Virtue, Morals and Myths: The Forte of Vimanika Comics

Those who think the market for Indian comic books is sparse and dormant ought to be aware that Vimanika Comics has been around since 2008. This new and emerging comic strip brand was created with the idea of rewriting ancient Indian myths from a contemporary angle. Continue reading to learn more about the underappreciated and deserving side of the Indian comic book industry.

Vimanika’s Logo, Source: YouTube.com/google

Most of us have owned alphabetical picture, and rhyme books. The luckier of the lot must have had access to monthly magazines like Champak and Nandan, yet only a handful of us had come across graphic novels and comics like Amar Chitra Katha and Tintin etc.

To have a childhood or even adulthood blessed with the presence of graphic narratives is a pleasure and wonder that enriches one’s life with creativity and inspiration. The visual comic landscape of India remained barren for a long time until Amar Chitra Katha (ACK, hereon) comics entered Indian markets.

Although ACK still controls the majority of the country's comic book business, the field of visual tales has been slowly opening up to accommodate a wide range of comic book creators. Vimanika Comics is one such up-and-coming producer of graphic novels. The narrative surrounding the founding of Vimanika is replete with the notion that the youth must make sure that they young receive the best of everything, in a balanced manner concerning Indian culture.

Vimanika was founded quite recently, in 2008 by Karan Vir Arora, a young entrepreneur who grew up with the dream of making Indian culture accessible and adventurous through the creative and fun medium of the comic strip. Though at first glance, it might seem that Vimanika comics resemble ACK greatly, it is not wholly so.

Though both ACK and Vimanika focus on Indian Mythology, it is the perspective that makes the two comic brands differ to a great extent. Though ACK is majorly concerned with the retelling of Indian Mythologies in a rather elaborate manner, Vimanika beliefs base Indian Mythological stories to harness real life, and contemporary issues, while giving out moral and virtuous messages in a very precise manner. In this sense, if ACK is the literal retelling of Indian Mythologies, then Vimanika presents it in a newer and real light, giving a reality check to everything which youth must believe.

Vimanika being quite young in the micro comic Indian industry doesn’t yet have a trailblazing history. However, soon after its launch, the brand succeeded in making a viable name for itself. Arora assembled a capable team of illustrators, storyboard writers, and research assistants to guarantee a stable road for Vimanika. Vimanika has its cell of research analysis which critically researches a mythological field before it's given a go-ahead to be made into a full-fledged Graphic Narrative. Maintaining this concept and perspective requires great zeal and patience because a lot could go wrong in the experimentation of myths to inculcate them swiftly into the real-life Indian bloodstream.

Since the year of its establishment, Vimanika has grown, though slowly, yet steadily and already it has opened its first international unit in Philadelphia, USA. Though based in Mumbai, Vimanika’s creative studio resides in Delhi, as it’s the home of half of the creative line of the team who work with unmatched dedication and creativity to make the company a success as it exists today.

Some of the most popular of Vimanika’s graphic creations are, Ramayana, I Am Kalki and Shiva-Legends, etc. The comics look every inch a standard Graphic narrative with their colourful Technicolor and glossy covers with elaborate graphics. Not unbelievingly altered to soothe the eye, but entirely human in every sense. Their Ramayana has been a hit both nationally and globally because it’s a real treat for the readers.

Vimanika’s Ramayana uses the voice of Lord Hanuman to narrate this tale of heroic wisdom, courage, divinity, and love, refashioning the mythology with the mindset of the modern readers who always welcome a grain of perspective of those who have lived the tale, adding the angle of reality to it.

Though Vimanika has grown a lot since its birth, there is a lot of potential for more growth and change in ideologies as in the case of every brand. For instance, everyone knows that the Indian Comic Book market is still very central to only the privileged sections of society, so younger brands shall take steps to bridge this gap.

Nonetheless, Vimanika continues to flourish and win hearts while acquainting the youth with a very important element of their culture in a fun and innovative way. For this, Vimanika’s work has been duly recognized and awarded, as the company has already won a handful of awards at the Golden Globe CNBC Awards. May this tradition continue and more innovative and talented comic creators find the niche they desire in the field of Indian Graphic Novels.

Rama’s Glory, as depicted in Vimanika, Source: Google Images