Some weeks back, the movie "Ironman" premiered, and though I enthusiastically went for it, I was quite dismayed to find that the theatre was relatively empty. I don't know what happened worldwide, but I'm sure it wouldn't have been quite as bad. Thinking of it, I guess I shouldn't be surprised at all. After all, I don't remember seeing too many Ironman comics in stores 15 years back, and I haven't come across too many of them on shelves even now. I have a theory on why this is so.
Unlike the west, comics in India are targeted at ages 8-15. Only in the past few years has the concept of 'graphic novel' for more mature readers caught on. Tony Stark a.k.a. Ironman was created by Stan Lee in March 1963. Tony's character is that of a glamorous genius -millionaire-playboy businessman… possibly too much for India's youth to digest back then - especially the ladies' man bit. This would have been chiefly due to a fewreasons.
First, India's weak economy at the time made the capitalist consumer's 'good life' a bit far-fetched. For instance, back then, there were barely 3 types of cars available to the common man (after being on a waiting list for at least a year) while Tony Stark was buying sports cars.
Two, the middle class was not given to squandering money on comics and only the most popular ones ever really made it to the stands. Laurel & Hardy, the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician and some Disney were the popular ones, along with Asterix and Tintin. The DC comics which did make it (like Superman and Spiderman) were more expensive, as were Disney's Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse.
Third, and most important, was the conservative traditional outlook that the majority maintained. Anything remotely related to sex and nudity was frowned upon and there was an atmosphere of 'moral policing'. The cinema of the time is testimony to this. The Indian film industry, popularly called Bollywood, was churning out movies with messages of classical ethics and morals, where the good guys always won, and, more to the point, were virgin monogamists.
Times have changed now, and a teen hero like Superboy (not to mention Knockout!)does well enough in the market. Perhaps now would be a good time to introduce Ironman in the market here.
Why Ironman failed...
The Sadhu
Yesterday, at the bookstore, I overheard a 15-year old asking an attendant for "The comic that has Nicholas Cage in it." I wasn't sure how to react. Smile because he had his facts jumbled? Or feel sorry that he hadn't heard of it till he saw the news on TV? I remembered reading the series last year and decided that it wasn't much to write about. But I also wasn't surprised that it was going to be adapted into a movie. Why? Because it’s the stuff shoddy Hollywood flicks on eastern ascetics is made of. And getting Nicholas Cage on board will help the box office. I suppose it was a natural thing to do after the hastily put-together National Treasure (which Disney used to cash in on the Da Vinci Code hype).
Anyways, for those of you who aren't familiar with The Sadhu, here's a brief overview of the first part of the series. The story is set in colonial India, when the East India Company ruled. The story begins in 2 parts: in India, the British army is fighting a group of rebel bandits led by a sadhu called Dada Thakur. Outnumbered and outgunned, the bandits are fighting a losing battle, but Dada Thakur is visited by a goddess who tells him that help is on the way.
Meanwhile, in England, two unemployed brothers, James and William are looking for work on the docks. While William manages to get a place on one of the ships, James is approached by a soldier who offers him a chance to join the Imperial Army in India. He reluctantly accepts, knowing that it is the only way he can earn a livelihood for Tess, his pregnant wife.
In India, James finds himself under the command of an especially brutal Col. Timothy Townsend. Townsend has his eyes set on Tess, and following an altercation with James, has him beaten up. He sexually assaults Tess and later kills her and James' new born son in front of him. Though left for dead, James flees to the jungles where he is saved by Dada Thakur.
Impressed by Dada Thakur's mystic powers, and a burning desire for vengeance on Townsend, James starts training under Dada Thakur, who believes him to be the help that the goddess has promised. After 3 years, James quits his training abruptly to go to England, trailing Townsend. He discovers that Townsend is a 'demon sadhu' and loses the ensuing fight.
Although not dead, James is badly wounded. Recovering from his wounds, he determines to continue on his quest for revenge.
The first series of books ends here. The story continues in 'The Silent Ones', a 5-issue mini-series. Still have to get my hands on that series, but I've heard that James discovers that his son is not dead, but in the clutches of an evil cult. Should be interesting. Do feel free to write in and add to this synopsis.
The Ghost Who Walks is back!
Remember the masked man from the Deep Woods who lived in a tree-house, had offices in the Skull Cave, and sought out evil-doers? Well, Euro Books has re-launched Lee Falk's 'Phantom' in India.
Over the past 3 decades, the Phantom has been re-introduced by publishers several times. In terms of format, first, it was the Rs. 2 comic book (remember those good old days when comics would only cost that?); then, it came as a A5-size digest of stories, and then, it disappeared from the scene for a long time. You could only find a dusty copy or two in some corner of the book store, and of course the vendors at train stations always had a few.
With the recent import of superheroes, like X-Men, Spiderman etc. from the likes of Gotham and DC Comics, its hardly surprising that kids today have little respect for mere humans. I'm hoping this latest avatar of Phantom comics changes that a bit. Each of these hard-cover magazine-sized digests has 2 full-length stories. Priced at Rs. 199, the digests come with special sections like 'Legends', which give the reader a peep into some of the Phantom's secrets (the one I bought presented Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, as one of the Skull Cave's treasures) and articles on various objects associated with the Phantom. The stories, too, seem to be stuff that's not been released earlier in the market. I, for one, had never read 'The Ghost who Died Twice' or 'The Assassination of President Lincoln' earlier. As of now, there are a total of 15 such digests available in the market.
While there seems to have been an effort to modernize the product, I'm sorry to say that there's still a long way to go if it has to keep up with the quality that today's readers have come to expect. The paper and printing quality can easily be better, as can the quality of lamination on the cover. I'm guessing this is a test phase, and if the market laps it up, hopefully there'll be several more titles in the offing.
