Indian Mythology and Gods: The Original Superheroes

Amar Chitra Katha is the premiere publisher of comic books on Indian epics and legends.

Krishna and Shishupala by Amar Chitra Katha (reprint)

India is one of the four great ancient civilizations, rich in culture, and history. To most of India, their gods were not just deities they worshipped, but role models, and came with stories that taught important life lessons for all generations. Their gods had powers that inspired more than a few modern day superheroes, and to this day, they are still an active religion. Anant Pai is a educator and a pioneer of India comics when in 1967, found that most Indian school children could answer questions about Greek gods, but did not know much about their Indian mythology. Pai started Amar Chitra Katha* in 1967, and while the first 10 books were of Western characters, book #11 was about Krishna. Since then, there are multiple stories with Krishna, and the other famous legends mythologies. The one introduced in this post is an example and chosen as the story seemed lesser known among Western audiences. Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) became the forefront of being an educational resource, in the form of comic books, for Indian mythologies, gods, epics, legends, gods, folktales, biographies, and cultural stories.

Krishna and Shishupala by Amar Chitra Katha-older print

From the website: The enigmatic bond between Krishna and Shishupala unfolds with twists of destiny and threads of forgiveness. Shishupala's mother, upon learning of her son's destined demise at the hands of Krishna, extracts a solemn vow from Krishna to pardon her child's misdeeds a hundredfold. Despite relentless provocation from Shishupala, Krishna extends forgiveness a hundred times over, until the day arrives when Shishupala commits his hundred and first offense, sealing his fate. https://us.amarchitrakatha.com/products/krishna-and-shishupala ACK is continuing to grow their American presence and had a beautiful booth at San Diego Comic-Con in the past. Their English graphic novels may be reprints of the originals but nonetheless, they remain fascinating and educational reads. There is so much to learn about India's history through the stories of their gods, and prominent historical figures.

Interior pages of Krishna and Shishupala

Their epics are incredible and complex, and there are always new gods and legends to discover. At no point does a reader feel preached to, or worse: the feeling of being forced to learn something. There are endless stories, gods, and historical figures to read about. ACK's comic books are a great way to expand ones knowledge on Indian culture, and satisfy the comic book reader in you. https://us.amarchitrakatha.com/products/krishna-and-shishupala *Is contested. Please check back for future articles.