Indie comic books are no longer just kids’ stuff

livemint.com:

Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha though the current generation of readers has grown up to have more eclectic tastes. My 13-year-old daughter, like many of her peers, is a huge fan of manga. However, there is an equal fascination for work by independent Indian comic book creators such as Unbearable Comics, Holy Cow Entertainment and Meta Desi Comics, which have garnered a loyal following.

Unbearable Comics’ first volume, Eyes ‘n’ Daggers, a ghost-hunting action adventure series, sold out at the Comic-Con Bengaluru in 2022. The creators, Bajro Narayan Dutta, Prathamesh Gandhi, and Vignesh Ramesh, partnered with IndiePress to print and publish their series. “A self-publishing platform frees us up to experiment with our story formats," says Ramesh.

Abhijeet Kini is one of the most influential names in comics in India. An illustrator and animator who runs Abhijeet Kini Studios in Mumbai, and the creator of the Angry Maushi comic series, he believes that there are many independent comic book houses and creators in India, who have distinctive styles and a following among both teens and adults. No longer do comic books feature simplistic plots and child-like humour.

They come with mature jokes and complex plotlines. “Today, comic books in India explore dark humour, sociopolitical satire, indigenous superheroes rooted in mythology, and horror," he says. Hamza Sayed is the founder of the Comic Book Store in Mumbai, which opened in 2022 and claims to be India’s first exclusive comic book store.