CHENNAI: Yuva belongs to a group of enthusiastic Tamil comic fans, who not only read and collect comics, but also meet to discuss blogs and tweet about them. Chezhiyan, a member of the group, even calls himself Olaga Comics Rasigar and uses it as his blog name and Twitter handle. The close-knit group members remain in touch with publishers as much as they can to keep the tradition of Tamil comics alive. They do not mind travelling an extra mile to meet lesser -known book collectors for that elusive comic book. Often, they find that these comic book fans do not have anything they don’t already own, but that hardly deters them from trying. “We’ll do anything for comics,” declares Yuva.This ‘comic obsession’ began for the coterie when they first found this literary medium to be a refreshing change from their usual reads — the text-based Ambulimama that they were familiar with as kids. But the passion for these comics grew and they turned serious collectors. “We started reading comics in the ’80s, the golden period for this form of literature in Tamil. But many of us went abroad and the connection with these books was lost. What should have grown as a major cultural phenomenon, sadly died,” laments Yuva, who has over 500 comics in his prized collection.Venkateswaran, who claims to have atleast one copy of over three-fourths of all published Tamil comics, remembers how he would spend hours scouting old book shops and waste-paper marts since libraries didn’t stock comics. “We would pay 75 paise to get hold of a comic and would get the deposit of 50 paise back, when we returned the book. We would then top this change with another 25 paise and take home another book,” he says, reminiscing a different era. The prices have changed now, but not their passion. Chezhiyan says he would definitely spend `200 even on a comic that is in tatters, so that it doesn’t go a waste. He adds that comics have helped him on the professional front as well. “I work in an advertising agency. I convey my ideas easily to the camera-person and crew using sketches. I owe that to the many comics I have read,” he explains. A newer entrant to the Tamil comics fan club, Vinoth says “Tamil comics have a soul that English ones don’t. The stories are much simpler and the books have a classic feel. Ask them if they would ever sell a comic book and they shoot you daggers. “We’ll exchange the comics to get those that we don’t have, but will never ever sell them!” When he talks of comics, his passion is more than just obvious. He fondly remembers dialogues, explaining how some of those lines even brought him to tears. He recounts the history of the Tamil comic industry as if he were a witness to the entire story, and talks about some of his favourite characters at length as if they were his best friends in reality. Meet Viswa Nathan, a media professional and an avid fan of Tamil comics.Nathan, who has over 130 blog posts dedicated to comics at tamilcomicsulagam.blogspot.in, is not only a reader and collector of comics, but seems like a ready reckoner when it comes to clarifying anything to do with literary medium. Currently, he is trying to finish a pet project that he started way back in 2009. “I’m making a documentary on the history of comics. I have interviewed publishers, editors, writers and artists of authentic Tamil comics,” Viswa says, calling it his attempt to ensure that people do not forget this medium of simple literature in the vernacular. Along with the film, Viswa is also compiling a book on the history of Tamil comics. For both the docu and the book, he has sought the help of his friends to track the journey of Tamil comics. “We have classified the works as indigenous and translations. We have further sorted them decade-wise and have reviewed each of them, mentioning how many have been published, details of the publishers and reasons for stopping publication,” he explains. “There used to be many interesting comic ads those days and the souvenirs that came with the comics are also featured in the book,” Viswa reveals.Bringing out the book has been no mean task, he clarifies. “We are unable to trace the starting point of Tamil comics. Amar Chitra Katha could be the first to appear in a book format, but comics existed much before that. The book and documentary will be ready the day we are able to track the origin.” Viswa’s interest in comics and documenting has also opened up other avenues for him. He has featured in Mumbai-based filmmaker Alok Sharma’s Chitrakatha, a documentary on Indian comics. “Alok has informed me that he will not shoot exclusively for Tamil comics, and will use my videos for his film,” informs an enthusiastic Viswa.
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