click to view in it's full-sized glory!

If you thought that Batman, Scarecrow, Wonder Women, Wolverine, Jafar, Joker and all the other awesome character - wonderfully donned by our very sporty Cosplayers in Delhi - were good, then you're in for a joy ride my friend, coz Comic Con Express Mumbai has declared the gaming season!

If the response in Delhi was a pleasant surprise for you, this one will be nothing short of Brahmic Bliss.

Mumbai's first ever Comic Convention - Comic Con Express has announced the Costume Contest open!!!

Click for full, glorious detail!

Oct-22 and 23, 2011, Mumbai will be the culmination of the glorious cosplay culture from all across India.

You will not only get to meet like-minded geeks, fellow fanboys (and girls, of course), be popular and cash in your 15 minutes of fame - as Mr. Warhol predicted - and overall have super fun, you can ALSO win some totally mind-blowing PRIZES!!!

Yes, you heard me right! So if you yell Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and break into a jiggy jazzy dance, I wouldn't really blame you. I'd have done the same, if I wasn't dance impaired!

So take out those threads, those sewing needles and machines, spandex rolls, capes, hats, overcoats, swords, guns, claws, lasers and anything else you have been stashing for years and get down to it, coz one thing is for sure! None of us Addicts are going down without a hell of a fight!

Wonder Bai and I'll see you there Bub.

Yours,
Fellow Addict. 

MARVEL NEWS: The Return of Soldier-X himself!

Welcome back to more wandering and wayfaring folks, its good to be back bringing you the slices of random awesomeness!

(Click to enlarge!)

I wanted to ease back into this after a month spent tirelessly and chaotically chasing down copies of the DC New 52 hot-off-the-presses and reviewing them after each week's Wednesday release – whoah was that a ride! Never did we think (me and my cohort, Anubhav – take a bow man!) that we would actually have to make ourselves read comics just to get through them to review them on time!

But now it is past, and while we here at Comic Addicts will keep on bringing you news from whats up with the new DCU, today we're venturing into other realms – more specifically Earth-616, or to the unfamiliar: The Marvel Universe.

Our topic for today is the impending return – in the centre of the next big Marvel-wide story arc – of arguably one of the most popular and definitely one of the most divisive and controversial characters among fan-dom. He has been known by many names: Nathan Winters, Soldier X, Nathan Summers, Nathan Dayspring Askani'Son, Priscilla (shout to to Deadpool fans!), etc, etc... but to most of the comic-reading and cartoon watching world-at-large he's simply Cable.

I'm not going into the character history and all that – its way longer and more intense then I can commit to just this one column/article/whatever, so just follow my link above to his bio over at Marvel.com and check it out for yourself at your leisure.

In the meantime, down to business!!

5 QUESTIONS with New Zealand Illustrator, Michel Mulipola

5 QUESTIONS is were I asked 5 questions of New Zealand Comic Book Creators, Writers and Artists.
This week I got a hold of Samoan Artists, Michel Mulipola and asked him the 5's. I met Michel through the local comic shop where he works in Auckland. Aside from being professional illustrator, Michel also wrestles in the local Impact Pro-Wrestling NZ. His character Kid-Liger's mask's adorn t-shirts. His illustration work is viewable on Kid-Liger. 

EXCLUSIVE: From the desk of Vivek Goel...

AMAZING!! 

Dream a dream...

The only word that comes to my mind when I think of the Indian comic convention is “Amazing”. Trust me when I say this, Comic conventions are probably the best thing that have happened to the Indian comic industry in the last 10+ years.

Project Ravanayan and the minds behind it were totally unaware of it during the 1^st Comic Con at Delhi and we, along with so many of our peers from outside Delhi, were not planning to visit it. But things totally changed as out of the blue an invite came to team Ravanayan (Vijayendra Mohanty and me) to attend the Comic Con and to conduct a workshop and an autograph signing session there. I spoke to my partner Vijayendra and decided that this is probably the best platform Ravanayan could ever get. I did not have any firm plan worked out to start Holy Cow Entertainment (HCE) by that time, I mean it was a bit dicy… I can now proudly say that it was the one of the few but best decisions that I took, that changed my position in the world of comics.

Manga Madness and the Big Cats.

Woah trippy. I hope this isnt yaoi.

