India’s mythological heroes are not far apart from Marvel & DC superheroes: Ron Marz

American comic book writer Ron Marz, best known for his work on Green Lantern and Silver Surfer, was in Chennai last weekend at Chennai Comic Con, meeting fans, attending panels and observing the city’s growing pop culture scene. In a conversation with us, Marz spoke about storytelling, mythology, films, and why fandom feels the same everywhere in the world.

You have been writing comics for over three decades. What still excites you when you walk into an event like this and see fans in costumes?The job is the same as it was 30 years ago, which is why I love it. I just get to make up stuff and get paid for it. I always wanted to tell stories. I am lucky enough to be able to do that for a living. Every time I come to a show like this, it just adds more inspiration for telling more stories. Being able to travel, go to different places in the world, meet different people and experience different cultures just feeds into more stories.

Do you think superhero storytelling today is shaped more by films than by comic books?I think that’s a symbiotic relationship, a two-way street. The movies draw from the comics, then the comics imitate the movies. But the initial inspiration for all of this stuff was the comics. Everything that the movies are doing really comes from the comics, even if it’s remixed or given a fresh coat of paint.

Which medium offers the most creative freedom today?Comics offer the most freedom because there are no budgetary restrictions. You can tell any kind of story with it. It’s all imagination.

When you created Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, did you imagine the character would resonate globally?You never expect any character you create to resonate that way. In the case of Kyle Rayner, we were fortunate enough to have created a character that did resonate with a generation of readers. I just tried to make a Green Lantern that I thought was different from the ones that had come before and that I wanted to read about. Thankfully, the audience responded.

Do you see similarities between Indian mythology and superhero narratives?Oh, absolutely. It’s the same sort of heroic epic storytelling, but evolved over the centuries. The mythological heroes of India and the Marvel and DC superheroes are not that far apart. They’re still very human stories, even though those stories are about superhuman characters. We still recognise ourselves in them.

What advice would you give young Indian creators?Just make comics. You learn by doing it. Find collaborators, keep making work, and you’ll get better with each comic that you make.

What surprises you the most about fandom outside the United States, especially in India?The surprising thing is that it’s not surprising. Fans are the world over. They’re the same tribe. Conventions like this are a gathering of that tribe, where they discover each other. To me, this is a celebration of what people love, and the world needs more of that.

Written By: Aashna Reddy