Visitors can get a glimpse into the rich history of Bengali comics and their evolution over time by attending the “Comics in Bengal” exhibition, which opened on Saturday. The exhibition, which is co-organized by the Comics Culture Collective and the Kolkata Centre for Creativity, ends on March 9.
Comic book fans in the city are excited to discover how comics have evolved from the 1920s to the present, from rare cartoon strips from newspapers and magazines to comic books and artwork.
On Saturday, attendees of the exhibition had the opportunity to hear from film director and editor of the well-known children’s Bengali magazine “Sandesh” Sandeep Ray about his opinions on the comics industry.
Ray talked about how he first became interested in comic books and how “Tin-Tin” reminded him of many of his early years. “I was too young to understand French, but I was given Tin-Tin as a gift. Still, I was drawn to the comic’s colour scheme. The white portions of the comic used to glow in the dark. Because it was written in French, my father considered translating it into English.
“Sandesh” was revived in 1961 after a protracted break, and its popularity has only increased since then. Sandesh has one of the state’s highest circulation figures for comic publications, according to Ray. Numerous artists have made contributions to Sandesh since 1961. Last year’s Durga Puja caused the circulation to increase even more.
Ray stated, “He had a very good relationship with us,” in reference to renowned writer and illustrator Mayukh Chowdhury. He was gifted at drawing animals. One aspect of my father’s artwork that captivated him was that he would depict animals beginning with their tails. He used to spend my father’s Puja week with him.
“This exhibition aims to uncover the vibrant legacy of storytelling, adventure, and creativity that has shaped the comic culture in Bengal,” stated Richa Agarwal, chairperson of the Kolkata Centre for Creativity. We cordially welcome everyone to join us as we take a fascinating trip through time and the imagination, suffused in the nostalgia of Bengali comics.
