Science and Technology have always been an integral part of comics, especially in the super hero genre. Starting from Radioactive spiders in the early days of Spiderman to genetically mutated ones in the recent years, Science has always been an important weapon in the arsenal of the writers to explain superhero (and super villain) origins, create new problems for the heroes to solve and even act as plot devices to solve some of the problems that would have otherwise baffled our beloved caped crusaders.
Science and technology, however, have had a slightly different manifestation in Indian comics than they have had in the comics in the western hemisphere of the planet. We will discuss them one by one. In the comics in the West, most importantly USA, Science has mostly been treated as a Deus-ex- machina-ish device. There has never been much thought put into the mechanism behind the science and most of the time it has been treated like the fantastical elements of science fiction. For example, as we had talked about this earlier, Peter Parker's powers are simply explained away by attributing them to him being bitten by a radioactive spider. There had never been any deeper discussion of the fact until much more recent years. In this context the Fox Network's TV show is noteworthy as it dealt with how being bitten by the spider affected Peter's physiology and even had a story arc where Spiderman turns into the Man-Spider, a mutated, out of control creature that is eventually defeated by Kraven the Hunter. The Sam Raimi movies also dealt with it and in the second movie of the trilogy, Peter loses his powers. This trend however is relatively new and throughout most of the Silver and Golden age comics, Science had been used merely as a plot device without much consideration to its practicality.
Another important feature of DC and Marvel Comics has been rampant use of scientific terms out of context when the mechanism of the science has to be addressed and an almost blasphemous disregard for actual laws of Science. Flash, for example, is allowed to run faster than the speed of light and Superman can turn back time by rotating the Earth in the opposite direction, amongst many others. However, we all can also agree that realistic science would not make for awe-inspiring story lines and this is dramatic license that all writers working in the realm of science fiction and fantasy retain. Indian comics, however, have had a very grounded and realistic approach towards science. Time Travel, Alternate Dimensions and the other more fantastical elements that have been staple to the comics in the DC and Marvel universes for a very long time, have been incorporated into Indian Comics very recently and they are still used sparingly and in tandem with the old style scientifically correct story telling.
The flagship Diamond Comics character, Chacha Chaudhary, whose stories are much more grounded in realism and day to day Indian life, has depended extensively on Science and even more often, common sense, to solve crimes. There have been many instances when Chacha Chaudhary has used his knowledge of Science to thwart criminals. In the much loved TV Show based on the character (aired by Sahara TV), an episode deals with a story where Chacha Chaudhary exposes a fraudulent hermit by calling out his “miracles” as basic science experiments. In the comics, instances of science playing a role in helping Chacha Ji solve crimes are innumerable. The important thing to note here is that the science used in these comics was pretty basic and more importantly, correct. There was no jargonism about Genetic Mutation, Cosmic Rays and Kryptonite, all the science used could be easily verified in grade school level science textbooks.
In the other important Indian Comic Publication, Raj Comics, Science has been indispensable to story telling, even in fantasy based titles like Bhokal and Kobi-Bhediya. There have been many instances, mostly in the comics of Parmanu, Super Commando Dhruv, Doga and Nagraj, of our heroes using Science to thwart the plans of the villains. Super Commando Dhruv, a character with no real super powers depends almost exclusively upon science to defeat his enemies.
The principles used vary from Physics (Chumba, Dhwaniraj) to Chemistry (Alchemist in “Gupt”) to even Biology (Doctor Virus, Pasteurization in “Maine Maara Dhruv Ko”). There has been a thankful lack of magic cures, antidotes and other time saving plot devices. Even Nagraj, a character whose origins are embroiled in divinity and mysticism, gets a proper scientific explanation to his powers in “Snake Park”. The science has more often than not been correct here as well and the jargon-ism about Space Travels and what not had been absent until very recently.
The trend however, has been changing in the recent years. Stories dealing with Time Travel, Alternate Dimensions and Space Aliens have been increasing in number and frequency. I like to believe that one of the reasons is increasing exposure of young writers and readers to comics from the west where themes like these are extremely common with the dawn of the internet.
The question that begs to be answered now is why exactly has there been this stark difference between the two schools of comics. Anupam Sinha, the creator of Dhruv and one of the driving forces behind Raj Comics' popularity, has often said that he had been influenced by the early Batman comics while creating his characters and stories. Many of the characters as well in the Raj Comics roster have striking similarities to the more established characters in the west (Tiranga – Captain America, Inspector Steel – Robocop etc.). Then why has there been such a stark difference in the treatment of such an important part of the stories?
