My First Comic Booklet - Queen

Hello,

I have always wanted to explore the world of comics. Yes, I am curious about its multiple layers, the art, text, form - Everything! Though the medium has not been given its due respect as a literary genre, many Universities are understanding the importance of teaching Comics and are designing courses to cater to the curious / experimentalists / devotees / fans of this particularly spectacular genre.

There is a profundity in comics within its several layers. Comics can do anything. Without limitations like sets, makeup, or special effects, comic art encourages the transformation of subjective reality to objective reality. The art can feel like it’s coming directly from the artists’ sticky subconscious to the page. The readers make the action happen between the panels. Their movement on the page gives a different dimension to the comic.

As a part of a course assignment, I have created a Comic Booklet. This is my first experiment with creating something of this genre. I am providing two view and download links for the entire booklet. 

I hope you like it. Do read and enjoy the comic booklet. Please post in your invaluable comments about the same.

1.  http://www.scribd.com/doc/186590710/Comic-Booklet-Queen

2.  https://www.dropbox.com/s/hvrx7dmnhsafmh8/Queen.pdf

Live, Love and Laugh Always and Forever,

KROY!!

When Sales Gets into You, Poetry Gets Out of You....

It has been about a year to my last post. Never has it happened before that I was not a'mused' enough to write a poem or a lyric or express an opinion. But, maybe I was never up against my own ideologies which came crumbling down during my stint in a particular job profile - Sales. Though, I must say that the rigorous groundwork has equipped me to face a lot of harsh realities in life..realities, I didn't know existed and therefore didn't matter. Realities that may be a part of the lives of millions of people I share space with in this world. However, somewhere down the line, everything that pertained to my formal education vanished, replaced only by the 4 Ps of Marketing as mentioned by Nihit Kshatriya, a friend and junior from my esteemed B School - "Please, Please, Please and Please"..especially on Month Ends. Anyone who has ever been in Sales knows that this is one BIG ordeal.

The hallow and the obvious glow that comes with receiving an MBA degree from a good B School Vanishes on the field. Every romantic illusion or rosy picture that one has ever painted becomes a series of numbers - Targets dependent on the most Capricious of Clients. For me, not a single day passed without degradation or humiliation in some minute form and yet it was important to get through the ordeal with a smile on the face. Maybe it is not just Sales - it is Life. For a 'princess' like me, Sales is Definitely a Life Lesson. It is a lot of constant hard work and chase and everyday, there is a different challenge and more numbers.

However, sometimes I wonder that though I learnt quite a lot, what did I lose along the way. Well, the answer to that is quite a lot. I lost my rose tinted glasses which made me see the beauty of life. Never had I noticed the filth, the squalor, greed, anxiety, competition or ethical dilemmas to such an extent that I became weary and began to question my own ideologies and whether I was a good fit. I lost my innocence and it was soon replaced with cynicism. I lost the ability to form beautiful words and pictures that transported me to another world - the ability to compose a creative piece. The poetry flew out of me as if it was never even there, replaced by a vortex of mixed emotions bordering on negativity.

There was never a time in which I could stop to think about me. No energy left to get inspired and write something that came from a profundity deep within. No inspiration. In fact, my vision was blurred by the haze of numbers and the constant pressure to keep them moving. I could see no optimum utilisation of my formal education in two courses..Both seemed to be a severe misfit and my mind, which was heavily influenced by both was waiting to be rescued.

The choicest words in our collective vocabulary was a series of expletives which were vitriolic enough to burn a hole in the brain and the heart. Poetry???? What Poetry!!!! The whole point of it was that everything seemed a pointless chase for more and nothing seemed to hold any meaning because in chasing numbers, I had given up my life..all so that I could have a life in the future. Vicious Circle doesn't even begin to cover it.

