Bored of biographiesIJ Not anymore. Girija Jhunjhunwala tells Anushka Bansal how using art and text, graphic novels can bring to life the struggles, triumphs and achievements of great men and women
There was a time when graphic novels meant superheroes and their impossible stories. But today these books deal with serious subjects, societal issues and mythology. The world now is no longer dominated by written language. There is a change in forms and formats. The traditional method lacked luster. Graphic novels nowadays are dealing with real world issues like culture, gender, social class, and relationships. Publishers have drifted to multimodality.
Girija Jhunjhunwala, director, Campfire Graphic Novels, explained, “When a book is loaded with interesting images, it doesn’t seem like a daunting task for a kid to read. With the text and image ratio being 50-50, these books are able to make a strong connect with children.” Her graphic novel titles are being included in the CBSE reading list.
A case in point is World War One- which won the Best Graphic Novel award at Bangalore Comic Con 2014-2015. The book is a captivating account of the important events leading to World War I: 1914-1918, it was the first major conflict of the 20th century, a war that devastated the whole of Europe and expanded across the entire globe, decimating a generation. From the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo to the armistice of 1918, it provides a complete overview of the war that shaped the modern world from the viewpoint of the servicemen who fought in it, creating a unique graphic novel history of one of the most destructive conflicts of all time.
Even though historical novels are on the rise, Jhunjhunwala faces some challenges, “The most difficult thing about publishing comic books in India is that the genre is still associated with superhero tales,” shared Jhunjhunwala. In such a scenario of escapist fantasies, contextualising the present reality in a friendly visual format has to be just as pacy without being flippant. “Comic books and graphic novels have come a long way and today one often finds stories of great depth and complexity being published as graphic novels. Sure, the superhero comics are here to stay, but they’re not all that comic books are about,” she added.
The Kaurava Empire Vol. 2: the Vengeance of Ashwatthama also won an award for the best colorist at the previous Comic Con Awards in Bangalore. It traces the journey of a man who is cursed to wander the universe forever, friendless and alone.
With most of their titles being adaptations, one might wonder what sets it apart from creating an original. “Working on an adaptation is different from writing a story from scratch,” said Jhunjhunwala. “One could say it’s somewhat easier because the storyline is already there, but at the same time the adaptor has to keep in mind what the original author had intended to convey and remain faithful to the vision and sentiments expressed in the original work. Even if one wishes to deviate from the original, as many adaptations often are, the adaptor must have a firm grasp of the original text to know where and how to deviate,” she explained.
Highlighting the importance of technology in storytelling, she described the work as a creative collaboration between the artist or penciller, the inker, the colourists and the desktop publishing operator but credits technology with streamlining the process.
Mythology, whether it’s Indian or otherwise, has always been a goldmine when it comes to generating rich story ideas. And in the graphic novel medium, its potential increases manifold. Amruta Patil’s Adi Parva: churning of the ocean, is a popular, two part book based on the mythological traditions of India. Writing about the past has its own whimsical appeal, Campfire Graphic Novel’s are also choosing to incorporate current affairs into it. The fascinating aspect of graphic novels these days is not only limited to their story lines but also how these stories are told plays a huge part in it.
And even though Jhunjhunwala believes that there should be more focus on comics at the Indian Comic Conventions, she admits that it is indeed an interesting event. “Comic Con is a good platform. Whether it’s helpful or not depends on what you make of it. It certainly is a great place to meet others in the industry and share ideas, and it is one place where exposure to comic book fans is guaranteed. At the same time it’s probably better if the focus was more on comics and graphic novels and less on merchandise,” she signed off.