9th Art

Often credited as the creator of the gekiga (dramatic pictures) genre of manga, Yoshihiro Tatsumi’s works are undoubtedly milestones, not just in manga, but in the genre of graphic narratives. While his collected anthologies are acknowledged to be ‘dark’, ‘noir’, and ‘heavy’ by just about every critique, few seem to acknowledge the context in which it was written. » Read the rest of this entry «

The concept of a Comic Book Convention has (finally) arrived in India. In about 10 days time, comic book fans, publishers, writers, and artists from across the country will converge at Dilli Haat for two days at our very own, and very first, Comic Con.

Sure, you can meet the writers and artists who’ve brought you countless tales that kept you busy as a kid. And if you’re a budding artist or a writer, you might have a chance to get a professional assessment of your portfolio or to make a submission. If you’re a collector or avid reader, you could buy a few new comics. Or, perhaps even purchase a doll (which boys call action figures) of your favorite character. And if you’re into networking, then you can definitely meet like-minded people (i.e. the geek brigade). » Read the rest of this entry «

Back in 2008, when the movie Ironman premiered, I remember going for it quite enthusiastically. I was quite dismayed, however,  to find the theater relatively empty. Worldwide, of course, it was a box-office hit. Thinking of it now, though, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at all. After all, I don’t remember seeing too many Ironman comics in stores 15 years back, and I haven’t come across too many of them on shelves even now. I have a theory on why this is so. » Read the rest of this entry «