I am Glad now that I could make the transition to a more fitting profile when my hard work met opportunity. I could come out with my values intact. I have my scars now. Life is never going to be an innocent girl's dream again. I am happy that in a way that I am better this way as our lives now are no modern day fairy tales. It involves a lot of smart work, hard work, grind and a lot of other gray, slimy things that we do not factor in. The one thing that I am very happy about is that I have the time to stop, breathe in the air and feel the beauty around me again. I feel re-invigorated, charged up, free enough to move the world - free enough to compose again. What I have been Given is Way too Precious for Me to Lose in the dreary corporate desert sands. The poetry is coming back, Thanks Someone's Healing Powers and there is nothing I will do to lose it this time....

Starry Night..

When I wrote  this, I couldn't find a title to this.... but you know what this is and who it is for and you can read it....

Staring up into the night,
Nothing but darkness visible.
Stars shimmering in the sky,
Sketching Patterns, Painting You..

A ceiling separates Me from Infinity,
From the starry promises of the night.
Dreaming a dream with eyes half closed,
Its subject well known to you..

What else would I dare to think,
With my subconscious dipped in you.
Enchanted by your Wicked Games,
Your cynicism against those bewitching eyes..

Where do I stand well into the night,
Half asleep and awake, in a state of abandon.
While you sleep away in your untouchable cocoon
Up in the stars - Unreachable and yet..
CHALLENGING MY LIMITS..

Patterns

 
Someday I shall weave my life,
Taking threads of various hues.
Creating an embroidery of emotions,
Taking one of me and one of you..

Perhaps someday you shall help me,
Create the perfect mess.
The patterns that the threads shall make,
Won't be nobody's guess..

Patches of interlocks they might be,
But fine art nonpareil
So shallow, so deep, the patterns make me weep,
They almost make me want to care....
 

Haunted

You haunt my senses.
Jarring me awake.
My senses afloat,
In a world of their own.
Dazed and Confused,
I look around myself.
To find the night bidding adieu,
And the twilight kissing me awake....

The Infinite Shades of You

Something about seeing you grow up through images makes me wonder what I missed and I haven't....

The Infinite Shades of You

Looking at the shades of you through time..
The boy that seemed to share his eyes 
with the stars,
The wonder of an innocent child,
The dream of a gentleman.
So adorable, mighty kissable,
So gentle and fine and so very lovable.

The ages pass, the innocence fades,
Yet what remains, remains untouchable.
The wonder of the gorgeous child 
you once were.
The promise of a majestic man 
you are becoming and yet to be....

You..

So this Poem for you, My Muse is called YOU..

I Look into the glass,
I see the image get reflected.
Is that ME standing there?
Or is that the YOU IN ME getting reflected?

You - The Muse that Captivates,
That transports the senses beyond reason.
The Inspiration Within,
And The Person Without.

A thousand stars in the sky,
Vouched for a Powerful Union.
And Yet its Destiny's Whim to Change,
The Imperfect Game for the Perfect Match.

Changing the game is not to be tried,
Yet I find Myself Lost in You.
How can My Thoughts Not Wander,
And Find Themselves Stuck on You?

You - The Wonderful, Mysterious You,
The Scarred yet Pristine You.
The One I Feel More than Myself,
And Yet Know Not and Let That Be.

I Shatter the Mirror into Tiny Fragments,
To Drive Your Reflection Away from Me.
But My Action Taunts Me in the Cruelest Way,
Each Fragment Reflecting More of YOU IN ME....

Why Wish a Muse..

I wrote this on Valentine's Day..

Why wish a muse
so far gone into the night?
Why wait with baited breath
to see you all right?
For you are the ornament
that adorns my body of life.
For you are the spark before a smouldering fire
that keeps me burning bright..

Happy Valentine's Day my Muse..
I hope you keep firing my thoughts, lighting my spirit and fueling my imagination
Till the End of Time....

So, my Muse..I hope you know what I feel when I am with you..or even Without..Just thinking about you....

With you I feel lost,
in a bubble of my own,
My Heart warms up with delight,
When you touch my soul..

Old Memories are revived,
New Memories are formed.
Just watching you laugh and talk,
I get my smile back..

Being with you is not all mirthful,
Yet there is something about strife.
The anger - a spec in time,
Waiting to be replaced with Joy..

I was without you once but I never am,
How can I substitute you My Muse?
When your absense is Unthinkable
and your very presence a Vibrant Vibgyor..

