Sharma (centre) with cartoonists at the exhibition. Picture by Sudeshna Banerjee. From the WCI mouthpiece

He-Man stands tall in front of Castle Grayskull, sword pointed skyward, and yells: ?I have the power?. Superheroes in comic strips can achieve the impossible. But while He-Man and his ilk only entertain, the power of comics is being harnessed to solve problems of life in rural India.

World Comics India, an association of cartoonists and activists, is out on the field addressing issues from addictions to prejudices. The idea of using cartoons came out of a need for alternative media. Says cartoonist K. Kannan, in town for a comics exhibition: ?Seventy per cent Indians do not read newspapers. The TV channels are mostly Delhi-based. Since both are commercialised, the community is not involved in planning the content. Why should the media be restricted in the hands of a few??

The organisation operates through four-panel comics which are pasted in public places. ?They are cheap to produce.?

The idea of converting posters to cartoons came while interacting with NGOs in Jaipur. ?Since most villagers are illiterate or neo-literate, visuals work better with them,? says Sharad Sharma, a moving spirit behind WCI.

Through informal WCI workshops, Saiya Maskal, a poster campaign on alcoholism, tribal rights and witch-hunting in Chaibasa, Jharkhand, was reborn in comics rooted in local background, language and humour.

?Initially, it was sent to four-five villages. Once it converted into comics, the circulation crossed 1,500 in a year. Now it reaches 10,000 villages and is a part of our daily life,? points out Thomas Sundi, the present WCI president, about his team?s initiative.

Participants in the first workshops, like Hundi and Champalal of Madhya Pradesh, are now training others in their area.

Workshops have since been conducted in many states. ?India has a great story-telling culture. People like drawing. We ask them to think of their daily life and come up with situations which can be converted to stories.? One does not need to be an artist. Preliminary drawing skills are enough. ?It is only in India that publishers seek realism in drawing,? Kannan says.

In Mizoram, the comic strip Kawhhmuhtu, which was thus born, drew support from the state ministries of health and environment which used it to raise awareness about HIV AIDS and jhoom cultivation, the predominant problems there.

Women in Rajasthan faced a tough time with villagers ripping off their posters on illiteracy and discrimination against the girl child. ?But gradually people saw sense,? Sharma recalls.

The posters are working as potent tools teaching people about their rights. ?They are learning to take up issues and petition the authorities,? Sundi smiles contentedly.

Bengal does not have a WCI chapter yet. But with the Government Art College promising help, it should be a matter of time before some action here.