Attend a workshop by the man who created the angry old woman
Comic book artist, writer and publisher, Abhijeet Kini takes inspiration of his works from daily life and the people he meets on the daily basis. It was by observing the angry, boisterous women in Mumbai’s local trains and markets that he came up with the concept of his Angry Maushi, who has become a favourite of many a comic book lovers. The writer was exposed to the world of comic books right from his childhood, when he started reading Tinkle comics, for whom he would later go on to write. Realising that not everyone gets a similar exposure, Abhijeet gives a boost to aspiring artists and comic book-buffs with his workshops on how to make their very own comics.
“I have always loved the comic book medium and thought that it is really the best way to get your point across on paper, because you have both visuals and text,” he says. “I remember reading Mad Magazine when I was just seven years old, which is quite an early age to start on such semi-adult content. But it was one of the major inspirations for Angry Maushi,” he adds.
When asked about what inspired the character to start with the artist says, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. I thought that I’d use this concept and create Angry Maushi, who is a character you can meet in a bus, train or a market. She is the typical angry Mumbaikar, I just handed her some heavy-duty guns. The final effect is quite visually jarring, but people seem to like it,” he laughs.
The workshop, which Abhijeet will host as part of a run-up to the Mumbai Comic Con, will include a slide show, a talk on the breakdown of the process and then a hands-on sketching session. “The course is for beginners and anyone can take part. I’ve designed the same workshop, with a few tweaks here and there for school students and corporates, so really anyone can join. It's a great way to show people that comic books are serious business,” he signs off.
Abhijeet’s workshop will take place today from 3 pm onwards at antisocial, Khar (W)
