Romance repackaged

Their earlier association has helped spread the delights of Commando Comics as Euro Books has been marketing them in India for some time now. “We discovered that they have nearly 100 titles of romantic graphic novels. Out of them,we have selected 24 for the Indian market,” says Uday Mathur,managing director of Eurokids International. The titles in three-in-one volume are priced at Rs 250 and the single ones are available for Rs 100.

Euro Books has added colour to these love stories with a European setting. “The original series was in black-and-white. We have converted them into colour,” says Mathur. The publishers are trying to woo the readers with a loony heart with titles which make an unadulterated proclamation of offering them a dose of pure mush. Sample these: A Dangerous Love,Forbidden Love,Heartbreak Melody,Journey to Love,Star-crossed Love,Under a lover’s Moon,Wild Heart,Till Death do us Part and Playing with Fire.

But the readers who are fed on helping of romances probably won’t mind that. Twenty-something Purabi Das,who laps up Mills and Boon titles,plans to check out some of these books soon. “Though the details of romance will be missing in these stories,I think the images will make up for it,” she says. However,for her reading Star Love Stories books would be more of instant gratification.

After releasing the love stories,the Euro Books wants to launch Lucky Luke — a Franco-Belgian comics series created by Morris. Set in the Wild West,it showcases the exploits of Lucky Luke,the cowboy famous for “shooting faster than his shadow” and crooning I’m a poor lonesome cowboy at the end of all his adventures. “We will launch the series within a month,” says Mathur. Maybe this would pave the way for the lonesome cowboy to win some hearts.