Comics has been treated as the dark horse of art. Maybe that is why it has had a slow gallop into the mainstream mindset. But it has sneaked into our consciousness in its own way. After all, it provides a refreshing meaning to the harsh cynicism around us. Delhi-based filmmaker Anindya Roy could not agree more. Leveraging on the iconic grasp of comics, he set up South Comix Collective two years ago to canvas developmental issues other than the usual gags like walking on air or waltzing on poles.

"We want this to be a body that patronises comics," explains Roy. With cartoonist Sarnath Banerjee, Roy uses comics as a vanguard for contemporary culture and issues ranging from infanticide to forestation. "Nobody enjoys reading hard facts and figures," he justifies. "People can absorb more details through a graphic novel's narrative style." These comic books will be released in English and local languages across the country.

PICTURE SPEAK

CARTOON CRADLE: Roy with a schoolchild

Roy tries to combine local sensitivity with colloquial humour. He eschews political diatribe, maintains universality in his themes and relies on a sensible marriage of reality and fiction. While Mira portrays the crude world of girl trafficking, Toppy is his mascot for championing environmental themes. "At 27, Toppy is a gadget-savvy guy whose middle-class upbringing manifests itself during his adventures," says Roy. Later, you realise Toppy is a figment of Roy's magical terrain, even as he talks about him like someone who stopped over for tea. It is not so hard to lose oneself in this kingdom of illusions, perhaps. Toppy's Tintin-esque adventures will be compiled into a 100-page graphic novel by 2005.

Roy is not keen to alter reality and wants to create everyday heroes. "These characters need to have an earthy feel," he insists. Usually Roy comes up with the cartoons' concepts and gets freelancers to do the drawing. Almost noirish in appearance, his comics exude a sense of melancholy. Through South Comix, he is also gunning to capitalise on India's cartooning talent. He now plans to make a comic book on young scientists. Beyond that, he has an intriguing project in store: Know Thy Backpack, a graphic novel that might be India's answer to the Lonely Planet guide. A picture is worth a thousand words is a tired cliché. But it is not without wisdom.

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