<!--QuoteBegin-Ashok Kumar+Jun 4 2007, 01:08 AM-->QUOTE(Ashok Kumar @ Jun 4 2007, 01:08 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->A new kind of narrative based on hindu themes in comics is already underway. and will influence hindu iconography of the future in youngsters' minds. <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->Â Remember that these are just a beginning, and are not fully Indian.Â
Check the offerings in comics from Virgin comics ( http://www.virgincomics.com ).
[right][snapback]69736[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->US is doing what Japan's been doing for a decade: bringing in Hindu and other mythology into their comics and animations. There was a series called Arjuna in Japan - futuristic sci-fi about a girl and her bow fighting 'Asuras': aliens. Then before that there was another Hindu-named movie, and another called Heroic Legends of Arislan about the Persian Shahnameh.
Problem is that after Arjuna, lots of people in the west started thinking it was a girl's name and that Asuras were aliens.... But that's okay: its main target was Japanese viewers who already know a lot about other cultures or have an interest in finding out - I'm not worried about them. They know where playful fiction ends and the facts begin.
But people in the US watch a movie set in some faux-history and think it is historically accurate (examples abound, like Troy, which tried its parasitic best to murder its 'inspiration' the Illiad).
Spoilsport that I am, I'm worried that the overly muscular blue dude who looks like he has no brain is indeed going to "influence the Hindu iconography of the future in youngsters' minds". And that it might not be much of a good thing. I think this blue hulk looks scary and, unlike the green one, is not endearing. That's in spite of the initial confidence imbued by the 'Deepak Chopra' mention on the cover.
'Rama' (is it?) is starting to look more Oryan with each new depiction. Why not go all the way and give him blue eyes, blond hair and dub him 'Rambo'? Please do.
(Nice bow on the front cover by the way, looks like someone plagiarised from the cover of 'To Green Angel Tower'. Or even John Howe's latest renderings for visual inspiration for the LOTR movies - am referring to the Legolas and Gimli painting he made.)
And Devi doesn't look Indian either, besides looking like a stand-in for Lara Croft. And the tagline 'Between the divine and the diabolical ... there is devi' is also a good ambiguity to pass on to next generations.
The storylines are as useful in preserving or retelling the existing rich body of Indian works as '300' was in its accuracy. It's surprising how many young people actually think 300 was a fair and faithful depiction. Scary thought.
Next up is the problem that, like the titles and characters in DC and Marvel's Comics, our characters and titles will be copyrighted. As will the 'blue hero with the bow'. It's not enough that they exploit our literature to tell stories because they've exhausted their imaginations. No. They have to mangle them, and tell and present them badly too.
Now if Y Kawajiri and team animated the Ramayanam the way he did VHD 2 (and stuck to the story) - I'd be the first in line to see it.
In the Donar graphic novels I worked on (late primary to high school), we stuck to the correct descriptions, the correct settings, and my friend - who did most of the research and writing - only expanded storylines by adding things that stuck to the spirit of the original. Donar was valorous, friendly, likeable and goodlooking - instant appeal. And oh yeah, he was Godly. My friend didn't dilly-dally around with that: the main character was not some mere superhero or something. He was the <i>God</i> Donar.
His adventures for the comics included well-known ones, obscure ones and ones made up (but that could have happened with the real Thor, being consistent with existing story lines).
The thing about creating derivative works of cherished ancient stories is to be true to the originals and present the same eternal messages for younger generations, so that they lose nothing in translation (in the new versions). You try to provide and derive the same visions of the Gods as people held before you, or one that's consistent with those visions. Be creative within that rich inheritance for expression. (When you create your own mythology you can use your imagination to the full.) The famous 80s Japanese-French animation 'Ulysses 31' is the Odyssey set in the 31st century and it is beautifully true to the integrity of the characters and events of the Greek epic.
In a recent local retelling of the Greek historical stories for youngsters, the illustrations I and others contributed still fall in line with traditional iconography and have not caused any offence amongst Greeks or others. One can tell it's Artemis and not Lara Croft for instance, and that it's Ares and not the Hulk or Ahnuld.
