Season’s rainfall might have played hide and seek, in this Southern city of India, for the New Year, but one common thing which has gelled with the book-fetish of Chennai, for the past 34 years, was starting the year with a place to cherish their reading passion, which is slowly taking a beating in this Instant world of World Wide Web, and Social Networking.
January 2011, saw BAPASI hosting its 34th Chennai Book Fair, to kick off the new year, and we hoped to cover the event just like 33rd Chennai Book Fair, where we covered the news and events as it happened from the ground.
But the reality and the disappointment surrounding the organizing of Book Fair, sunk in our resolve, and let the efforts of covering the event go down in vain. But, as I met and interacted with the fellow comikers, I realized that they were keen for our blog to continue reporting on our finds from the event, keeping aside the personal likes and dislikes (which I will reserve for the end of the post).
As they say often, no matter what, The Show Must Go On !!! So better late than never, here is our long pending Chennai Book Fair coverage.
Tamil Comics fans who were disappointed to find their favorite Tamil Comics missing from the Book fair this time, were surprised to see what was in store at the usually crowded, New Horizon Media (NHM).
NHM has been a revelation ever since they entered Tamil Publishing industry in 2004, changing the face of the industry completely. They have tried their trade among the old timers, and were able to encroach much of their forte, at the same time surprising with newer launches every now and then. Like any success story, there are debates over the criticality of their vision, and publishing schedule or choices, but no comics fans would hesitate to see them try out the niche field of Tamil Comics, which long is starving off from a professional approach to the publishing.
After trying with a Short graphical bio of Abdul Kalam, under their Prodigy brand last year, they have now ventured onto a comic brand, which has a traditional foothold dating back to 1967, in the Indian Comics industry, the classic Amar Chitra Katha (ACK).
ACK and its tryst with Tamil audience is not new, as there were a couple of publishers, who had tried their hands on them in the past. Most notably Paico Publishers, who had rebranded the Tamil versions as Poonthalir Amar Chitra Kathai (PACK), and later Dina Malar, a Tamil daily newspaper, which continuously serialized these classics through their weekly supplement, Siruvar Malar.
But, the translations of those times were of old school, going with the trend of those yesteryears. While this time around they have been exclusively translated again by NHM, and are also distributed through primarily through their channels, all through India.
I had bought a couple of titles, from the set of 24 titles, which they have published all through last year, and was impressed with the translation effort which has gone through them, rekindling the rare quality seen in the older times.
The selection of 24 titles, range from Mythology, to Historical Legends, and to Folktales, and they promise a whole bunch of reading experience. There may be few apprehensions over whether ACK can bring back the readership, which has now moved over to much bigger graphic story telling format, but for those who would like their kids to get started through Indian Mythology or History, through the wonderful medium of Comics, this could be a great head start.
Badri from NHM, confirms that they will continue to publish more titles of ACK in Tamil, in the new year 2011, and I for one, only wish that they make them available at a more affordable price range.
One among the possible slow moving factors, as I heard from fellow friends and Comikers, were the price tag of around INR 35, to buy a single comic. I doubt, what leeway NHM could have had in pricing their titles, as ACK’s original English versions get sold for the same asking rate. But considering that NHM can sell through their official site, a handsome discount will not only help it reach maximum fans, but also would push them to collect the entire series.
Some of the titles, in the lineup have been published as far back as March 2010, which makes us question the publishing schedule. There is no official confirmation, on why these titles were held back from distribution for so long, as only after the Chennai Book Fair, we start to see them more regularly on the book stores.
But, now that it has happened, I can see that they are stacked prominently, to catch the shoppers eyesight. Hope more readers would benefit to read their favorite ACK titles, again in a new avatar. After the Book Fair, I managed to get the complete ACK Tamil lot published so far by NHM, about which I would reserve a post in the coming days.
Continue reading our concluding Part of CBF 2011 coverage, where we Discover Vandumama and More…
48 ComiComments:
ரஃபிக்,
வழமைபோலவே உங்கள் பதிவுநடையால் எம்மை மயக்கி, ஒரு மாதத்தின் பின்பாக இப்பதிவு வந்திருக்கும் உண்மையை மறக்கடிக்க செய்வதில் ஓரளவு வெற்றி கண்டுள்ளீர்கள்:) ஒரு பெரிய லிஸ்ட் தயாரித்து மொத்தமாக அள்ளிவிட வேண்டியதுதான். பதிவில் நீங்கள் அள்ளி விட்டிருக்கும் விரைவில் எதிர்பாருங்கள் வாக்குறுதிகள் குலை நடுங்க வைக்கிறது :) சிறப்பான பதிவு.
நண்பரே, பெர்சி ஜாக்சன் சாகசமான மின்னல் திருடனை கிராபிக் நாவல் வடிவத்தில் கைப்படுத்தியிருக்கிறிர்கள் என்பது மகிழ்ச்சியை தருகிறது. புத்தக அலமாரியில் உள்ள காமிக்ஸ்கள்-- ஜான் வூ, கதை வேறு-- குறித்த பதிவுகளையும் சுருக்கமாகவேனும் நீங்கள் பதிந்திட வேண்டும். இது அன்பான வேண்டுகோள் மாத்திரமே.
Dear rafiq,
You've done an excellent Post on Book Fair. Your narrative flows like an aged wine. Once again, your exploits during the Fair are great. Like a guided missile or a notorious pirate, you zeroed in on the Bookstalls which sold the comics. Usually, they kept this information very secret. :)
Your language about the poor infrastructure of the Fair's mild, in my opinion. It should have been more harsher, I think. They should have put a BIG dislciamer on the premises, "If Nature Calls you when you're in this premises, for God's sake, don't Answer!".
Impressive Post as always!
