Comics get cyber savvy

Homegrown comic artists and publishers are taking comics off the bookshelves and delivering it directly to electronic screens by embracing the digital space

From Shikari Shambu and Suppandi to Aghoris and Zombies, the Indian comic industry’s resurgence over the last few years has been marked by huge shifts in style, form and content. However, taking this change a step ahead, the industry now seems ready to embrace the digital world and is taking its content directly to its younger target audience.

While the Internet and digital media, as far as comics are concerned, has largely remained a playground for amateur artists and web comics, even a number of traditional publishers such as Amar Chitra Katha are now not far behind in adapting to the new media. Driving this shift is Comic Con India, which has played an important part in bringing about this resurgence. Comic Con India will be hosting a comic book week this month where comics from major publications will be made available online and through apps, websites and platforms such as ReadWhere for free or cheaper rates. However, this has only been a culmination of concerted efforts from major new age and traditional publishers for comics in the country to go digital. With dozens of apps across platforms dishing out hundreds of titles every week, it seems interesting times are ahead for Indian comic fans on the Internet.

One of the primary platforms that has been pushing this trend is Readwhere, an online reading platform which forayed into the comic industry in 2010. “Right from the start we knew that there was tremendous potential for comics on the internet. When we entered, the Comic Con was just foraying into India and there were a lot of artists and readers who wanted to explore digital platforms but didn’t have the option to do so. The industry is now waking up to this medium because the advantages of it are quite obvious.”

But even apart from the advantages the new media offers, going digital is the only way forward for the comic industry, which is grappling with several woes, contends independent comic artist and creator of Angry Maushi, Abhijeet Kini. Abhijeet says, “A primary hassle that has held back the comics industry is distribution. Traditional methods of distribution such as getting your work to the bookshelves hardly work anymore. Firstly, finding a distributor is difficult, but more so is to market the comics and get them to the end user.”

However, this shift towards digital doesn’t necessarily mean the end of printed comics, adds Girija from Campfire Comics, which is pioneering the trend of new-age content with comics on topics as far and wide as superheroes and The Beatles. “The traditional form of printed comics will never disappear. I think the online comics will be more of a new vertical in comics and there is definitely a large and new audience for it.” A huge advantage of going digital is that there are more options of how to deliver the content, says Girija. Girija’s Campfire Comics, apart from revolutionising its content, is also looking at bringing new technology to the digital comics set up. “As of now, we are preparing to launch a new interactive set up for reading comics online. While we can’t reveal what it exactly is, we are hoping that it will serve as a middle ground between reading comics and animated content.”

It is the advantages and the innovation that is pulling comic audience to the new media, adds Manish. “For example, just at the last comic con, we sold about 27,000 comic titles online in just two days. We have about 2,500 titles in our inventory and the best part is all of it is readily available to the reader immediately through our app.”

Another reason why people are looking more towards online media, says Manish, is that it brings together the best of both worlds. “It is not just the new titles that we are bringing. We also have tie-ups with publishers like Diamond Comics, who’s collections are vintage. Even old comics, which are not available in print anymore can be found on platforms like ours. So no matter what kind of comics you are looking for, it won’t be a problem finding it online.”

The biggest advantage however, is the reach, adds Abhijeet. “Let’s face it. Not many people read books or newspapers on paper anymore. And getting content directly to an iPad or a Kindle makes sure that it reaches your end user immediately. In the case of distributors, there is a good chance that your work might not even find a place on the bookshelves. But on the Internet it is not like that. Also technology has made sure that reading on phones, Kindles or iPads is as close to the experience of reading on a book as possible. While I still feel that the feeling of holding a hard copy of a comic is irreplaceable, many are content with what technology provides.”

While new age comic artists and publishers are going gung ho about the digital platform, traditional players such as Amar Chitra Katha are also not too far behind. However, Reena Puri of ACK Media, which publishes Amar Chitra Katha and Tinkle among several other titles contends that the trick is to move with the times but at the same time not leave behind the existing audience. “The last generation would read comics in school libraries and at home, but that’s gone now. Now, there are two types of audience that we cater to. While the digital is an important space and most of the young demographic leans towards using technology, this is only in the urban areas. There are still several young kids in Tier II cities that still read hard copies.”

In terms of content, it is also necessary to change and shift to suit the times and the medium, says Reena. “The audience is getting more and more aware and are always politically correct. This is not just for the Internet, but outside of it too. So we have to move with the times. We will be sticking to our roots of taking from India’s heritage, but we also need a modern approach. For example, we are now bringing more representation for women in comics unlike earlier. And even in borrowing from history, we are becoming more contemporary. For example, instead of the usual historical figures, we will be bringing stories of people like Salim Ali or a Varghese Kurien.”