I believe the answer lies in the Indian academia, society and with the mindset of the readers as well as the writers. Most of the comic book writers in the west have had degrees (or atleast extensive experience imbibed by reading and writing comics) in creative writing, which places more emphasis on characterizations and plotting. That, combined with the post-modernist view towards humanizing villains and giving readers something to sympathize with them, leaves very little time for the writer to attend to the mechanics of how exactly is the science working to help the character in his or her journey. India, in contrast, does not have any such academic programs for creative writing and most of the writers have taught themselves the intricacies of plotting and writing stories. Considering the lack of formal education in writing, most writers drew their inspirations from what they knew.
This is where Indian society came into play too. Indian comics, even till today to some extent, remain a middle class hobby. The readers of Indian comics usually are children and teenagers from middle class families as the comic reading in the more well off families ventures into the territories of Graphic Novels and Imported titles. Indian Middle Class families have always placed almost religious amounts of emphasis on education and schools and this even reflects into the kind of literature the kids from these families read. The writers, in order to appease the parents of their target demographic included, consciously or sub-consciously, included elements into the plot that would not only entertain their readers but also appease the parents who were in fact paying for their kids' hobbies.
So, considering the kind of society India had till the 90s and the early 2000s, where education was paramount and the only way out of an unsure, meagre existence was to study and get a good, high paying job, the emphasis of Indian comics on Science makes sense. The science could not be fantastical due to the lack of the exposure of the readers and in some cases, the writers themselves, to that kind of story-telling and so they resorted to what they knew. It is also noteworthy here that many prominent writers, like Anupam Sinha. have had their formal education in Science. So combining both the factors, it is very easy now to see, with the benefit of hindsight why Indian Comics always had their roots in hard, correct science instead of fantastical and ridiculous sounding words lifted off from books that the authors had not read themselves.
The change in the trend supports the thesis too. As comics move beyond just being a middle class hobby and begin to interest a much broader cross section of the society, the stories get more and more complex and varied to appeal to all the readers equally. Some of the older fans have responded to this with disappointment, but it is a necessary step if the comic industry needs to thrive in India. We could practically see this trend as a shift from modernism, where everything was dealt in absolutes, to post- modernism, where nothing is absolute. This shift had been achieved much earlier in comics in the West and its high time that Indian comics community adopt this practice too. The time for writing simple stories where all villains were evil without much motivation to it has passed us by and we need to recognize the need of the hour and increase our pace so that we can compete with the ever increasing competition from the west.
Even if it means sacrificing scientific accuracy to an extent in the favour of Time Travelling, Space Aliens attacking from an Alternate Dimension.
Science and technology, however, have had a slightly different manifestation in Indian comics than they have had in the comics in the western hemisphere of the planet. We will discuss them one by one. In the comics in the West, most importantly USA, Science has mostly been treated as a Deus-ex- machina-ish device. There has never been much thought put into the mechanism behind the science and most of the time it has been treated like the fantastical elements of science fiction. For example, as we had talked about this earlier, Peter Parker's powers are simply explained away by attributing them to him being bitten by a radioactive spider. There had never been any deeper discussion of the fact until much more recent years. In this context the Fox Network's TV show is noteworthy as it dealt with how being bitten by the spider affected Peter's physiology and even had a story arc where Spiderman turns into the Man-Spider, a mutated, out of control creature that is eventually defeated by Kraven the Hunter. The Sam Raimi movies also dealt with it and in the second movie of the trilogy, Peter loses his powers. This trend however is relatively new and throughout most of the Silver and Golden age comics, Science had been used merely as a plot device without much consideration to its practicality.
Another important feature of DC and Marvel Comics has been rampant use of scientific terms out of context when the mechanism of the science has to be addressed and an almost blasphemous disregard for actual laws of Science. Flash, for example, is allowed to run faster than the speed of light and Superman can turn back time by rotating the Earth in the opposite direction, amongst many others. However, we all can also agree that realistic science would not make for awe-inspiring story lines and this is dramatic license that all writers working in the realm of science fiction and fantasy retain. Indian comics, however, have had a very grounded and realistic approach towards science. Time Travel, Alternate Dimensions and the other more fantastical elements that have been staple to the comics in the DC and Marvel universes for a very long time, have been incorporated into Indian Comics very recently and they are still used sparingly and in tandem with the old style scientifically correct story telling.
The flagship Diamond Comics character, Chacha Chaudhary, whose stories are much more grounded in realism and day to day Indian life, has depended extensively on Science and even more often, common sense, to solve crimes. There have been many instances when Chacha Chaudhary has used his knowledge of Science to thwart criminals. In the much loved TV Show based on the character (aired by Sahara TV), an episode deals with a story where Chacha Chaudhary exposes a fraudulent hermit by calling out his “miracles” as basic science experiments. In the comics, instances of science playing a role in helping Chacha Ji solve crimes are innumerable. The important thing to note here is that the science used in these comics was pretty basic and more importantly, correct. There was no jargonism about Genetic Mutation, Cosmic Rays and Kryptonite, all the science used could be easily verified in grade school level science textbooks.
