Namastey! Presenting Indian Comics Fandom Magazine second issue of 2012 (you can call it December 2012 edition). As the year draws to a close, let’s recap the events of the last quarter of Indian Comic Industry. 2012 witnessed many comic & animation related events including comic cons (India) organized in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai with special comic launch events by comic publications as well as independent writers-artists. Theme of this issue of ICF is independent comic creators-publishers…who are ‘almost’ as good as comic publishers with commercial success and huge fan following. ICF second edition also covers Mumbai Film & Comic Con, Nagraj Janmotsav (5), iVigilante Project, Readers Choice Poll-Award for Best Online Promotion (with stats & analysis), Featured article, featured artists and interview with author Kshitish Padhy. Though with almost 30 pages less December issue is better than the first issue (October 2012) of Indian Comics Fandom Magazine. Why? Kyoki Editing karne mey kaafi time laga pehle se. Cheers! Enjoy! Wish you a Happy, Prosperous & Comicastic New Year! P.S. Cover Pic Model/Saanp – Rahul Shashank - Mohit Sharma (Trendster / Trendy Baba) Aaapki Poojita Series A webcomic by the writers of Kashmir Ki Kahaani, Uud Bilaw Manus, The Itch You Can't Scratch and Widhwa Ma Andhi Behen. www.aaapkipoojita.com Angry Maushi - Abhijeet Kini (his creation “Bappida” is also popular) iVigilante Project iVigilante is an independent, volunteer run & artist curated multi-dimensional artwork tribute to Indian comic superheroes. Context: We love Indian comic superheroes. We grew up reading their adventures and they touched millions hearts. They actually changed the way we think of ourselves as we wanted to be like them once we grow up. There was an ultimate bond hidden and they provided us a sense of security that someone is there to take care of us. That was childhood, a great childhood. And then we grew up and got addicted to TV.Films, Playstations, Ipod’s and a few other platforms. During 90's we saw a decline in comic readership but after a hiatus, Indian comic book industry now is growing at a right pace and direction. Also, The Indian Comic-Con convention witnessed a phenomenal success especially in the second year of its existence. We are introducing, 'iVigilante', an independent artwork project celebrating the great Indian superheroes of all times with an aim to produce a collective of Indian Superheroes with artist's unique art styles and treatments in both 2D and 3D mediums. We are also featuring various publishers (1950's-recent times) who helped Indian Comics Industry what it is today. Due to them comics in India is a 100 million dollar industry. We have cautiously selected 52 Indian comic superheroes of all times from publishers Raj comics, Diamond Comics, Indrajal Comics, Majoj Comics, Tulsi Comics, along with few others with a plan to showcase the artworks for an exhibition and through various art events to help spread the word. In crisis years a few publishers stopped their production but we love featuring popular superheroes that we may have forgotten through these years. Purpose: We love comic books and have a great passion for it. The ultimate goal is to promote Indian Comic Superheroes, Artists, and Publishers and we are confident it will surely lead to an increased comic awareness and readership. In short: 1. To promote Indian Comics Superheroes featuring contributing artists and publishers 2. To Increase Awareness 3. Sharing information/Exchanging ideas that how sensible people from the industry can take it further to another new media platforms Outcome: 1. Shaping a new creative experience. 2. The involvement of informed and concerned people to help support the industry. Anthony-Raj Comics (WIP) by Milton Das Pearl Comics Yogesh Kumar Amana shares his cartoons, satires, write-ups on his FB page “Pearl Comics” FA Gang Stuffs & Simmi Singh Himalayan Comics This is a company with multidimensional approach which is gradually increasing its reach & base with the help of talented team of artists. The team members also worked in couple of regional languages movies. Though, the pace of work and updates is comparatively slow than other comic publications. Freelance Talents Freelance Talents published 84 Tears, Desi-Pun, Tails of Low I.Q., Long Live Inquilab, Trendy Baba Series & few research books this year. Their upcoming projects are Indi Horror Series, Kavya Comics Series, Infra Surkh Shayars. Ninja Tuna Animation Studios “NTAS was founded in December 2011 with a simple aim to change the way things work & look in Indian Animation & Comic Industry.” Upcoming series by NTAS is Setu. Currently hosting “Have your own comic” contest open for writers and artists. Nagraj Janmotsav (6 October 