Jay, Kay and Emm have the most rotten luck. Their class assignment submission day was clashing with the Comic-Con! Fanboys is an absolutely bonkers Indian comic about three comic crazy bufoons who desperately want to go to Comic-Con. Like, really bad. But fate, or more specifically a mischievous little wishfairy with questionable morals, had other plans. Long story short— wishes were made, souls were deviously sold and hilarity ensued. Fanboys is chock-full of absurd jokes and funky, fluid illustrations. And guess what? The man behind it all is none other than one of my personal favourites—Abhijeet Kini.
I first encountered the cartoonist Abhijeet Kini at the 2017 Comic-Con in Delhi. Back then I was a wee little kid who had grown up watching the animated Spiderman series on TV. So, I was totally expecting to fall in love with the actual comics that Spiderman comes from at that Comic-Con.
But plot-twist: I didn’t swing away with Spidey, I instead fell right into the wacky world of Indian comics, specifically those drawn by Abhijeet Kini. Ever since then, I have tracked down Abhijeet Kini at several Comic-Cons and discovered his amazing original works like the ever-relatable Rhyme Fighters, the over-the-top Angry Maushi and my personal favourite- Fanboys.
And now, dear readers, here’s an online interview that Abhijeet Kini very kindly agreed to give to Blogalot that highlights the details of his creative process.
What inspired you to create your own original comics?
– I was always a fan of comics and animation and had an ambition to be a comics creator since childhood. So I think it all worked out fine. I kept reading comics, drawing comics and cartooning from an early age and that kept my practice going.
How did Angry Maushi come to life?
– The character was made for a coaster design, with an angry woman’s face. People loved it and we called her ‘Angry Maushi’. The name stuck and that’s when I decided I need to make comics with this character, and try and connect her to current affairs and things around us, so that people can relate better.
What makes Fanboys stand out in Indian pop culture?
– To me Fanboys is a tribute to fandom and geekdom. We have seen how pop culture shapes social trends etc, and the three characters from Fanboys are 3 types of pop culture fans…a comics collector, an action figure collector and a cosplayer. In Indian pop culture, there isn’t a series or character that goes this meta into looking at its own trends. (Although the comic isn’t based in India or any specific country. It is absolutley generic, so as even their names are Jay Kay Emm.)
Is there a character you relate to the most? – From my own series, Angry Maushi for sure. It’s a perfect vent to frustrating situations. Otherwise, it’s Cacofonix from Asterix….nobody stands what he does, but he does it anyway!
What’s your process from idea to finished comic? – Ideation, jotting down points, finalising a thread or a plot to connect events, a final message, thumbnailing the art, pencils, inks, letters and colours.
How do you balance humor with satire in your stories?
– Satire is very important in comics or any writing. It’s a way of looking at the real world, with a little bit of humour, in a sarcastic way too. And humour is a great tool to tell stories. So balancing humour and satire needs to be carefully done, so that people don’t find it in-your-face or silly.
Ever faced pushback for edgy content? – Thankfully, other than some hate mail, not anything to have me running for cover. But yes, in today’s times, people can get extremely offended by the most random things.
What led to the making of Aloo and Sons? – It’s a silly story about a potato family where the dad thinks his sons are couch potatoes. I had made an animated episode with this family some years ago and we decided we must make a comic too.
If one of your comics became a movie, which one should it be? – Angry Maushi for sure. It has a lot of themes within it.
What’s next from Kini Studios? – A whole bunch of new titles as well as new collectibles/merch. It’s been a busy year and we will be updating everyone soon what’s coming up!
Abhijeet Kini is an accomplished animator, illustrator and all-round cool comic book creator, currently based in Mumbai. He has worked on several Tinkle titles such as Dental Diaries and Butterfingers, and he also has many original works like Angry Maushi, Fanboys, Rhyme Fighters and Aloo and Sons.
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