In the other important Indian Comic Publication, Raj Comics, Science has been indispensable to story telling, even in fantasy based titles like Bhokal and Kobi-Bhediya. There have been many instances, mostly in the comics of Parmanu, Super Commando Dhruv, Doga and Nagraj, of our heroes using Science to thwart the plans of the villains. Super Commando Dhruv, a character with no real super powers depends almost exclusively upon science to defeat his enemies.
The principles used vary from Physics (Chumba, Dhwaniraj) to Chemistry (Alchemist in “Gupt”) to even Biology (Doctor Virus, Pasteurization in “Maine Maara Dhruv Ko”). There has been a thankful lack of magic cures, antidotes and other time saving plot devices. Even Nagraj, a character whose origins are embroiled in divinity and mysticism, gets a proper scientific explanation to his powers in “Snake Park”. The science has more often than not been correct here as well and the jargon-ism about Space Travels and what not had been absent until very recently.
The trend however, has been changing in the recent years. Stories dealing with Time Travel, Alternate Dimensions and Space Aliens have been increasing in number and frequency. I like to believe that one of the reasons is increasing exposure of young writers and readers to comics from the west where themes like these are extremely common with the dawn of the internet.
The question that begs to be answered now is why exactly has there been this stark difference between the two schools of comics. Anupam Sinha, the creator of Dhruv and one of the driving forces behind Raj Comics' popularity, has often said that he had been influenced by the early Batman comics while creating his characters and stories. Many of the characters as well in the Raj Comics roster have striking similarities to the more established characters in the west (Tiranga – Captain America, Inspector Steel – Robocop etc.). Then why has there been such a stark difference in the treatment of such an important part of the stories?
I believe the answer lies in the Indian academia, society and with the mindset of the readers as well as the writers. Most of the comic book writers in the west have had degrees (or atleast extensive experience imbibed by reading and writing comics) in creative writing, which places more emphasis on characterizations and plotting. That, combined with the post-modernist view towards humanizing villains and giving readers something to sympathize with them, leaves very little time for the writer to attend to the mechanics of how exactly is the science working to help the character in his or her journey. India, in contrast, does not have any such academic programs for creative writing and most of the writers have taught themselves the intricacies of plotting and writing stories. Considering the lack of formal education in writing, most writers drew their inspirations from what they knew.
This is where Indian society came into play too. Indian comics, even till today to some extent, remain a middle class hobby. The readers of Indian comics usually are children and teenagers from middle class families as the comic reading in the more well off families ventures into the territories of Graphic Novels and Imported titles. Indian Middle Class families have always placed almost religious amounts of emphasis on education and schools and this even reflects into the kind of literature the kids from these families read. The writers, in order to appease the parents of their target demographic included, consciously or sub-consciously, included elements into the plot that would not only entertain their readers but also appease the parents who were in fact paying for their kids' hobbies.
So, considering the kind of society India had till the 90s and the early 2000s, where education was paramount and the only way out of an unsure, meagre existence was to study and get a good, high paying job, the emphasis of Indian comics on Science makes sense. The science could not be fantastical due to the lack of the exposure of the readers and in some cases, the writers themselves, to that kind of story-telling and so they resorted to what they knew. It is also noteworthy here that many prominent writers, like Anupam Sinha. have had their formal education in Science. So combining both the factors, it is very easy now to see, with the benefit of hindsight why Indian Comics always had their roots in hard, correct science instead of fantastical and ridiculous sounding words lifted off from books that the authors had not read themselves.
The change in the trend supports the thesis too. As comics move beyond just being a middle class hobby and begin to interest a much broader cross section of the society, the stories get more and more complex and varied to appeal to all the readers equally. Some of the older fans have responded to this with disappointment, but it is a necessary step if the comic industry needs to thrive in India. We could practically see this trend as a shift from modernism, where everything was dealt in absolutes, to post- modernism, where nothing is absolute. This shift had been achieved much earlier in comics in the West and its high time that Indian comics community adopt this practice too. The time for writing simple stories where all villains were evil without much motivation to it has passed us by and we need to recognize the need of the hour and increase our pace so that we can compete with the ever increasing competition from the west.
Even if it means sacrificing scientific accuracy to an extent in the favour of Time Travelling, Space Aliens attacking from an Alternate Dimension.