2012) Venue: Delhi Haat Fans with Doga, Nagraj, Dhruv & Guddu (Garbage Bin). Thousands of fans attended Nagraj Janmotsav (season 5), this was seventh event hosted by Raj Comics in the span of less than 5 years. Star guest, Famous Novelist Surendra Mohan Pathak. Raj Comics Management plans to invite & facilitate more artists-writers on this annual event. Writer-Director Anurag Kashyap confirmed that his next project after Bombay Velvet is Doga movie. He also launched special preview copies of Doga series “Kyu hai Doga?” by Edison George (Manu) and Alok Sharma. Mumbai Film & Comic Convention (21 October 2012) Holy Cow Entertainment Stall Aghori (Book 2) launched by Vivek Goel and Ram V Vimanika Comics Stall Raj Comics Stall Diamond Comics (thousands of comics under many series) now available on Flipkart & Infibeam, a late move when publishers with even couple of releases till date are making full use of online channels. Social media-Online presence and updates by Diamond Comics are also negligible. Featured Article by Prahlad Dubey on Raj Comics Upcoming Projects: RC ne apne FB page par 12/12/12 ko jin dhamaakedaar teasers ke saath celebrate kiya tha, unhe dekhkar mujhe apne kuchh vichaar vyakt karne ki soojhi. To pesh hai mera ek chhota-sa article as per the teasers supplied by RC: 1. WORLD WAR: Reportedly Aatankharta Nagraj ki 2nd last comics prior to 'Veergati'. Jaha kai fans iss news se niraash hue hain, wahi mujhe to RC kaa ye step justified laga as this end will highlight the real impact of terrorism on our world. Ye comics December set me release ho chuki hai aur fans ab ye ummeed lagaaye honge ki ye effects ke saath print ho. Par mujhe ye jaanne me dilchaspi hai ki Aatankharta kaa end sahi maayno me justified dikhaaya jaayega yaa Nagayan ke Nagraj ki tarah ajeebo-gareeb aur unexpected! 2. CODENAME COMET: Hamaare Captain Dhruv ki forthcoming series. Iske teasers ne kaafi response generate kiya hai aur mujhe ye jaankar khushi hui ki pichhle kuch issues ki tarah isme bhi Captain ke ek puraane villain Dr Virus kaa comeback hoga. Ye series Mandaar sir ki kalam se nikli hai, so expectations are really high! 3. SUBHASHYA SHIGHRAM: Raavan Doga ke pashchaat Doga ki agli comics. Isme Dheeraj Verma sir kaa artwork dekhne ko milega. Personally mujhe to Dheeraj sir kaa Doga kabhi zyaada pasand nahi aaya, jiska kaaran mujhe yahi samajh aata hai ki Manu sir ne Doga ke artwork kaa standard itna high kar diya hai ki unke aage sab feeka hi lagta hai. Ab dekhne waali baat ye hogi ki RC me apne comeback ke baad pehli baar koi without-Bheriya comic draw karne par unhe kaisa response milta hai, aur sabse bada sawaal- kya isme bhi unka artwork without inking hi dikhega? 4. YUGAANDHAR: Bhokal ki agli comic aur bahupratikshit, kyuki isi se Sarvnayak kaa aagaaz hoga. Comic me artwork hai LalitSingh sir(of GURU BHOKAL fame) ka. Kaafi samay baad unki ore se koi full-fledged comic dekhne ko milegi fans ko. Yaha mai ek aisi news share karna chaahunga jiske baare me shaayad kai fans ko nahi pata, aur wo news mere jaise kuchh ke liye jaha achchhi hai wahi kaiyo ke liye buri bhi! Yoddha ki abandoned series Aarambh kaa agla part 'SWARG HETU' bhi abhi wahi bana rahe hain, jo Yugaandhar ke jald baad hi release hone ki ummeed hai. Jo fans ye jaanna chaahte hain ki Lalit sir ne itne samay se kisi comic par kaam kyu nahi kiya, unhe ye bataana chaahunga ki 2010/2011 me unka kaafi fatal accident hua tha, jisme unki mastishk ko kaafi gehraa aaghaat laga tha jisse wo abhi tak poori tarah se ubar nahi paaye hain, aur unhe artwork banaane me kaafi stress padta hai.... Anyways, i m sure meri tarah baaki fans bhi iske liye kaafi besabr honge aur mai ummeed karungaa ki ye comics hamaari ummeedo par khari utregi. 5. NEGATIVES: 2013 ki abhi tak finalised most-awaited comics. Ab isme aisi kya khaasiyat hain ye shaayad mujhe bataane ki zarurat nahi hai: Anupam Sinha sir ki ore se kaafi samay baad ek multistarrer, Anupam-Vinod duo kaa Nagayan series ke pashchaat strong comeback, RC ke itihaas me pehli baar 160-page kaa visheshaank. Par iss teaser ko dekhne ke baad mere mann me kuchh uljhane paida ho gayi hain jo shaayad kuchh aur fans ke mann me bhi uthi ho. Abhi tak ke sabhi teasers ko dekhne ke baad mujhe ye shankaa ho rahi hai ki shaayad isme sirf uprokt dikh rahe 5 superheroes hi honge, aur Vinod sir ki inking hone se mujhe nahi lagta ki ab iss 160-pg comic ke Glossy me aane ki koi ummeed bachti hai. Par jo bhi ho, ye comics to ab fans ke liye ek must-have ban hi chuki hai aur iss page me ek aur dekhne laayak baat ye hai ki unhone Parmanu ke looks me bhi thoda sa modification kiya hai, jo xactly kaisa hai ye to ab comics padhne ke baad hi pata lagega! KYU HAI DOGA {Tentative}: Iss series ko lekar mujhme aur mere jaise hi kai Doga fans me zabardast romaanch paidaa ho chuka hai.