Campfire Graphic Novels, New Delhi-based Publishing Company is all set to launch two new graphic novels The Count of Monte Cristo and Sundarkaand: Triumph of Hanuman. Both the books will be available in Print as well as digital copies and will be releasing in the first week of August in India.
The Count of Monte Cristo is a classic tale of friendship, love, betrayal and revenge by the famous French author Alexandre Dumas. It is set against the backdrop of the flip-flopping control of France between the Royalists and the Bonapartists and deals with many moral themes, including betrayal, revenge and love.
Speaking to Animationxpress.com about the concept of the graphic book, Aditi Ray, Editor in Chief, Campfire Graphic Novels, shared, “The graphic novel medium is where text meets visual art in a perfect amalgam, thereby enhancing the reading pleasure, especially of children who are overwhelmed by ‘text only’ books. The story is told as much by the images as by the text – a perfect way to draw in reluctant readers. This is also the raison d’etre of our niche publishing venture.”
The Count of Monte Cristo is a story about Edmond Dant?s, who is imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, he vows to escape and destroy those who betrayed him. With his former life a distant memory, revenge drives him forward. Using the fortune left to him by Abbé Faria, he transforms himself into the powerful and enigmatic Count of Monte Cristo, and systematically hunts down the men who put him behind bars. Acting as destiny’s agent, Dant?s must face not only his enemies, but also the moral dilemmas raised by his ruthless quest for justice. With skill and mercilessness, he manipulates those around him to do his bidding, leaving a trail of social carnage in his wake. At the end, Dant?s finds peace and love after fulfilling his providential mission.
Sundarkaand: Triumph of Hanuman is a graphic novel based on one of the kaands (episodes) of the Indian epic, the Ramayana. This graphic novel is different from the others as the protagonist is not Ram, but Hanuman.
Elaborating about the challenges faced, Sourav Dutta, Senior Editor, Campfire Graphic Novels, said, “The most challenging part in developing Sundarkaand as a graphic novel was to adapt the tale into a visual format that offers something new to readers who are familiar with the story, as this is one of the most popular Indian legends. The stylized artwork, rendered digitally, is visually arresting and offers a new look into a tale that has been told countless times.”
Sundarkaand: Triumph of Hanuman is a story of infiltration. It is the account of Hanuman’s expedition to the city of Lanka, where Ravan has held Ram’s wife, Sita, hostage. Hanuman’s aim is not to rescue Sita, but to gather information about where she is held, about Lanka’s military strength, and its strategic layout. It is on the basis of this information provided by Hanuman that Ram eventually prepares to lead an attack on Lanka. Hanuman also plays the important role of acting as a conduit between Ram and Sita as they exchange mementos, and comfort and inspire each other. In the course of the story, Hanuman overcomes all the odds that are stacked against him by defeating demons, monsters and evil warriors.
Sharing more about Campfire Graphic Novels, Andrew Dodd, Marketing and Rights Consultant, Campfire Graphic Novels,said “Campfire is thinking big. Our graphic novels are already distributed across much of the world, and have been translated into eight languages. One of our aims now is to focus more on the education market in India. Comics and graphic novels can achieve great things if used in the right ways by teachers and librarians. We want educators across India to realize that what we produce is a great aid to literacy, as well as being an inspiration to reluctant and struggling readers.”
Currently Campfire Graphic Novels is going to expand their range of graphic biographies, including fascinating reproductions of the lives of Martin Luther King Junior, Abraham Lincoln and Mother Teresa. They are also going to publish some more retellings of Indian mythological stories, primarily Krishna: Defender of Dharma and Draupadi: Fire-born Princess. And for the classics lovers amongst their audience, adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Around the World in 80 Days are not far away.
