In this interview, the indigenous artist shares how a simple love for drawing superheroes transformed his life, led him to become a key figure in Bangladesh’s emerging comic scene, and inspired a dream to reach a global audience.
In the world of art, some journeys are a matter of chance, while others are fuelled by a fire that keeps you awake at night. For Sabyasachi Chakma, it was a little of both. What began as a childhood obsession with cartoons and comics, something he would pursue late into the night during his veterinary studies, became an unexpected career.
When did you first become interested in comics?
Comic books and cartoons have been a long-time hobby of mine. I would rush to the TV to watch cartoons every day after school. Every time I got good results, I would request comics as a reward. In third grade, I started drawing them, taking inspiration from works like Spiderman.
How did you end up in this career?
In 2014, I began my veterinary studies and continued to draw comics. My friends would tease me and say it was not appropriate for my age, but I did not pay them much heed. I never imagined this would become my career. A friend, Prachurjo, came to know of my hobby and saw my work. He said, “You draw so well,” and asked me to draw for Unmad. I called him crazy, thinking Unmad would never accept my work. He sent one of my comics anyway. I got a call from them around 2017, and my career started then.
Did you face a lot of challenges in your journey?
There were definitely challenges. I received a lot of familial pressure to switch to a different job. I would hear comments all the time. Thankfully, my parents were quite supportive, but there were other voices that wanted me to follow a different path. I still have to hear the comments, but there are fewer now.
What work have you done so far?
I started with street comics in Unmad. My first proper comic, Jum, came out in 2018 in Dhaka Comics. I published two more installments in that comic in the next two consecutive years. During the pandemic, I started Gamer. I made monthly contributions to Kishor Alo, where it was serialised for a year. It then came out in Prasiddha. I also did other comics on the side, some of which were published on Kishor Alo.
Where do you get your story ideas from?
I’ve had different experiences while working on each of my comic books, and many of those personal moments have found their way into the stories.
For example, in Jum comics, the close bond between Jum and his uncle is based on my own relationship with my uncle. The idea behind Jum’s powers was directly inspired by a week I spent as a shaman, where I practised meditation after completing my SSC exams. The plot came from a YouTube channel called ApexTV. I saw one of their videos called ‘Superpower Caught on Tape,’ and that is where the story idea came from. In the story, Jum gets caught on camera using his powers and becomes an urban legend.
What piece did you enjoy doing the most?
The piece has a very odd name: Mogaman. It is similar to another comic of mine, TEZ. TEZ is about a small college student without any powers who dreams of being a superhero. I had a great deal of fun doing both of these.
What is your favourite part of the process?
My favourite part is the dynamic action scenes. I follow a lot of Japanese manga, and my dream is to draw dynamic action scenes like theirs. Whenever I have writer’s block, I watch an anime fighting scene, and the block disappears. It’s my favourite part, but it’s also the hardest.
What pieces inspire you?
I’d say my inspiration mainly comes from manga. I try to write like Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, my all-time favourite writer, who has created one of the greatest manga ever made. When it comes to drawing, I try to follow the style of Yusuke Murata, the brilliant artist of One-Punch Man, though I often fall short. I also admire Ryan Ottley, the artist behind Invincible.
I must acknowledge my mentor. I have learned and continue to learn a great deal from my mentor, Mehedi Haque, the founder of Dhaka Comics.
Do you think that interest in the comic industry has increased?
Comic book-related careers are almost nonexistent in Bangladesh, and the interest is generally low. But there has been a definite rise in readers over the past few years. Before, you would just see Dhaka Comics and a couple of others alongside it. Now we have Proshiddo Publishers, Graphic Bangla, Cartoon People, and Rongon Publications. A new manga series is coming out in Bangladesh, funded by a Japanese company. I look around and think, yes, there has truly been growth.
What are your dreams for the future?
One specific wish that I have is to create a webtoon. However, my ultimate goal is to create something with global reach.
What advice would you give to young, aspiring artists?
The comic industry in Bangladesh is emerging. There may be some who think they should wait until their art is good enough before they start publishing.
The art in my first comic, Jum 1, was awful. I still feel bad every time I look at it and wonder, “What was I doing?” At that time, I didn’t think like that, I just kept creating and publishing every single year. I might not even be that good still, but I can feel my improvement and how far I’ve grown. My advice to everyone who thinks that they should wait until they are good enough is that it’s completely unnecessary. Just start drawing.
Where can readers access your work?
A few of my comics can be accessed for free on Kishoralo. Gamer is one of those. Dhaka Comics has some free ones as well. If readers wish to purchase my works, they are available at Rokomari, Dhaka Comics, and Latim Comics.