The going’s been tough for graphic novels in India, but the road’s just got better. While their printed version found few takers, they are proving the perfect stuff for e-books.
India’s first graphic novel Corridor was released in 2004, but not many mainstream publishers are too excited about the concept and, believes Sarnath Banerjee, author of Corridor, might even be “facing a slight discomfort with the genre.”
“The cobwebs of traditionalism are everywhere, from literary prizes to fests and establishments. Literary novels have a degree of cultural snobbery. Maybe because unlike wordy novels, a graphic counterpart is hard to put down,” says Sarnath.
Despite several dedicated publishers like Liquid Comics, Tennis Studio and Campfire Comics, most mainstream publishers shy away from the genre due to its inability to generate good revenue. Abhay Agarwal, co-founder of pothi.com, a platform that publishes e-comics and printed versions, says they are a perfect fit for the new media of e-books, Kindle and iPad. “With huge colourful pictures and minimal text they are convenient for the LCD screens of these devices and that’s where they are turning into a huge success,” he says.