Some may cheer this new development by Virgin Comics' entry into Indian Puranas, but I find it disheartening.
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> Remember that these are just a beginning, and are not fully Indian. Check the offerings in comics from Virgin comics ( http://www.virgincomics.com ).
[right][snapback]69736[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->US is doing what Japan's been doing for a decade: bringing in Hindu and other mythology into their comics and animations. There was a series called Arjuna in Japan - futuristic sci-fi about a girl and her bow fighting 'Asuras': aliens. Then before that there was another Hindu-named movie, and another called Heroic Legends of Arislan about the Persian Shahnameh.
Problem is that after Arjuna, lots of people in the west started thinking it was a girl's name and that Asuras were aliens.... But that's okay: its main target was Japanese viewers who already know a lot about other cultures or have an interest in finding out - I'm not worried about them. They know where playful fiction ends and the facts begin.
But people in the US watch a movie set in some faux-history and think it is historically accurate (examples abound, like Troy, which tried its parasitic best to murder its 'inspiration' the Illiad).
Spoilsport that I am, I'm worried that the overly muscular blue dude who looks like he has no brain is indeed going to "influence the Hindu iconography of the future in youngsters' minds". And that it might not be much of a good thing. I think this blue hulk looks scary and, unlike the green one, is not endearing. That's in spite of the initial confidence imbued by the 'Deepak Chopra' mention on the cover.
'Rama' (is it?) is starting to look more Oryan with each new depiction. Why not go all the way and give him blue eyes, blond hair and dub him 'Rambo'? Please do.
(Nice bow on the front cover by the way, looks like someone plagiarised from the cover of 'To Green Angel Tower'. Or even John Howe's latest renderings for visual inspiration for the LOTR movies - am referring to the Legolas and Gimli painting he made.)
And Devi doesn't look Indian either, besides looking like a stand-in for Lara Croft. And the tagline 'Between the divine and the diabolical ... there is devi' is also a good ambiguity to pass on to next generations.
The storylines are as useful in preserving or retelling the existing rich body of Indian works as '300' was in its accuracy. It's surprising how many young people actually think 300 was a fair and faithful depiction. Scary thought.
Next up is the problem that, like the titles and characters in DC and Marvel's Comics, our characters and titles will be copyrighted. As will the 'blue hero with the bow'. It's not enough that they exploit our literature to tell stories because they've exhausted their imaginations. No. They have to mangle them, and tell and present them badly too.
Now if Y Kawajiri and team animated the Ramayanam the way he did VHD 2 (and stuck to the story) - I'd be the first in line to see it.
In the Donar graphic novels I worked on (late primary to high school), we stuck to the correct descriptions, the correct settings, and my friend - who did most of the research and writing - only expanded storylines by adding things that stuck to the spirit of the original. Donar was valorous, friendly, likeable and goodlooking - instant appeal. And oh yeah, he was Godly. My friend didn't dilly-dally around with that: the main character was not some mere superhero or something. He was the <i>God</i> Donar.
His adventures for the comics included well-known ones, obscure ones and ones made up (but that could have happened with the real Thor, being consistent with existing story lines).
The thing about creating derivative works of cherished ancient stories is to be true to the originals and present the same eternal messages for younger generations, so that they lose nothing in translation (in the new versions). You try to provide and derive the same visions of the Gods as people held before you, or one that's consistent with those visions. Be creative within that rich inheritance for expression. (When you create your own mythology you can use your imagination to the full.) The famous 80s Japanese-French animation 'Ulysses 31' is the Odyssey set in the 31st century and it is beautifully true to the integrity of the characters and events of the Greek epic.
In a recent local retelling of the Greek historical stories for youngsters, the illustrations I and others contributed still fall in line with traditional iconography and have not caused any offence amongst Greeks or others. One can tell it's Artemis and not Lara Croft for instance, and that it's Ares and not the Hulk or Ahnuld.
Some may cheer this new development by Virgin Comics' entry into Indian Puranas, but I find it disheartening.