Protibastob 2: Bigger, better, deeper

In Bangladesh, the release of a new comic book or a comics anthology is often met with cautious optimism. Because, if history serves, you'd see most comic book series struggle to continue. Due to lack of funds, many comic book sequels have remained unpublished.

However this 'trend' certainly does not seem to apply to Dhaka Comics, as they recently released the second edition of their fan-favourite 'Protibastob' series. Although, Protibastob is not a sequel per se, it is a testament to the successful breakthrough of a panel of story-tellers and artists who didn't succumb to the usual trajectory of discontinued comics in our country. 

Structure

'Protibastob: Shopno O Smriti' is not just a bigger graphic novel than the first one, you could even argue that it's better, more cohesive and that the series is slowly finding its own identity with each new edition.

I say that because this time round, the think tank at Dhaka Comics stuck to a central theme and structured the entire book around it. The fact that it's more of an anthology, adds to the appeal, because it has a little bit of everything for everyone.

Despite featuring fewer stories than the previous edition—17 compared to 22—the stronger emphasis on narrative depth allowed writers more room to elaborate their stories. This led to blurbs with denser texts, but also tighter and more cohesive storytelling. The improvement is evident in the larger scale of the stories. While the last book capped stories at 20 pages, this edition contains comics extending to 32 pages.

Theme and cover design

Cover designs and the core theme are most crucial for a comic book. For 'Protibastob', 'Dreams and Memories' serves as the foundation of the book. A great starting point for this is the cover design, where the artwork beautifully intertwines with the theme, setting the tone for the pages that follow.

In the world of comic books, the cover design holds as much weight as the content inside. It's the first thing a potential reader sees and it's what draws them in. An interesting and artistic cover gives a sneak peek into the book's theme without revealing too much, essentially becoming the selling point of the comic.

Both of this year's Protibastob cover designs were incredible, but the one which stood out for me is the one designed by cartoonists Mahatab Rashid and Arham Habib. Mahatab also served as one of the writers and as the executive editor of 'Protibastob Shopno O Smriti', and he provided a detailed insight into his choice of artwork and the theme of the book.

"Dreams and memories play a profound, surreal, and sentimental role in our lives. The dreams we experience while sleeping aren't just literal, but can also represent our hopes and aspirations. Dreams seamlessly intertwine with memories," explained Mahatab.

"Our aim was to create a surreal and soothing vibe for our readers, with a bit of mystery sprinkled here and there. We wanted to hit the readers cerebrally with something deep and thoughtful."

The 'memories' are replicated well in the artwork; memories of long-gone days of our childhood, I should say. Laden in a pink palette and an upside down Dhaka, the cover contains elements that could make any 90s or even Gen-Z dhaka kid feel nostalgic.

"We wanted something from our childhood to be present. That's where the 'Hawai- Mithai wala' selling Candy flosses comes in, because all of us have fond 'memories' of it. The surreal upside down city with ripples of water in the sky and the absurdness of a monkey holding a hand fan, all depict a strange 'dream,'" added Mahatab.

Comics

It's not an easy choice to select one or two stories out of a 350 page comic book to talk about; so for starters, how about picking something that's not even a story but a poem? 

Of the 17 stories present in the book, Jahid Hasan's poem 'Polayon' was nothing short of an interesting discovery for me, because no one expects a poem in the form of comics, that too complete with intriguing artwork and a dark, dystopian story of hopelessness present in our current lives.

Keeping true to the central theme, the 'poem' tells the story of a person trapped in a recurring unsettling 'dream' where he sees a ship on the ocean, where one side is tranquil while the other is terrorised by a 'Kraken'-like monster emerging from the ocean's depths. These vivid dreams depict the constant turmoil people face in their everyday lives.

Similar to the previous edition, this one also features an in-depth interview with a prominent cartoonist. This time, Dhaka Comics sat down with cartoonist and journalist Sharier Khan. Discussing the history of comics in Dhaka is a topic seldom explored; which dates back to the seventies and eighties.

The interview offers a nostalgic glimpse into the past, revealing stores and locations where comics used to be available and the favourites among kids back then. It's fascinating to learn the origins of two legendary comic characters, Babu and Basic Ali. Babu has been there since '84, and if you're unfamiliar with Basic Ali, try moving your eyes to the bottom right hand corner of the page you're currently reading and you'll find what new antics the witty character is up to today.

One other story which was particularly captivating was 'Bhranti Borsha' (Rain of forgetting). The authors tell a tale around an imaginative idea: the final rain of the season has the power to erase memories of those who stand in it.

We all have 'memories' gnawing at the edge of our consciousness that we would like to forget. Bhranti Borsha takes that desire and runs with it. It follows an aging protagonist who has chance encounters several times throughout the course of her long life, with 'rain' that has the power to cleanse her mind of memories best left forgotten. 

It uses this premise to examine a life lived. The narrative follows our protagonist throughout the course of her life. It uses the showers as a window to look into childhood trauma, first love, heartache and more. By the end we come face to face with the question: what would you choose to forget and what would you remember?

With the Protibastob series already having started well, showing consistency in quality and success - as the first book had sold out within nine months of release, the stage is now set for something bigger and better. 

The team at Dhaka Comics, unsurprisingly, are functioning from the same vein of thought and if there is a Protibastob 3 coming later in the year, it could very well be a collaboration between artists and story-tellers from the two Bengals.