The Magic of Comics (Communicating Science via Comics)

Comics, just like films, TV, books, video games, and podcasts, are a medium for communication. For a long time, however, comics were relegated to superhero stories and children’s themes. Now, more and more people have begun to realise the immense power comics have of communicating all kinds of stories. This power comes from the unique way in which comics combine words and visuals. Moreover, because they are hand-drawn they can be made cheaply while still being very expressive. And then there’s the magic of comics that starts to happen when we put visuals in a sequential order.

This talk will focus on what gives comics this immense communicative power. I will talk about my experiments with telling non-fiction history and science through comics. I will particularly focus on my two historical graphic novels, one on Golconda and the other on the Indus Valley Civilization, as well as a few science comics that I have written on space travel, petrol engines, general relativity, and the working of the heart. 

About the Speaker:
Nikhil Gulati is a writer and illustrator of comic books and graphic novels who believes in telling stories that inspire wonder and foster compassion. His most recent work, The People of the Indus, is a graphic novel that tells the history of the Indus Valley Civilization and was published by Penguin RandomHouse in October 2022.