I would ask you to stop the clock,
If and When we ever meet again.
I know they say Nothing lasts Forever,
But My Muse, Isn't that Challenge Enough....;)

My Undoing

For You My Muse..Because its what you do to me....

My Undoing....

If you could only see me now,
If you could only feel it,
You would know
without the slightest doubt,
What you have done to me
Is my undoing..

Oblivious to the sights and sounds,
Of the cacophony, squalor or majesty,
Of the varied human nature,
Playing with your kaleidoscope
Of Molten Hot Hues
Is my Undoing..

Building a bubble or a world of my Own,
My Passions Simmering and on the Edge,
Teasing and Yet Testing the Limits,
Fantasizing Incessantly and almost Inherantly
About your layers of Ardour
Is my Undoing..

Palace of Illusions..

Woke up from a dream to write this..So, my muse, another poem....

Palace of Illusions..

Hazy Images fogging my mind,
No clarity of thought,
No shape to them either,
A palace of illusions,
Of dreams that may shatter soon,
Or maybe preserved
In the Pyramid of the Heart....

I see someone watching over me,
There is a distance and steps to be taken..
Maybe not....
I look into his eyes..
Maybe I'm Lost..
Or maybe something changes,
And instead I find You..

You - The Mysterious, etheraeal you,
Will you vapourize right before my eyes?
Or maintain the solid, stoic stance..
Thats a potent magnetic force?

I do not wait for an answer,
I do not wait at all.
I let you be The Dark Knight -
An Illusive Stranger
I run away instead.

I have to escape the palace
The doors are shutting down.
Its a game against time..
And Im not planning to lose.

But have I lost already?
Something feels amiss,
The doors shut down
with a thud..
I HAVE LEFT MY SOUL BEHIND!

No Presence, No Absence

I am not losing anything,
I had nothing to lose to begin with
But I wish I had the sense
To breath in my Muse
Savour in the luxury

But who on Earth said that
Absence is the lack of Presence
Seems to me that presence is overrated
A little warped in meaning

For the muse is a forever entity
Away from the play of presence and absence..
Capable of rendering my mind and heart
A little meaningful, not little meaningless

It has got nothing to do with presence or absence
It has got everything to do with the person you are..
Being possessed by your very entity..
And a very unique, mysterious, captivating Identity....

Rock my World..

For my Muse....because you simply rock my world....

I don't KNOW you,
You don't KNOW me.
Yet, we meet often,
Sometimes, we even talk..

Are we friends yet?
I simply don't know..
Yet this frenzy,
Refuses to die down..

So, I DO care..
So, You DON'T care..
So, You aren't a part..
Of my deluded world....

Yet you rock my world,
You colour it in rainbow hues..
You are the unsuspecting tangent,
To the careful circle of my life.

So what if your presence,
Is my only wish..
So what if moments with you are,
Permanently etched in memory..

I don't live in illusions,
I don't want no reality.
Its not my imagination..
It is a truth well known..

I feel my world has shaken..
To degrees unfathomed.
Yet, the warmth of your words and smiles,
make me feel cherished like a cherub in the womb..

You Rock My World My Muse..
BY SIMPLY BEING THERE..
Its You and Sharing moments with You,
That Capture Running Time..

The World Rocks and Comes to a Halt..
In the space of a few minutes in your presence..
Its just simply YOU..
Who MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE....

The Little Mermaid..

At times when you don't like me,
I open my eyes, that feel like lead,
Look around me in anticipation,
Waiting for my Fairy God Mother..

But what did I expect..
To be the fortunate Cinderella?
With Fate and Magic by her side
and a Smitten Prince Charming in tow..Hah!

If Reality were to be Fiction..
What Character would I be?
No Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella for sure..
I would be the Little Mermaid lost as Froth in the Sea....

Lost....

A special occasion warrants a special poem..Thinking about you, my Muse..On your Special Day....


Lost....

Why do I feel so Lost,
As if I'm standing on the Edge..
On the Line that separates
Agony from Ecstasy....

Am I feeling them both,
Or am I blissfully Numb?
What is this feeling..
Novel and yet as old as time..

