Cricket gets a comic makeover
Are you fanatic about the IPL but just not getting enough of it? Will a whole comic book dedicated to your favourite team’s shenanigans help?
After featuring in storylines of films such as Agent Vinod and Ra.One, there will now be a superhero range of comic books featuring IPL teams like Deccan Chargers, a.k.a. Electric Chargers and the Rajasthan Royals (Rock ‘n’ Royals). Each game the two teams play sees a match report — with a twist — being created and made available to fans online, who can then collect each strip and eventually “create” their own comic book.
Puma’s South Asia MD, Rajiv Mehta, says “Converting a live match into a graphic story is challenging. We have to work within the constraints of the match rather than letting our creative juices flow freely. While this is challenging, it also makes it more topical and relevant to the reader.”
Meanwhile, fans seem to be fairly appreciative of this graphic interpretation of the IPL matches. Web designer Ananya Dutt says that the action and drama of the game makes for great material for a comic book and supports this trend. “Since the characters are already well established, half the battle is won. The rest of the challenge lies in coming up with interesting dialogues and creating situations that make the game come alive on the pages,” she says.
While appreciative of the artwork and concept, some fans do have reservations about whether the medium suits the nature of the game. “Cricket is meant to be watched and experienced, not read!” says Chargers fan and engineering student, Arjun Iyer.
“I don’t even like to follow the ball-by-ball commentary updates, let alone read a comic strip based on the game’s action. Having said that I think the graphics work is a fun addition to the razzmatazz that surrounds the IPL series.”
To view the comic strips visit www.pumashop.in /cricket
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