Review : Tulsidas' Sundarkaand – Triumph of Hanuman

Campire comics takes on Tulsidas’s Ramayan and does a fairly good job.

They give a nice long introduction to Tulsidas and follow that by telling us the story so far, explaining it all crisply and completely.

Campfire and Mark Tully honour our Youngest Writers

For those of you that may have missed it, there was a great new step taken this past week – not just for comic fans and writers, but for free-thinking and creative kids everywhere.

On the 1^st of September (i.e., last Saturday) at Pragati Maidan, Delhi, the good folks over at Campfire Graphic Novels hosted the first ever Campfire Young Writer of the Year Awards. Attendees were also in for a treat because Sir Mark Tully was the guest of honour and was accompanied on the stage by Campfire Chairman, Keshav Thirani. To quote the hosts intent for the event:“It was a celebration of the creativity of youth.”

Comic Addicts Presents: The First Indian "Minicon"

If you have been following our social media platforms ( Facebook/Twitter) then you are already aware of the minicon. If you aren't , before proceeding to tell you all about it , let me ask... Why aren't you with us on our social media? See the link on the right there ... yep , the facebook page pluggin, click and join us!

Now, self promotion done. Lets talk about our little project that we call "Minicon" .

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

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!

Comic Con through Campfire and brimstone!

Campfire’s experience at the last Comic Con

At Comic Con Delhi '10

Fifteen thousand comic book fans gathered together in Delhi for India’s first ever comic con. The two-day convention was a phenomenal success, far exceeding the expectations of both the organisers (Twenty Onwards Media) and the participants.

Campfire graphic novels, for example, raked in more revenue during the first day of the comic con than in 10 days at the 2010 Delhi Book Fair.

SPECIAL PREVIEW: Jason and the Argonauts!

Welcome folks to a special preview of one of the most unique looking books to be published out of the Campfire library.

Now, Greek mythology is one of the most widely known and the stories among the most respected and iconic across the globe. From the Trojan war to the twelve tasks of Hercules to the various tales that define their pantheon of Gods, among so many more, it is a rich and powerful family of stories that have inspired people for generations.

So it is small wonder that Campfire has taken it upon themselves to make their successful adaptation works finally touch on these tales of adventure and humanity.

Recently Campfire Graphic Novels has released a graphic novel on the story of ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ and their adventures trying to win the fabled Golden Fleece. Filled with very raw looking but intriguingly quality artwork that confounds with its combination of savage beauty, it all seems to suit the tale, the time and the place.

Courtesy the good folks over at Campfire we have for you today these sneak previews of some of the final pages from the graphic novel as well as an album at the end with loads of amazing black-and-white pages in high-res for you to enjoy and feast your eyes upon!

EXCLUSIVE! Preview of Shakespearean proportions!

"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble." 

This line is one of the most iconic quotations of all time, heard and vaguely known even by those unfamiliar with its well-aged roots. 

For those unfamiliar, this is from the play Macbeth which some of us have had the fortune (good or bad is your call) of studying it in school in some fashion or other. Others have perchance seen it on stage, seen it parodied and in numerous other forms. 

We have exclusively for you good Comic Addicts out there, this exclusive preview from Campfire of their upcoming Graphic Novel adaptation of one of William Shakespeare's most respected and well-known plays, adapted by Jyoti Bhansali and illustrated by the clearly very talented Naresh Kumar.

Rajat Reviews Alibaba and the Forty Thieves - Reloaded

Imagine the old country of Arabia with sand dunes, camels, blood thirsty thieves, a treasure cave, probably the first ever use of encrypted password in recorded history, theft, murder, trickery, dance, seduction, cleverness, victory and happily ever after and you will have the image of a story that everyone must have heard at some point or the other in their lives, in some form or the other.

I am, of course, talking about Alibaba and the Forty Thieves. It is a tale which has been passed down since time immemorial by word of mouth, from father to son, mother to daughter, from teacher to student until someone printed it and spread like wildfire all across the world. No one knows when or where did it originate, nor the actual author of the story, but it is as familiar to all of us as Aladdin, Cinderella, Snow White, Superman, Batman and the likes.

