Art News

Graphic Novelists Shake Up World of Indian Comics

By: Atish Patel
NEW DELHI (REUTERS).- Characters from centuries-old myths and folktales have adorned the covers of children’s comic books in India for decades, but a new wave of graphic novelists has emerged to shake up the art form. Their quest for ultra-Indian superheroes has created new crossover comics aimed at both children and adults, while others have boldly gone further, tackling issues such as suicide and homosexuality — taboo topics in much of India. “We are the new recorders of history. That’s how I consider myself,” said Sarnath Banerjee, whose graphic novel “Corridor” is set in New Delhi and delves into politics and sex. “I write, I see through my own eyes and I put it out.” Generations of young Indians have grown up with the Amar Chitra Katha series based on Hindu epics and mythology, and it remains one of India’s best-selling comic books series. But the success of Banerjee and others, such as the pione