06-04-2007, 03:02 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>US readers hooked on to Indian comics</b>
Jacinta D'Souza | Bangalore
Batman, Superman and Spiderman may now have to pack up their hoods in the US as American fans of comics appear to be hooked on to tales of characters inspired by Indian mythology.
<b>The "Ramayana Reborn" comic series, set against a futuristic background, had sold over two lakh copies in just four months since its launch in the US. </b>Â
The 30-part series, being published by Virgin Comics (the new entertainment arm of British industrialist Sir Richard Branson) is receiving a "very favourable response", says Samarjit Chaudhary, Vice President Marketing of Gotham Comics, which has tied up with the former to publish its titles.
The US readership numbers indicate Indian-inspired content was picking up, be it Ramayana or titles "Devi", "Sadhu", "Snake Woman", churned out by celebrities like famous director Shekhar Kapoor and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra.
<b>"Devi" sales crossed the three lakh mark while the "Sadhu" and "Snake Woman" had crossed the two lakh mark in just four months,</b> he said.
"Indian-inspired content has begun appealing to kids globally. Indians, I think are one of the best storytellers in the world. We know some of the best stories and we know how to tell them well," he added.
Repackaging of old tales and telling them in a "global language" using a visual format was what turned the dice in favour of India, said Samarjit.
It is the "freshness" in the Indian tales that were appealing to the Western readers, who hitherto had been brought up on a staple diet of space heroes flying over the city, unleashing sticky webs, careening walls, shooting down targets and vanishing into the darkness of the night.
However, Virgin comics' new titles like the 'Sadhu' takes off in a different world, which are several light years away from the Superman and Sideman's of the world.
Set in the background of the British Raj in India, the protagonist, James arrives from the Western continent to India to be part of the Queen's army that has been entrusted the task of crushing a recent mutiny.
However, the tranquillity of the Indian seas, the long shadows thrown by its thick forest, the enigma of its culture, endears him to India and he unconsciously finds himself in a mission that he was destined to lead.
The Indian concepts of 'karma', 'destiny' and 'time' are the new hinges on which these new stories move around.
<b>Indian concepts like destiny being the controller versus the Western notion that man creates his own destiny, appears to have got these readers, who were looking for deeper meanings in life, hooked on the Indian comic.</b>
"In the entertainment industry, it is novelty or freshness that drives the market, including comics," he said.
The popular Indian concept of 'nagin' makes an appearance as the 'Snakewoman' stalking the streets of Los Angeles, to avenge the enemies.
The images of the 'nagin' unleashing her venom may all be popular in India, but in the West, it has a new appeal.
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Jacinta D'Souza | Bangalore
Batman, Superman and Spiderman may now have to pack up their hoods in the US as American fans of comics appear to be hooked on to tales of characters inspired by Indian mythology.
<b>The "Ramayana Reborn" comic series, set against a futuristic background, had sold over two lakh copies in just four months since its launch in the US. </b>Â
The 30-part series, being published by Virgin Comics (the new entertainment arm of British industrialist Sir Richard Branson) is receiving a "very favourable response", says Samarjit Chaudhary, Vice President Marketing of Gotham Comics, which has tied up with the former to publish its titles.
The US readership numbers indicate Indian-inspired content was picking up, be it Ramayana or titles "Devi", "Sadhu", "Snake Woman", churned out by celebrities like famous director Shekhar Kapoor and spiritual guru Deepak Chopra.
<b>"Devi" sales crossed the three lakh mark while the "Sadhu" and "Snake Woman" had crossed the two lakh mark in just four months,</b> he said.
"Indian-inspired content has begun appealing to kids globally. Indians, I think are one of the best storytellers in the world. We know some of the best stories and we know how to tell them well," he added.
Repackaging of old tales and telling them in a "global language" using a visual format was what turned the dice in favour of India, said Samarjit.
It is the "freshness" in the Indian tales that were appealing to the Western readers, who hitherto had been brought up on a staple diet of space heroes flying over the city, unleashing sticky webs, careening walls, shooting down targets and vanishing into the darkness of the night.
However, Virgin comics' new titles like the 'Sadhu' takes off in a different world, which are several light years away from the Superman and Sideman's of the world.
Set in the background of the British Raj in India, the protagonist, James arrives from the Western continent to India to be part of the Queen's army that has been entrusted the task of crushing a recent mutiny.
However, the tranquillity of the Indian seas, the long shadows thrown by its thick forest, the enigma of its culture, endears him to India and he unconsciously finds himself in a mission that he was destined to lead.
The Indian concepts of 'karma', 'destiny' and 'time' are the new hinges on which these new stories move around.
<b>Indian concepts like destiny being the controller versus the Western notion that man creates his own destiny, appears to have got these readers, who were looking for deeper meanings in life, hooked on the Indian comic.</b>
"In the entertainment industry, it is novelty or freshness that drives the market, including comics," he said.
The popular Indian concept of 'nagin' makes an appearance as the 'Snakewoman' stalking the streets of Los Angeles, to avenge the enemies.
The images of the 'nagin' unleashing her venom may all be popular in India, but in the West, it has a new appeal.
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