Alibaba and the Forty Thieves Reloaded cover

Click on the image to view full size

Now image the busy streets of Mumbai with crowded roads, cars-bikes-auto rickshaws, blood thirst politicians-businessmen-criminals, a business-rich sea port, technologically advanced security vaults, theft, murder, trickery, dance, seduction, cleverness, victory and happily ever after and you will probably have just a little idea of what’s in store for you in this Classic: Reloaded by Campfire!

I am, obviously, talking about Alibaba and the Forty Thieves – Reloaded.

 

Written by: Poulomi Mukherjee

Art by: Amit Tayal

Published by: Campfire

Nish's Notepad: Ravana- Roar of the Demon King

Another flaming title from Campfire, after Nelson Mandela comes to my notepad this week. I know you've read the title, so no marks for guessing the name. So, this is a mythological title, in a narrative style, from none other than RAVANA: THE DEMON KING.

Story: Abhimanyu Singh Sisodia
Art: Sachin Nagar
Colors: Sachin Nagar
Letters: Ghan Shyam Joshi

Nish's Notepad: Nelson Mandela

Sup Mates? Last week, I had nothing to review on.. But this week, I come with a BLAZING title from Campfire. This week on my notepad is Nelson Mandela, a biographic title from Campfire Graphic Novels.

Author: Lewis Helfand
Art: Sankha Banerjee
Colors: Pradeep Sherawat and Debu Payen
Letters: Bhavnath Chaudhary

Comicon Retrospective: Campfire Graphic novels

Chief Editor Campfire Graphic Novels Andrew Dodd shares his perspective of Comicon with us. 

Comic Con India 2011

It has never happened before, but it’s sure to happen again. Last weekend, fifteen thousand comic book fans gathered together in Delhi for India’s first ever comic con.

The two-day convention was a phenomenal success, far exceeding the expectations of both the organisers (Twenty Onwards Media) and the participants. In its inaugural year, this annual comic con provided a much-needed platform for publishers, retailers, writers and illustrators to meet with each other, and with their fans, in a relaxed environment.  Most of the 35 companies present boasted sales much above what they had anticipated. Campfire graphic novels, for example, raked in more revenue during the first day of the comic con than in 10 days at the Delhi Book Fair, whilst Level 10 Comics and Vimanika sold out of all their stock by half way through the second day.

Sales, although important, were of course only one aspect of the event. A programme of workshops, activities and book launches literally took centre stage in a dedicated area at the hub of the venue. This allowed the publishers to showcase their work to the public in a fun and interactive way.

The location itself acted as the perfect backdrop for this kind of event. Dilli Haat is a venue which has been created to replicate the feel of a traditional Indian marketplace. It offers handicrafts, food and cultural activities from every part of India. Therefore, the infrastructure necessary for a comic con was already in place, with catering, parking and the stall setup being taken care of. Holding the convention in such a place allowed the comic book industry to increase its exposure to the general public. With thousands visiting Dilli Haat on a daily basis, it was great to see people previously unaware of the comic book medium being drawn in by what they saw. There was a perfect blend of lifelong enthusiasts and curious newcomers, and it was awesome to see them mingling.

Some of the enthusiasts made a particular effort to stand out from the crowd – and did so brilliantly. Inspired by the chance to win one of various prizes, many attendees turned up in full costume, as a comic book character of their choice. From American superheroes such as Superman, Wolverine and Harley Quinn to local Indian heroes like Chacha Chaudhary, all those who dressed up appeared to be having a great time.

In addition to the costume contest prizes, and of much greater importance, was a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Anant Pai.  Anant Pai is the founder of Amar Chitra Katha, the most successful comic book publisher in the history of Indian comics, and his work in converting Indian epics, mythology, history, folklore and fables into the comic book format is unprecedented. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to him by another legend of Indian comics – Pran Kumar, the creator and illustrator of Chacha Chaudhary. With both the old guard and the new innovators of Indian comics all present in one place for the first time, this festival and celebration of comic books had a true feeling of completeness.

