Bit old, but might be of interest... FN
http://www.indiatogether.org/2004/may/med-comics.htm
Comics for development communicationFrederick Noronha reports on the success of World Comics India, whichhas created successful material, especially for the regional press.
May 2004 - Comics and development? What's the link, you might just aswell ask. But a small band of campaigners and cartoonists are making aconnection between these two seemingly disparate fields.
Delhi-based cartoonist Sharad Sharma sees strong possibilities.Inspired by the example of countries like Finland, Sharma is now goingahead to tell stories in bold brush strokes. He explains how theFinnish cartoonist Leif Packalen passed on the idea to them in 1998.Since then, his network called World Comics India held workshops inthe remote areas of tribal Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, and theNorth East. Charkha, which has been providing training to ruraljournalists since 1994, started using cartoons and comic strips indevelopment communication in 1997. The Bangalore-based Communicationfor Development and Learning recently came out with a slim book titled'Devtoons: Cartoons for Development'.
Problems in communicating a message in an effective way have causedimmense frustration to development workers. How can people be taughtnew skills at a low cost? What would be a good way to deal withsensitive topics such as health issues? How can complicated newresearch, like that in agriculture for example, be simplified so thatordinary people can benefit? "One option is the use of comics.Obviously, in order to achieve the desired results, these comicsshould be created locally. Comics involve visual story-telling, whichmust follow local perceptions and visual culture in order to beunderstood correctly. Engaging local activists and artists to createthese comics therefore makes sense, in getting across information togrown-up readers," explains Sharma.
Sharma started his career in painting. But he found this "quiteexpensive for a middle-class family" and joined a local newspaperduring his first year in college. He started both cartooning andreporting, then moved to Jaipur, where he worked with state-levelnewspapers as a political cartoonist. In 1995, he moved to New Delhi,visited many north-eastern states, and did "lots of stories andcartoons". Since 1999, he has been with Zee News as acartoonist/animator, produced political animation for their channel,and also contributed political cartoons for their website.
"Comics involve visual storytelling, which must follow localperceptions and visual culture in order to be understood correctly.Engaging local activists and artists to create the comics thereforemakes sense, in getting across information to grown-up readers." --Sharad Sharma
Since then, he explains, he and like-minded persons have "conducted aseries of workshops with different organisations. During this period,we felt the need for one organisation dedicated for visualcommunications especially for comics. This is how World Comics Indiawas formed." World Comics India (WCI), a registered non-profit, wasformed in June 2002 by a group of artists, media persons and socialactivists, who wanted to promote the use of comics as a medium insocial change.
What kinds of issues are comics best suited for? Sharma explained in arecent interview: "In our workshops we never ask participants toselect any specific issue for their comics. We just ask them to writea story which is close to their day to day life; all stories cover allsuch developmental issues. In Jharkhand, stories coming up mostlytouch migration, displacement, tribal rights, 'witch' hunting,alcoholism and corruption. In Mizoram, it's HIV/AIDS, jhum (shifting)cultivation, and the environment that often figure. Even sensitiveissues like sex education and insurgency can be told through themedium of comics."
The response, says he, was intense. He believes that the success ofwallposter comics in Jharkhand and in Mizoram shows "the path forfuture". Now they are concentrating more on A-4 size comics and wallposters as both the formats are "cost-effective".
Comics make sense in a cultural context like India's. Explains Sharma:"People are focused on issues in India. Also we have a rich storytelling culture, which is a plus point for the comics. But in thecomics field, the Finns are much ahead. You will find lots of comics'artists there; it even forms part of the college curriculum. Comicsartists get fellowships from the government. Political cartooningisn't dominant, unlike in India."
But whether it's in Nordic part of the planet, or in tropical SouthAsia, Sharma sees comics and cartoons as having "lots of scope". Hesays, "The problem here is that we are again sticking to thestereotype image of realistic drawing and square panel format. InEurope artists have done a lot of experiments in comics-making styles.People here usually say that there is no scope for such formats inIndia, but without testing those formats we can't jump to thisconclusion."
So far, this group has made a few strips out of their comics. Whenthese were reproduced in a "newspaper-friendly" format, they were verywell received. India's mainstream English-language newspaperscurrently tend to import syndicated material from the West,particularly the USA. "But think about the regional press. They don'thave access to getting anything like that," says Sharma. Hence, WorldComics India has been working on a service for regional press. "Theimportant thing for these comic strips is that they are made by thepeople on their own issues in their own language. So, readers findthem closer to their day-to-day lives. This is lacking in syndicatedstrips."
WCI would like to publish a journal that would feature the works oflocal artists from across India. Maybe containing news on theinternational "comics movement" and also including a serialised formof their workshop module and other technical tips. From India, WorldComics dreams of expanding its activities to other South Asian, aswell as South East Asian countries.
World Comics India is just one initiative; there are others too.Bangalore-based CDL recently noted how workshops and other initiativeshave led to the formation of a 'movement' of sorts across India. Oneretired manager of Bhilai Steel Plant launched an Amateur CartoonistsAssociation. The Karnataka Cartoonist Association is over 25 yearsold. Young cartoonists have an association called CartoonistsUnanimous. Hyderabad has its Political Cartoonist Association.Bangalore has another network called the Indian Institute ofCartoonists. Noted South Indian newspaper cartoonist Ponnappa has beenthe coordinator of the April 2002 'Bangalore Wall' attempt at makingcartoons on a large wall space. â •
Frederick NoronhaMay 2004
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