Rafiq,
Good post after a very long time. India Comiccon in India :). The news gives me same exitment as XIII book publishing.
Hope to see your post on that and some details for people to visit there.
I enjoy the style of your reading as mentioned by the First commenter your style ensures that you forget this is a article that should have come a month back :).
suresh
புது வருடத்தின் முதல் பதிவிற்கு வாழ்த்துக்கள் ரபிஃக், சென்ற வருடம் போலில்லாமல் இந்த வருடம் நிறைய பதிவுகள் போட்டு கலக்கவும்...
புத்தக கண்காட்சி பற்றி அழகான மொழிநடையில் கூறி இருக்கிறீர்கள்....
Happy New Year Rafiq.
A very good but belated post to start the New Year. But who cares, if the succeeding posts are as good or better (which is more likely, I think) than this one.
Looking forward to your post on the Comic Con.
All the best.
rரஃபீக்... விஷ் யூ த சேம்... வேலண்டைன்ஸ் டே பிலேடட் விஷஸ் :-)
அப்பாலிக்கா, வழக்கப்படி அதிரடி பதிவு.. பின்னுது... எனக்கு திப்பிலி ராஜா கதைத்தொகுப்பு வேண்டும். எங்காவது கிடைக்குமா
மீ வில் கால் யூ சூன்.. ஓ யா பேபி
Nice post! visit http://comic-cover.blogspot.com/ for vintage comic covers.Do leave your thoughts and suggestions
I like comics very much especially thennali raman stories. Long back I had read that stories. Now I didn't get that books.
Off course, every one like comics.. I love it lot.. I used to read these books daily but now no time.
Off course, every one like comics.. I love it lot.. I used to read these books daily but now no time.
மீ வில் கால் யூ சூன்.. ஓ யா பேபி
rரஃபீக்... விஷ் யூ த சேம்... வேலண்டைன்ஸ் டே பிலேடட் விஷஸ் :-)
நண்பரே, பெர்சி ஜாக்சன் சாகசமான மின்னல் திருடனை கிராபிக் நாவல் வடிவத்தில் கைப்படுத்தியிருக்கிறிர்கள் என்பது மகிழ்ச்சியை தருகிறது. புத்தக அலமாரியில் உள்ள காமிக்ஸ்கள்-- ஜான் வூ, கதை வேறு-- குறித்த பதிவுகளையும் சுருக்கமாகவேனும் நீங்கள் பதிந்திட வேண்டும். இது அன்பான வேண்டுகோள் மாத்திரமே.
ரஃபிக்,
வழமைபோலவே உங்கள் பதிவுநடையால் எம்மை மயக்கி, ஒரு மாதத்தின் பின்பாக இப்பதிவு வந்திருக்கும் உண்மையை மறக்கடிக்க செய்வதில் ஓரளவு வெற்றி கண்டுள்ளீர்கள்:) ஒரு பெரிய லிஸ்ட் தயாரித்து மொத்தமாக அள்ளிவிட வேண்டியதுதான். பதிவில் நீங்கள் அள்ளி விட்டிருக்கும் விரைவில் எதிர்பாருங்கள் வாக்குறுதிகள் குலை நடுங்க வைக்கிறது :) சிறப்பான பதிவு.
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WHat is happening comicology.in is not getting updated as before. Is it because of work pressure or loss of interest. Or is it becuase Lion and Muthu are not coming at regular interval, which used to keep the interest of tamil comic readers up and going.
sekar
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Hi Rafiq,
I am not finding Lion or Muthu these days in many news stands or no official site for them (Even checked out itunes store hoping for an online app). Both are i would say the lifelines of Tamil comics anytime. I wonder why comic publishers cant start their own outlets atleast like NHM does.
How to kill time when you at free time? Internet access?Use Internet to play a game? So you must know WOW Gold or RS Gold , very good game, leisure when can play.
Hi people...This's Vijayan of Lion/Muthu Comics....the long snooze's over for us...please do read my blog spot at lion-muthucomics.blogspot.com for updates...Thanks.
Welcome to the Blogging world, Mr. Vijayan. Your blogging sojourn has been a wonderful gift for all Tamil Comics lovers !
அன்பு நண்பரே, பெர்சி ஜாக்சன் நாவலை பார்த்து பிரமிக்க மட்டுமே முடிந்தது (சைஸ்)... தற்போது கிராபிக் நாவல் வடிவில் படித்தபின் வித்தியாசமான கதையமைப்பு வசீகரித்து விட்டது. திரைப்படம் இன்னம் நன்றாக வந்திருக்கலாம்.
ஜான் வூ கதை தொடரை அடுத்து படித்து விட முயல்கிறேன்.
நீங்கள் உடனே பதிலளித்தாலும் 2 வருடங்கள் கழித்து பதில் கருத்து போடும் நாங்க எல்லாம் அக்மார்க் சோம்பேறிகள், என்று இப்போதாவது உணர்ந்திருப்பீர்கள்... :P இதில் வாக்குறுதிகள் தேர்தல் அறிவிப்பு போல தான் :)
Hi @5f267f2a6ddfb483994b17def74254db:disqus : Lion and Muthu has offlate returned, but only through a direct subscription model. Checkout lion-muthucomics.blogspot.com, for more news and new arrivals.
Tamil Comics has a very niche crowd, and one which has remained a close network so far. Unless they start tieng up with the biggies like NHM to tap onto wider distribution channels, they might have to remain a close guarded secret, sadly.
கருந்தேள்... அதிரடிக்கு உங்களை விட்டால் வேறு யார் :P
Nice blog you have got there @27b8b8c30027c2be224402b72a8fcdb8:disqus !
I heard about it. This blog take me to the real comics stories. thank you MR. Vijayan
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