Welcome to Halahala

The graphic novel that followed Moonward, 2012’s “The Legends of Halahala”, stayed true to the idea of letting images speak for themselves by being completely silent. Comprising a few short sketches about life and times in Halahala with love as the central theme, this graphic novel, though less dark than Moonward, was thought provoking in its own way with social issues cleverly introduced amidst the vibrant colours and humour. “It is no good creating something that is merely entertaining. I would like the readers to come back to the book because they have new things to think about or discover every time they read it,” Mathen says.

Mathen, who is currently working on the next instalment of stories from the world of Halahala, believes that the project has been the greatest experiment he has conducted so far. Titled Aspyrus, the next Halahala episode is about an idea that takes over the entire world. “It is the journey of a flying creature who is very lovable and cute, and how he takes over the world. The fun begins when he lands in Halahala,” he reveals, giving us a sneak peek into this new story which will also deal with themes of creative ownership. “It is a little scary to think of what happens to your works after you die. Look at all the Che Guevara t-shirts that people sport these days. That in itself is his biggest defeat!” Mathen says.

While one such beautiful one such beautiful journey is inching towards its finale, Mathen believes that more and more creators need to step up (and step away from mythology) and be a part of the Indian comic industry. After all, it is only with enough competition that this industry, which off late has seen quite a “boom”, can excel! “What good are sowing seeds of an idea, if you do not have enough people to act on it,” he grins in conclusion.