Far away, across mists of time and space. Perhaps in a different world or simply in a different time there exists a land of golden Savannah. It is flanked by a dense forest, but its plains are vast and glow with the warmth of the sun. Proud are the lions who call this place their home. Humans and cats alike. Welcome to the Land of Lions, home to a proud warrior race. A lion is fierce and strong and defiant till the last, few can look a lion straight in the eye and hold its predator's gaze. Fewer still can walk away to tell the tale.

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I smell yaoi... -_-

Cassandra Jean's delightful fantasy webocomic/webmanga series caught my eye quite a while back actually. However on finding only three chapters available I simply filed it away as interesting in my memory and moved on. I recently rediscovered this gem and was greatly pleased to find stoic progress in the storyline. The story itself is the tale of the Knight Errant retold in the artist's own delightful mystical cloud. The lions are tall and strong, their hair golden and air proud. The Panthers who are their neighbors are dark haired with a thirst for knowledge. And surrounding these nations are other animal kingdoms. Gators and Crows, Oxes and Jackals and many more. The narrative follows Faris, First Knight of the Lions and his companions. They seek the Cup of the Gods to heal their king. Sound familiar?

Indeed good sirs and ladies it should. A tale of the round table is redrawn and reborn. However as I often say it is in the telling of tales that true magic lives. And in this telling Cassandra Jean excels. The neo tribal style and innate psychedelia of her art shines out, does wonders for the telling. Allowing for a vivid narrative with a deep flow. Although not proper manga this particular series is comic book brilliance and deserves to be recognized as such. You will be hooked, you will be wanting for more. And at the end of the day, that is what makes a true manga.

YAY no yaoi! (So far)

It is a combination of many things that make this comic worth your time. Its the tribal take on humanity's many conflicts, it is the simple tale of a Knight Errant made rich and complex by the sheer variety in characters possible. There are even Snails in the this land, short in stature and bad at fighting yet excellent at music. Inadvertently the mangaka has given birth to vast world limited only by the reader's imagination. For we know nothing of the Falcons or the Rhinos and the mysterious Tigers with their tattooed faces. We know nothing of the spirits that guide our heroes.

We know not what lies beyond the land of Crows? And we have yet to see the Ocean.

Oh and its not a scanlation, Land of Lions is a webcomic and is available in ebook format on Amazon.com. So those of us lacking a pirate's black hearted soul may rest easy. A great series, highly recommended to all Otakus. Land of Lions and everything else by Cassandra Jean, find it, read it, buy it.

Unlocking Locke & Key

It's October and that means it's time to get spooky. There is a demand for horror comics and yet there doesn't seem to be that many of them around. So what is a comic geek to do when they want a good scare? Luckily that's why we're here, to help out fellow comic addicts with dilemmas such as this. If you're looking for a good spooky read we recommend Locke & Key by Joe Hill.

Locke & Key is a series about a family named Locke. The father gets killed right in the beginning forcing his wife and three kids to move back to the old family homestead. Once there the youngest, Bode, starts to discover these keys that do fantastical things. His two older siblings, Tyler and Kinsey, also know about the keys, but they keep mom in the dark. Mom has become an alcoholic since her husband was killed and has one bad leg from when she was ravaged by the same perps.

The Con is on!

Hello everybody and welcome to Mumbai’s first ever Comic Con. Not exactly, though, that’s a better part of the month away but for me, it can’t come soon enough. And now, let me explain why.

When I was a seven year old kid, somewhere in streets of Mumbai, I read in a newspaper about Superman’s death. Now, I wasn’t deluded --- I knew that Superman is a fictional character; I wasn’t deluded into thinking that a real person had died. But he was real enough to mean something to people; so real that his death was news. And why not, if a man can fly, evade speeding bullets and melt lead with his eyes, doesn’t that make him human? Well, at least the papers thought so.

A year later, at a second hand book store, I found two issues of that storyline. I was elated! Inside that issue was a subscription form. Not knowing what a dollar is, I gingerly filled out the subscription form in that issue, and gave it to my father, who then told me about America, dollars, old subscription forms and shipping. There was another ad – for something called Chicago Comic Con (to the best of my memory) which advertised itself as the largest comic convention in the country. Whatever hopes I had of attending one of those were promptly crushed.