I decided to start this blog because I have a lurking feeling since last 10 years that comics are losing their identity fast. Instead of spearheading a revolution in media, they have become heavily dependent on other media for their survival. Just as Indian film music did before the advent of FM!
The basics of comics are being decimated under the garb of 'change' and 'creating something new'. The trend started from West and seeped through us as we always were blind followers. West is also grappling with diminishing sales, churning out magnanimous content without substance. Superman had to die to live, Batman had to look for clues to his survival and Spiderman was saved not by web but by a movie on him which was ironically based on content of his earliest comics from which publishers are desperately trying to break away in search of 'something new'!
Comic is a story told in sequential art form with the help of illustrations; simple as that!
But somewhere down the line, composition was sacrificed for dramatic drawings (which were earlier reserved for titles), Line sketch lost to coloring as coloring is thought to make even an less than average and disproportionate artwork look attractive (In current scenario, colorist may tell Illustrator to use as fewer lines as possible because they interfere with his coloring), Story lost to cinematographic presentation of content as more is left unsaid and scenes are dragged right up to nth part of the series!
Reader is getting a poor bargain; A story which could be summed up in 10 pages is dragged to 50 , Sharp-edged inked artwork which have a power to imprint themselves on our brain is replaced by hazy edged paintings, hiding more than showing and leaving an equally hazy memory if leaving at all.
Result; Good illustrators and storytellers are turning towards other opening, leaving nothing which could hold the slide of comics. These are my observations and not necessarily agreed up on or accepted by all.
But this is how I see the things presently.
Comics may again become a ground for good storytellers, illustrators and compositor, where an Illustration by Perez revealed a world which invariably took me 2 hours to unravel, or a story which always threatened readers to snatch away from this physical world, and a feeling after finishing the book as if one has just finished watching a movie in stills with all scenes vividly fresh in memory; only if we change basics but not distort it or decimate it!
Amen!
But this was a brief interlude, friends. I'll be back with 'MY FIRST STEP IN GRAPHIC WORLD' very shortly!
Rightly said sir, We want your crisp stories like you did in dhurva's starting comics.
ReplyDeleteYou see, I thought I'll never get a chance to let you know and feel as intensely as I feel that what made me turn towards comics after 10 years of long gap is you, only you.
ReplyDeleteI was and still connected to Dhruv from DNA level. From same age as of yours, you just shared your thoughts I was fully aware it's you behind him, inside him. It's your illustration I started noticing the name of artist in comics and always identified your artworks where ever they did appear sans Raj Comics or Dhruv.
The main reason to re-connect with comics was you. It was the curiosity to search you, find you, connect with you and know every very thought of you starting from start till now.
I searched and tried every possible ways to find a single glimpse of yours but never got success. Probably now the time has come to taste your thoughts in rustic and bold and preserved manner.
Words might fall short and my commentary might get vertical enough beyond reading without getting bored but I always starved to listen to you. This very blog is going to be my pilgrimage as long you are interacting and pouring yourself.
I would like to know more about your connection and journal about Dhruv and everything which we might don't know as a fan, those behind the scene elements.
I believe you'll not leave a starving person on himself. :)
I agree with most of your statements.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I don't agree with the fact that "Comic is a story told in sequential art form with the help of illustrations."
In my openion, Comics is not only about plain storytelling with the help of pictures. The role of the art is much more than we can ever anticipate. Art make the comics alive. Artwork is the soul of comics. Comics is still a visual medium and it is artwork that makes it so. Just like any other visual medium, the artwork is something to do experiments. After observing the art of greatest artists like Will Eisner, Jack kirby, George Perez. John Romita Jr. etc., it became clear to me that they always experimented with their art. The moment artist considers that there is nothing new to do with art in the comics is the moment when his art becomes monotonous. In comics industry, there is always a need of experimentation. Artwork makes comics a very strong medium of expression. A very good example is "The watchmen" by Alan Moore and Dave gibbons, the artwork was unique and creators make is Comics Exclusive art. It matches with the pace of story as well as the expressions and emotions.
With due respect, I love your artwork. At times you have done experiments. A very good example can be seen in recently released "Statue", the opening artwork is just amazing.
Also, I don't agree with this statement
"A story which could be summed up in 10 pages is dragged to 50"
This way we can sum up the whole 1000 pages story in just 1 page or 4 panels. I can sum up whole nagayan in just 1 page containing 6 panels. I agree with the fact that sometimes creators stretch the story unnecessarily. But sometimes it is needed to stretch the work. In my opinion, the readers should enjoy both artwork and comics. A comics should be composed in such a way that reader is forced to see artwork again and again. A very good example is "silent comics", these comics contains no dialogues, only artwork. And sometimes, it takes more time to go through these comics that to read a comics heavily bombarded with unnecessary dialogues. Most of the times, when comics contain unnecessary lengthy and too much dialogues and captions, they are not able to enjoy the art and hence, they tend to skip the dialogues and captions.
Though I agree with most of your thoughts, I feel that Indian readers don't know what artwork really is. This can be the reason why Indian comics Industry never became intellectual and more mature. To make Indian readers more comics aware, I thing new and fresh artwork must be presented before them.
THANKS FOR FRANK COMMENTS! I am here to stay Dilip and Parijat, you too mark it. Thanks, Chandan.
ReplyDeleteParijat, your comments are more emotional than subjective. Experimentation is not barred, but it should be in accordance with sequential art, not poster art as I mentioned clearly. Now for the story of 'VICTORIA NO. 203'.
'Heere kho gaye, Heere mil gaye'. Thats not what I talked about. This is about optimising the content, which is not defined but is Prerogative of a writer to decide. Never place legs on extremes while deliberating. Be back soon!
it was pleasure reading ur thoughts on comic industry scenario currently prevailing in india...
ReplyDeletebut there are only few people who can make a difference to this... and that inlcudes you sir.
have u given a thought about how to solve this problem, because i love comics and i want my kids to read them too, and i am talking about indian comics. because presently i dont see them doing well and i am worried.