India's immortal comic books
Subtitle: gods, kings, and other heroes
By: Karline McLain.
Series: Contemporary Indian studies
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: 2009
Place of publication: Bloomington
Language: eng
Number of pages: 240
ISBN-13: 9780253352774; 9780253220523
Subjects: Amar chitra katha; Comic books, strips, etc. -- Social aspects -- India; Comic books, strips, etc. -- Moral and ethical aspects -- India
Description: Combining entertainment and education, India's most beloved comic book series, Amar Chitra Katha, or "Immortal Picture Stories," is also an important cultural institution that has helped define, for several generations of readers, what it means to be Hindu and Indian. Karline McLain worked in the ACK production offices and had many conversations with Anant Pai, founder and publisher, and with artists, writers, and readers about why the comics are so popular and what messages they convey. In this intriguing study, she explores the making of the comic books and the kinds of editorial and ideological choices that go into their production.
Notes: Table of Contents:

Acknowledgments
Notes on Style
Introduction: Comic Books that Radiate a Spiritual Force
1: The Father of Indian Comic Books
2: Long-Suffering Wives and Self-Sacrificing Queens
3: Accurately Sequencing Goddess Durga's Mythology
4: The Warrior-King Shivaji in History and Mythology
5: Muslims as Secular Heroes and Zealous Villains
6: Mahatma Gandhi as a Comic Book Hero
Conclusion: The Global Legacy of Amar Chitra Katha
Notes
Bibliography
Index