Right from rare cartoon strips from newspapers, magazines to comic books and artworks, comic enthusiasts in the city look forward to exploring how comics have changed from the 1920s to the present.

On Saturday, visitors to the exhibition got a chance to hear film director and editor of popular Bengali magazine for children ‘Sandesh’ Sandeep Ray and his thoughts about the comics industry.

Ray shared how he got into reading comics and how ‘Tin-Tin’ brought back many a childhood memories for him. “I received Tin-Tin as a gift, but I was too young to understand French. However, the colour palette of the comic attracted me. In dark places, the white parts of the comic used to glow. It was in French, so my father thought of translating it into English.”

After being on a hiatus for years, ‘Sandesh’ was restarted in 1961 and its circulation has only gone up over the years. According to Ray, Sandesh has among the highest circulation figures among comic publications in the state. “Since 1961, many artists have contributed to Sandesh. During Durga Puja last year, the circulation rose even higher.”

Talking about noted author and illustrator Mayukh Chowdhury, Ray said, “He had a very good relationship with us. He had a talent for illustrating animals. One thing that fascinated my father about his art was that he used to draw animals starting with their tails. He used to spend every Puja week with my father.”

Kolkata Centre for Creativity chairperson Richa Agarwal said, “This exhibition aims to uncover the vibrant legacy of storytelling, adventure, and creativity that has shaped the comic culture in Bengal. We invite all to come and immerse themselves in the nostalgia of Bengali comics, taking a captivating journey through time and imagination.”

(Taniya Acherjee is an intern at the Kolkata office of The Indian Express)