With India’s comic book and graphic novel market still in a fairly nascent stage, this was the perfect time for the subcontinent to have its first event of this nature. The air of optimism regarding the current state of Indian comics was tangible to anyone in attendance. There was a buzz about the place, and a real feeling that this is the kind of platform that will catapult the comic book format into India’s public consciousness.

That said, most Indians are not totally unfamiliar with comics. Since the late 1960s, publishers such as  Amar Chitra Katha and Diamond Comics have been hugely popular with a large portion of the Indian market. However, the popularity of the medium plummeted in the 90s, with the advent of satellite television and, more specifically, animated series on Cartoon Network and Pogo. This, along with the prevalence of games consoles and the internet, has meant stiff competition for all varieties of publishers – not least those focusing on the comic book medium.

And that is why the recent steady growth in the popularity of this medium, culminating in the industry’s ability to stage such a successful comic con, feels like the start of a renaissance period for comics in this part of the world.

All the signs from this spectacular weekend are positive. From the attendance figures and the sales revenues to the press coverage and the general excitement of the public, comic con has certainly proved that there is a place for comics and graphic novels in the hearts and bookshelves of people in India, and that big things lie ahead for all those involved.

Here’s to next year, and an even bigger and better Comic Con India in 2012.

Press Release : Campfire on Comicon Experience

Below is the press release which the gracious folks at campfire have provided adventures.
I have to agree with what they say, Comicon was a blast and Campfire was an integral part of its success.

Here's wishing campfire all the best in the Indian Market and hope they return even stronger at the next con.

(click the image below to see it full size)

M views : Review of "SITA"

SITA
by Campfire graphic novels
Author: Saraswati Nagpal
Artist: Manikandan

Review by Manks

The first thing that catches your eye when you pick up Sita is the cover. If I am not wrong then the artist has rendered Sita in the image of Aishwarya Rai. As choices go, basing the protagonist on Aishwarya Rai is not bad at all, especially considering she essayed the same role in Mani Ratnam’s movie Ravan and the fact that she is arguably one of the most beautiful women on the planet.

As far as stories go, if you are aware of Indian Epic Ramayana then there are little surprises in store for you and the good part is, the author is aware of this. She is just intent on telling the story of Sita and has not bothered to expand on ancilliary tales. If you do not know your Ramayana Lore ( seriously? You don’t?) then this graphic novel works as an excellent appetizer to introduce you to the Indian mythology, but you would be left with a feeling of having missed something.

For example, we suddenly meet Rama and Lakshman at Sita’s swayamvar. No explanation is given on the backdrop or Rama’s history. This entire graphic novel is Sita’s story and from her point of view. This kind of story would have been risky as the author is leaving out some crucial bits , however the author manages to capture our attention and infuse charm into the story because she writes from Sita’s perspective. This entire graphic novel is being narrated by Sita, so we are witness to her innermost feelings and reactions on various events such as meeting Ram, on being captured , on seeing Rama’s severed head , on being rejected by Ram etc.
Narrating the story through Sita’s mouth, the author gives a new dimension to the age old tale. If you are a mythology enthusiast, you would also find small nuggets here and there.

The flip side of narrating story through Sita’s character is that we miss out on a lot of action – the famed stone bridge, the ensuing war between Ram’s and Ravan’s forces and the inevitable clash of the titans. We know, see and hear what Sita does. Which depending on which side you sit, may entice or dissuade you from reading this book. I for one liked it. The story seemed fresh to me because it showed me the events of Ramayan from a different point of view. I felt sita’s exasperations and fears on being kept hostage and went through the pain of separation with Ram with her. Good stuff!

I also found the story to be a little rushed. This story needed some more pages to truly breathe and I fear it’s more the format than the author to blame.

The art here is superlative. Is it me or are Indian artists getting really really good at it! The splash pages are amazing , art is clear and the colors are absolutely to die for. Sita is graceful, Ram is divine, Ravan is strong.. This is as close to an international product as I have seen.  I am truly impressed by the art here.

In conclusion, this is a fine mythological tale which manages to find a unique voice among the myriad mythological tales, but this is definitely not for everyone. Give it a shot! You might be surprised.