A History Of ACK In 10 Covers
- July 16, 2020
From our first title, Krishna, to our latest release, Mahadeva, Amar Chitra Katha’s books have evolved by leaps and bounds. Here is a collection of iconic titles by the legendary publisher, that traces Amar Chitra Katha’s incredible journey over five decades.
#1 Krishna (1969)
Anant Pai chose Krishna as the first title of our heritage series because he felt that the mischievous deity was a favourite with children. While the illustrations for the comic were done by Ram Waeerkar, the cover that is used for the comic has been made by the artist Yusuf Lien. This iconic image of Krishna has not lost its charm through the years.
#2 Shakuntala (1970)
The story of Shakuntala was taken from Kalidasa's play 'Abhigyanamshakuntalam'. Though the story was illustrated by master artist P. B. Kavadi, the cover was done by another unparalleled illustrator, Pratap Mulick. Two distinct styles but combined to do absolute justice to the story.
#3 Chanakya (1971)
Chanakya was the first historical title and the 21st Amar Chitra Katha. The character is historical but the story was taken from the Sanskrit play Mudrarakshasa written by Vishakhadatta sometime between the 4th and 8th century CE. The cover art is by the legendary Ram Waeerkar.
#4 Abhimanyu (1972)
The story about the valiant son of Arjuna and Subhadra is remembered by anyone who hears it even once. The tragedy and injustice of this tale is captured in the brilliant cover by Pratap Mulick. Abhimanyu defending himself with the broken wheel of his chariot is one of the most anguish-filled moments in the Mahabharata.
#5 Mirabai (1972)
When Anant Pai, our founder editor, visited the illustrator of Mirabai, Yusuf Lien, at his studio in Ahmedabad, he wanted to see the progress made on this title. Imagine his surprise when he saw Yusuf sitting in front of the canvas with tears pouring down his cheeks. On being asked the reason, Yusuf said he couldn't move on because he had got so overwhelmed by the scene in which Krishna saves Mira from killing herself. It is a beautiful scene. As impactful as this cover.
#6 Mother Teresa (2010)
The title, Mother Teresa, published in 2010, started a new era of fresh content for Amar Chitra Katha. With a young team in place, the comics series moulded itself to new ways of working. With Anant Pai's vision clearly in mind, the meticulous research, the concise storytelling technique and the iconic art continued and along with it, a willingness to absorb from a fast-paced and completely digital new world. The illustrations for this comic were done by Sri Lankan artist, Atula Siriwardene who brought with him an almost stubborn eye for detail and an insistence on perfection.
#7 Tirupati (2011)
The brief was to make the cover as dramatic as possible. The Lord of Tirumala needed to be shown in all his brilliance. Artist Sundara Moorthy and colourist Ramesh C. did justice to this cover of the title, Tirupati. It depicts Vishnu emerging from an anthill where he was in meditation.
#8 Anant Pai (2012)
Our founder editor Anant Pai passed away in February 2012. It was a huge loss and we were quite numb. What brought us out of our sorrow was the prospect of doing his biography and through it the story of his two creations - Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha. The cover, illustrated by Dilip Kadam, shows Uncle Pai in his favourite role of master storyteller.
Amar Chitra Katha’s best-selling titles are available on the ACK Comics app, as well as major e-tail platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and others.
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