Graphic Details

The subject,says Emmanuel,is apt for a genre that appeals to the younger generation and is visually pleasing. “I had been doing a lot of personal art work on Sikhism,especially Guru Nanak. This project just came my way,’’ says Emmanuel,whose dream is to make an animation film in the future. The book involves considerable amount of research—following the timeline of events,analysing costumes,reading up on Nihangs and getting acquainted with the philosophy of the times. “You have to be authentic and tuned in. The challenge is to make the graphics appealing to a wide audience,both in India and abroad. The action and characters have to be unique,’’ he adds.

Dashaavatar,which was launched recently at Capitol Book Depot,is the first Indian graphic novel in the US. The novel,says publisher and conceptualiser Karan Arora,deals with the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Arora has a full-fledged research team,writers and visualizers to create a perfect package that appeals to those between 15 to 35. “The graphic novel is the next big thing,and we will be marketing in 1,800 stores across the US,’’ Arora says. The first issue of Dashaavatar will recount the tale of the fish and tortoise. “The forthcoming issues will tell the story of Lord Vishnu’s other avatars. Other mythological characters will also be covered and soon,we will have Hindi translations,’’ he adds. Arora’s previous publications include The White Tiger,which went on to win the Golden Cursor Award. The book creates awareness about the tiger,with part of the proceeds from sales going to Mike Pandey’s Earth Matters Foundation. “It is a perfect way to reach out to people. Next,we will have graphic novels on the seven rivers of India,especially the polluted ones,’’ Arora says. He plans to launch his graphic novels on mobile phones as well.

Meanwhile,Pankaj P Singh is displaying a new range of graphic novels at Browser,the city bookstore. Titles like Hardy Boys,Nancy Drew and Disney novels like Sleeping Beauty,Toy Story 2,The Incredibles are big hits,he says. For those looking beyond mere entertainment,Singh recommends Sage Publication’s non-fiction graphic novel Our Toxic World,which provides guidance to make our lives cleaner and safer. “It is an absorbing way to tell a story and make a point,’’ says Singh. Pore over.