Moonward Appupen Blaft Publications Rs 395 Moonward,the first graphic novel by Appupen,draws on a rich legacy of political satire and political cartooning in the country. The book begins with strange things happening in the land of Halahala once an old tree is struck by a shooting star. The series of rapid,unforeseen events turns a pristine environment into a dystopia ruled by a prophet turned megalomaniac called Nana and his few acolytes. Political satire and cartooning,which thrive on the many ambiguities and amoralities that make up this country,have a particularly splendid tradition in Kerala where its few practitioners have been masters of the craft. One of O.V. Vijayans foremost novels,Dharmapuranam (The Saga of Dharmapuri),deals savagely yet funnily with the disjunction between a rulers whims and his subjects sufferings,as did his Emergency cartoons. The award-winning Malayalam film director and cartoonist,G. Aravindan,was one of the trendsetters. His strip Cheriya Manushyarum Valiya Lokavum (Little People and the Big World) made its appearance in a Malayalam magazine in 1961-73 and was later published in the form of a book. But graphic novels,of which Blafts Moonward is the latest addition,are relatively new in India. When Sarnath Banerjees Corridor was published in 2004,his publisher tagged it as Indias first graphic novel,although there was an earlier work,River of Stories (1994),on the Narmada Dam issue,by Orijit Sen. Since then there have been regular releases,notably by Parismita Singh,Naseer Ahmed and Abdul Sultan. Graphic novel,much like documentary,lends itself easily to describing political situations,especially worlds of conflict,as also to minimalist depiction black and white imagery,brevity in the spoken expression and a focus on the physiognomy. It is in this multi-varied tradition that Appupen,the pen name of Bangalore-based Malayali George Mathen,finds a place. And in Moonward,he explores the rise of a new world created by accident,and which hideously mirrors some of the horrors that pass for technological marvels. In a once-primordial world,a wise man goes up to the mountains to pray and his visions turn him into Nana,a superman with strange powers. Appupen introduces by and by Nanas acolytes,who in turn dominate this new world. They seek to harness nature to create objects that will help them exploit and terrify everyone. So we read about the magic teardrops called Thela; the master of the temple and guardian of all knowledge Dishko; the painter Tika who falls from disgrace; and the scientist called Mooshtak who invents magic seeds that create cities where they fall. Many tales are woven into the main narrative: of a beggar who has visions,of rats creating their own giant world of cheese and the fable of Kannapen and his grandson,the latter climbing higher and higher,seeking an elusive paradise that finally appears in the form of a beautiful woman. It is a disturbing world that Appupen has created almost in the form of a parable,a futuristic world where everything is a commodity and where the search for meaning is an elusive exercise. Moonward will appeal to fans of the graphic novel,but Appupens minimalism might be daunting to someone who has come across the genre for the first time.