Why am I smiling and yet crying
I'm not even aware of what I want to do
Thinking about you is both pleasure and pain
I'm rediscovering myself through You..

Its mesmerizing, its exhilarating
Its captivating to be with you
Do not know how to do without this..
Losing myself to you is Dangerous....

The Exit!!

So, I'm thinking that I'll be leaving soon..Just the thought of leaving family, friends, my muse leaves me in cold sweat and maybe even in hot tears..so many changes..so soon..There is hardly any room for preparation..maybe the time spent with loved ones is never enough..and its all about to change..forever..

For my Muse..


THE EXIT!!


Parted Lips sighed his name
A pearly smile is the perfect facade
shadowing the pool of tears
I'm on the edge now
I take the final bow
The game is up
The play is over
The lights are dim
The curtains fall
Was there even time for Catharsis?
The Audience Applause -
An abrasive cacophony to the senses..
I'm jarred, scarred, torn apart..
Is finality the final blow..
There is no time left to ponder..
It's time to EXIT!!

Ecstatic!!

I'm wondering whether the endless toil,
would reap the desired fruits..
I'm impatient, its a huge turmoil,
that I grapple with day in and day out..


Begging is what I have resorted to,
For opportunities I find fit are as rare as diamonds..
Going with the flow is not what I intend to do,
Going against the tide and emerging a winner is my destiny..


I'm in a race only with myself wherein,
I strive constantly for perfection and creativity..
So many goals, dreams, desires and cravings,
So many strategies to make them come true..


And yet that first step is the toughest to take,
So many temptations, so many fears..
Not losing focus is the only way,
To make sure my life is headed to where I desire..


Taking calculated Risks and Being Patient,
Waiting for the Right Moment..
Preparing, Researching and being Tolerant,
Waiting, Waiting and More Waiting..


That Patience pays off is more than a saying,
It is the mantra of life per say..
A golden opportunity - I must be dreaming,
No stones to be left unturned for it..


A conversation true to myself,
A combination of suavity, poise and control..
Then the test of nerves and elegance,
Prayers to the Almighty in the face of sheer scarcity..


The Moment of Truth - The result of an ordeal,
It' is a rare opportunity - It's a Make or Break..
Praying to the Lord to be placed for real,
An Affirmation - Oh Nothing in the world beats the feeling..


Sheer Ecstasy, the feeling of Unbridled Joy,
Totally Unparalleled and Absolutely Irreplaceable..
The spirit soars high enough to kiss the sky,
A feeling to be shared with people that most matter..


Being true to one and all works more than lies,
It touches the right chords deep within the recesses of the mind..
A heart of gold always shines,
Backed with a functional brain and the right temperament..


The Taste of Success Well Earned is Sweet Indeed,
The Joy Unparalleled, The Ecstasy Everlasting..
The Feeling is so Enormous that Nothing can Beat,
It becomes The Halo, The Guiding Light, The only Goal - The Destiny!!

Moments in Time....

Seeing and Meeting My Muse is Pure Ecstasy to the Senses..It feels Wonderful. Can't really say How Good it Feels..The Sheer Pleasure to see Him all Enthusiastic and Dynamic simply Stops Time....Not the Prince of Persia..but a Self proclaimed 'Prince' none the less..This is to a Very Special Friend..My Muse....

This one's called Moments in Time....

We meet again,
It has been weeks.
Sharing time and conversations,
I'm Living a Dream..
and Dreams are Illusive,
So are YOU.
Yet Time Stops.
Yet Again..
I'm Mesmerized.
I Breathe in You,
Taking You in.
All of You..
The Mirth in your Eyes,
The Contagious Enthusiasm in your Voice,
The Dynamism of your Persona,
The Passion and Drive,
Everything More Magnetic by the Second.
And Yet to Part..
Agonizing, Confusing.
Have to go,
I Really Must.
A Handshake won't do,
A Bare, Consuming Hug,
Like a Potion for Life.
I Have You Now, My Friend,
Like a Cocoon of Warmth and Reassurance,
That melts and Reaches to the Core.
It is Easier now to Survive,
Until We Meet Again....