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.