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Click to view full size. Copyright Campfire |
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Click to view full size. Copyright Campfire |
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Are you kidding me??? The boarding time was 6.30am! I took the PNR number and got the tickets, had 2 coffees while I waited for them. I was almost ready to just go and check in so that at least one of us would be there at the Con! Thankfully just as I was ready to walk in, a car stopped and out stepped the 2 addicts! Phew!
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The Amazing sea link bridge |
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The inauguration ceremony |
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Headbangers Merchandise |
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Akshay Dhar and Vivek Goel |
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AGNI |
The day closed with a performance of the band AGNI!!
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At Comic Con Delhi ’10 |
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Awesome covers! (Click for wallpaper size) |
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Speaks for itself I think! |
Welcome folks to a special preview of one of the most unique looking books to be published out of the Campfire library.
Now, Greek mythology is one of the most widely known and the stories among the most respected and iconic across the globe. From the Trojan war to the twelve tasks of Hercules to the various tales that define their pantheon of Gods, among so many more, it is a rich and powerful family of stories that have inspired people for generations.
So it is small wonder that Campfire has taken it upon themselves to make their successful adaptation works finally touch on these tales of adventure and humanity.
Recently Campfire Graphic Novels has released a graphic novel on the story of ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ and their adventures trying to win the fabled Golden Fleece. Filled with very raw looking but intriguingly quality artwork that confounds with its combination of savage beauty, it all seems to suit the tale, the time and the place.
Courtesy the good folks over at Campfire we have for you today these sneak previews of some of the final pages from the graphic novel as well as an album at the end with loads of amazing black-and-white pages in high-res for you to enjoy and feast your eyes upon!
The Rundown (for those unfamiliar with the basics of the story):
The rightful prince of Iolcus, brought up in exile by the great centaur Chiron, Jason has just one goal in mind – to save his people from the tyrannical rule of his uncle, Pelias. Warned about his downfall by Apollo’s Oracle at Delphi, Pelias challenges Jason to do the impossible – retrieve the Golden Fleece from the kingdom of Colchis – in return for the throne. Thus flags off one the greatest voyages in Greek mythology – the voyage of Jason and his group of warriors, the Argonauts.
Overcoming tremendous odds, Jason moves relentlessly towards his goal. But he is not unaided in his mission. Insanely in love with him, the sorceress Medea ensures Jason’s success at every turn, while being unaware of the larger divine intervention at work. So then what is Jason’s achievement, what is his victory in a preordained world? Does Jason remain ignorant of the truth of his triumph, or does he come to terms with his flaws to gain a deeper realisation of his destiny?
And here we have an album brimming with wickedly awesome artwork for you all to enjoy! Have at it!
Preview Album |
‘Fair is foul and foul is fair’ – so said three weird women in ghoulish glee, predicting a subversion of order in fair Scotland…
In the reign of King Duncan, Scotland is a just and hospitable land, with loyal, warlike thanes guarding the best interests of people……Till the very best among them, Macbeth, gives in to a fatal temptation and commits regicide. But will the crown of Scotland sit easy on his head? Will justice be restored to Scotland? Or will Macbeth remain invincible?
One of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Macbeth goes beyond a mere tragedy of moral order to a deeply psychological study of a mind preyed on by ambition, insecurities, fear, and regret.
Art by: Amit Tayal
Fortunately, or unfortunately, I can’t really tell you anything else about the story without actually revealing the plot, which in any case, you already are familiar with.
Another flaming title from Campfire, after Nelson Mandela comes to my notepad this week. I know you’ve read the title, so no marks for guessing the name. So, this is a mythological title, in a narrative style, from none other than RAVANA: THE DEMON KING.
