BENGALURU:In a first of its kind endeavour, indie comic artists are relinquishing the need for space and viability for their work by hosting an online comic festival. Using World Environment Day and ecosystems as their theme, Ecomixer will feature 12 comics by 12 artists over 12 hours, along with interviews, posters and other activities that will follow the event.
The festival is hosted by Brainded India, which is are a network of independent artists who are working to subvert the mainstream public discourse by using humour and visuals as a means of commentary, protest and feedback. With the advent of this festival and other similar ones, their intention is to work towards changing the popular notion of comics, which is largely restricted to mainstream superhero stories. Brainded is trying to change that by using art as a medium to engage with everyday issues.
Appupen, the editor of Brainded India, says, "Through Ecomixer, the effort is to create not only a physical space, but also a thriving virtual space for comics. Along with critical thinking and awareness, we are looking at comics and art on sustainability and the environment. Through art, the aim is to pause for a moment to look up and notice issues that need our attention."
Brainded India creates a space for independent voices, and for this first edition, they have a experienced hands and promising young artists from the Indian comics pantheon. The first edition of Ecomixer has been curated by Deadtheduck (artist Madhav Nair) and Brainded India. The 12 artists at the festival will include the likes of Orijit Sen, known for his graphic novels such as River of Stories; Priya Kuriyan, author of Ammachi’s Glasses; Rohan Chakravarthy, known for Green Humour - his cartoons on wildlife and nature conservation; artist and comic creator Prabha Mallya; Dangercat, who most recently illustrated Ramayana for Children by Arshia Sattar; and Kaviya Ilango, creator of the online sensation Dirty Laundry. The other contributing artists will include The Doodle Mafia, Deadtheduck and Appupen, among others, who will be featured on the Brainded India website and Facebook page.
Catherine Rhea Roy, who works at the editorial and curatorial department at Brainded India, says, "I believe we are seeing the growth of a scene brimming with artists, stories and collaborations. Through Ecomixer, we wanted to bring some of these artists together. These are people who are aware of their surroundings and the environment, and would have things to share and say about it. It's their interpretation of the word 'ecosystem'."
*Internet provides for space for independent voices/artists*
The virtual world gives independent artists the space they yearn for to showcase their work. Kaviya Ilango, the creator of the online sensation, Dirty Laundry, saw her work gain international acclaim in a years' time. The space that is available on social media is what made this possible for the artist, who claims she hasn't undergone any formal training. She says, "On this platform, you can speak to people about any message you want to send out. The advent of the internet and social media has really helped, rather than going down the old route where you had to go through favours or publishing rules. This opened up an arena for the Indian comic scene in general also. Not just comics, this has helped artists bridge the gap between them and the public."
What: Ecomixer, online comic festival
When: Today, from noon till midnight
Where: http://brainded.in/
https://www.facebook.com/braindedindia/
