Graphic Narratives that Tell Magical and Relevant Stories

One only has to open Longform 2025, filled with over a dozen graphic stories in varied style of illustrations, to be captivated by its vibrancy and richness. Edited by Pinaki De, Argha Manna and Debkumar Mitra, the volume is the third in the series of graphic anthologies compiled by members of the Longform Collective, a group dedicated to the art of comics.

Every panel of this anthology is outstanding in its own way, gathering as it does a gaggle of talented visual artists, illustrators and cartoonists who all excel in their efforts. Some of the stories, however, still stand out in this crowded field.

The highlight of this book, for comic book lovers, casual readers and journalists alike, is certainly Sacco Speaks, an interview of cartoonist and journalist Joe Sacco by Arunava Banerjee. First published in Scroll, the wide-ranging interview covers Sacco’s initial works (that he manifestly hates), childhood influences, his collaborations with other artists and much more. The love Banerjee has for Sacco’s work shines through in the extensively researched interview.

Another outstanding entry is Borderliners by Moeinuk Sengupta, which tells an all-too-common story of how some women are forced to hide their religious identity when they go to work as household helps in the homes of upper-caste Hindus. The monochromatic graphics, broken only by dashes of red, are an effective vehicle to convey the sombre story of an enforced double existence led by such women. An ironic disclaimer at the end about the piece being a work of fiction and fiction only, drives home its message: religious divides continue to affect us long after the immediate conflict comes to an end.

Kay Sohini’s Resorts to Ruins tells the story of Salton Sea, a man-made lake in California and the environmental degradation that led to it going from a resort destination to an empty wasteland. The story reveals possibilities of using graphic narratives as a tool in feature journalism, by combining illustrations, data and a heart-rending story into a vivid package. A similar story of environmental devastation is told in the wordless An Elegy by Santanu Debnath, its sweeping, full-page panels showing the ruin wrecked on India’s rural economies by unrestrained development.

It’s not only the grim social realities of today that are reflected in Longform 2025. In Grief by Avanti Karmarkar, the narrator deals with grief as one would an unruly but beloved child, affectionately taking care of it until it has spent itself. The piece balances words and images in beautiful harmony—the textual element by itself could be a standalone poem. Khushi Chauhan’s My Conversation with God is a touching tale of faith in the face of adversity. Another favourite is In Sadar Bazaar, by Vishnu Vasudevan—an affectionate tribute to the crowded bazaar in Agra filled with a mass of humanity, keenly observed and humorously rendered.

Keeping each entry in the series as relevant as the previous one must be a major concern with the editors as the series progresses. I asked Debkumar Mitra, one of the editors, what steps are taken to ensure this, to which he replied, “Themes are worked out much before the anthology starts. We make an effort to keep (each anthology) fresh and the theme guides it. We do not go by styles, we look for good stories.”

This commitment to a good story is reflected in the anthology, and the acceptance of various styles leads to the diversity of storytelling techniques and art forms that make the anthology unique. One can’t help but look forward to what the next anthology, if there is one, might bring for comics and graphic novel-lovers of India.

An anthologyAn Anthology of Graphic NarrativesArgha MannaDebkumar MitraGraphic Narrativesless-known talentsLongform 2025Magical StoriesPinaki De