Keen on understanding Hindu mythology through characters, such as Lord Krishna, Meera, Sita, Draupadi and many more, McLaine awarded a phd in Indian comic books.
Keen on understanding Hindu mythology through characters, such as Lord Krishna, Meera, Sita, Draupadi and many more, Karline McLaine has become the first American scholar to be awarded a PhD in Indian comic books.
The University of Texas selected McLaine’s thesis on the 40-year-old comic book series, Amar Chitra Katha, which depicts the construction of Indian identities through picture stories, as the best among 400-odd research works.
An assistant professor at Bucknell University, McLaine has been teaching South Asian languages in the department of South Asian Studies. “As I had studied Sanskrit from the University of Texas, I developed a keen interest in understanding Hinduism in the modern context, as well as its relation with the colonial world. As a teacher, I am aware that students show disinterest while learning history, but Amar Chitra Katha presents complex historical facts and intricate mythology in a simple entertaining format,” said the 30-year-old, who is here to compile her research work into a book.
McLaine has also been awarded by the American Institute of Indian Studies for her work on Indian manuscripts. Her favourite comic books in the Amar Chitra Katha series are Krishna, Meerabai and Valmiki’s Ramayana.
“My research is an outcome of travelling to various places in India like Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai while referring to over 500 books on Indian mythology. It also involved interaction with Indians based in the US, Indian scriptwriters, editors and Indian parents and their children who consider the characters depicted in these comic books as their role models,” added McLaine.
Describing Amar Chitra Katha as the finest teaching aid to introduce students to Indian culture, McLaine said, “Amar Chitra Katha is a masterful blend of commentary, dialogue and illustration. My research discusses why these characters have been identified as heroic figures for ages and the definition of heroic figures in Indian context.”
Overwhelmed by McLaine’s research, editor of Amar Chitra Katha comics, Anant Pai, said, “Mclaine holds a treasure trove of information on Amar Chitra Katha. Several Indian scholars have conducted research on the comic series, but there is no confirmation on how many were able to complete their study. McLaine, however, is the first to complete it and be certified.”
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