So Comic-Con is here. This convention for lovers of comics books and graphic novels (aren’t they the same thing?) will be held over the weekend in Delhi. Here, a 38-year-old reader of comics has a conversation with his younger selves about comics.
The setting: A vague interstice of space and time. Somewhere between the panels, beyond the fourth wall.
Me, at 6: Spider-Man and Superman wear pretty much the same colours, but they never fight crime together, why is that?
Me, at 16: It’s because one’s Marvel and the other’s DC. What are you, stupid?
Me, at 6: You’re stupid! I also like Tinkle, especially Kalia the crow and Suppandi. Suppandi is silly!
Me, at 16: That’s all so passé. Superhero comics now are so much more dark, and gritty, and real. And Tinkle is for kids!
Me, at 6: But comics should be fun!
Me, at 21: They can. But they can be a lot more, too. Look at Marjane Satrapi’s comics on life in Iran, or Rutu Modan’s comics on life in Israel. They bring the stories of people in other times and places to life in a way maybe only sequential graphic narratives can.
Me, at 16: ‘Sequential graphic narratives’? What are you, some kind of hipster?
Me, at 21: Look, here’s Scott McCloud. This’ll explain a lot of things. (Breaks time barrier, hands out copies of Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud)
Me, at 6: And I really like Misha magazine! It has comics about fairytales from Russia!
Me, at 21: Yes, that’s exactly the kind of thing I mean!
Me, at 16: Fairytales? Oh, grow up!
Me, at 38: Hang on, dude, check these out. (Breaks the time barrier and hands out copies of Fables)
Me, at 21: Hey, that’s like Sandman!
Me, at 16: Sandman?
Me, at 21: (Breaks the time barrier and hands out copies of Sandman)
Me, at 16: My mind is blown.
Me, at 6: Hey, can I see?
Me, at 38: Sure, why not. After all you’re not going to turn out any more messed up than I am, and besides we aren’t your parents. You got any of those old copies of Tinkle to spare?
(Everyone breaks the time barrier. They sit around reading comics.)
(Half an hour later.)
Me, at 6: Hey, anyone into action figures?
(Fade to 4-colour incandescence.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)