Story: Abhimanyu Singh Sisodia
Art: Sachin Nagar
Colors: Sachin Nagar
Letters: Ghan Shyam Joshi
How many comics have you read on Ravana? Many. How many of them were narrated by Ravana himself? None. So the main difference between this Ravana and other ones published is it’s a narrative style graphic novel, and it doesn’t only cover the EVIL Ramayana part, but includes his whole life, birth-education-family-war and everything else. Abhimanyu Singh Sisodia has done a nice job in collecting the facts- which is a very important factor when you’re doing a mythological title. There are so many details about Ravana in the story, but the author has missed some very important incidents, like the one with Shroopnakha with it. But it’s not a major deal, since the title is “Ravana: Roar of the Demon King” rather than “Shroopnakha: Nose of the Demon Princess”. I’ll like comparing this title with Holy Cow’s Ravanayan, once I get it. The book is extensively researched, as I mentioned earlier. For instance, I did know about the boon Ravana got from Brahma, but never knew about the boon which Kumbhkarna asked from him. Another title, from which I’m gonna compare it is Sita: Daughter of the Earth, whose initial pages tell about her origins, much like this one. But I don’t know about the war. Maybe, it is from Sita’s perspective there.
So what’s more in this title? Campfire explores the journey of a half demon-half Brahman, a music expert, a great devotee, an intelligent Brahman, an immortal demon, who had only one weakness- he didn’t attend ANGER MANAGEMENT classes at his gurukul. This comic tells us how Ravana was killed because he was a “अमीर दादा की बिगड़ी औलाद “ . The end of this graphic novel is quite sudden, it seems like they took an year explaining his childhood, and in a moment of Vibheeshan’s speech(bubble)less action, it all ended. There should be more about it, and since it’s about Ravana only, something about his post-death events too. But it’s fine, since it’s SHORT and SWEET. ‘Nuff about the story, now let’s come to the art.
The cover, art, and colors, all are done by one talented soul: Sachin Nagar. I LOVED the art. It’s different, unique, and AWESOME. Look at the frame below, not less than a masterpiece. The art comes out of the book, to give the reader a 3D experience, and it’s not only in the above frame, it’s in the whole book.
There are some places in the novel, where the art seems a little sluggish, due to a lot of effects, as below but who cares when the rest of the stuff is amazing. There are tints throughout the novel, somewhere red, blue, silver, yellow, green etc. The effects are nice, but over of anything causes trouble, doesn’t it? Nevertheless again, I’m happy to give the art a 4.5, neither more, nor less.
There are many beautiful sceneries in the book, with a tint, as usual. The below frame of Lanka, which has a yellow tint- to give the GOLDEN LANKA effect is nice. One and only thing that I didn’t understand was Pushpak Viman, was not a ratha, it was a hi-tech glider. (O.o)
RATING:
Sup Mates? Last week, I had nothing to review on.. But this week, I come with a BLAZING title from Campfire. This week on my notepad is Nelson Mandela, a biographic title from Campfire Graphic Novels.
Author: Lewis Helfand
Art: Sankha Banerjee
Colors: Pradeep Sherawat and Debu Payen
Letters: Bhavnath Chaudhary
BLACK AND WHITE– Two colors that never blend and even if they do, it’s all GREY. Based on the time of racial segregation in Africa, this Graphic Novel is done in Black and White, on Blacks and Whites. The art by Sankha Banerjee could be much much better, as compared to other works but it goes well with the dark theme. On some pages, the art is just BRILLIANT! (as below)
There are a few colored pages at the end too (6 to be more precise).. and believe me, it’s AWESOME..
Enough about the art, Lewis Helfand did a good job in collecting all the facts. Even small small facts aren’t left in the novel. From Mandela’s birth to arrest, education to job- you have everything. So many dates, so many names, so many places- Hefland has done a commendable effort.
Overall, Nelson Mandela is a nice Graphic Novel, a nice biography and from this week, I’m having an overall rating system too..
ART: 3.5/5
STORY: 4/5
QUALITY: 4.5/5
OVERALL: 4/5
Till Then
Ciao!
And yes, don’t forget to attend Comic Addicts’ first event in association with Leaping Windows and Mocha- THE LAUNCH OF WEREHOUSE VOL. 1 @Mocha, DLF Place, Saket on 21st May 🙂
Here’s wishing campfire all the best in the Indian Market and hope they return even stronger at the next con.
(click the image below to see it full size)