“Justice is an exploration of an exotic land (to Americans, anyway) with all too familiar human challenges. The world keeps getting smaller…” – Paul Levitz, American graphic novel writer, editor, and former president of DC Comics
The campaign is intended to help gather funds for the publication of a new graphic novel which chronicles one young girl’s brave journey to reclaim the life she left behind during the unforgiving conflict of the Nepali civil war.
GRAPHIC NOVEL:
Ram Khatri, translator of ‘The Metamorphosis’ in Nepali, has launched a 30-day crowdfunding campaign starting Friday, the 28th of January on Kickstarter to help raise funds for the publication of his new book Justice: A Civil War Graphic Novel. This project chronicles the events surrounding the Nepali civil war and focuses on a young girl’s brave journey to reclaim the life she left behind during this chaotic period. The 120-page graphic novel is divided into three 40-page issues, known as Justice #I, Justice #II and Justice #III. The current Kickstarter campaign is focused on Justice #I.
STORY:
The plot follows 17-year-old Tara, whose life is thrown into chaos as Maoist rebels and a local police force blinded by hatred ensures that nowhere is safe for her and her family. Following the abduction of Tara’s elder brother by the rebel forces, the family’s struggle to find him continues till the end of Justice #III. Tara’s family is forced to flee from their home while still fighting for their missing family member. Tara returns to her abandoned home a few years later and confronts the trauma and suffering caused by the protracted conflict – known as “The People’s War” – that altered the lives of countless families forever. The story has an open ending which clearly indicates an uncertain future for Tara and the surviving members of her family.
Ram Khatri, the author and project manager for the much anticipated graphic novel, revealed that he specifically chose the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform due to its reputation as a strong supporter of diverse storytelling. “I have been working on this graphic novel to share one of the most unique and underrepresented stories with the world. Kickstarter has a great reputation for supporting diverse storytelling,” said Mr. Khatri, “so this campaign can also be taken as a pre-order campaign if it hits the funding goal.”
TEAM:
Other people who are involved in the team include Sandipan Santra, artist and illustrator; Blake Hoena, developmental editor and graphic novel writer; Rachel Slaiman, copy editor; and Shahab Khan as the novel’s letterer.
ENDORSEMENTS:
Tara Sigdel, Associate Professor at the University of California, describes the work as “a realistic depiction of a window of Nepal’s history.” According to Professor Sigdel, Justice is “a beautiful tale of an ugly war in Nepal.” In the same vein, American graphic novel writer, editor, and former president of DC Comics Paul Levitz describes the work as “an exploration of an exotic land (to Americans, anyway) with all too familiar human challenges.”
REQUEST FOR SUPPORT:
For fans of war-and-conflict-related stories, Justice promises to be an exciting and historically enlightening piece of visual literature which will bring a new and different taste to mainstream audiences. Anyone interested in backing the project can simply click on the following link to access the project’s Kickstarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/justicegraphicnovel/justice-i-a-civil-war-graphic-novel . Backers are expected to be handsomely rewarded.
Cover images, sample illustrations, and additional graphics for media use can be accessed through this Dropbox link: https://bit.ly/3AmiUb9.
RAM KHATRI (Author, Project Manager):
Translator of Franz Kafka’s ‘The Metamorphosis‘ in Nepali, Ram has worked as the managing editor and publishing manager for academic and commercial publishers. With degrees in book publishing from Pace University, New York, and English literature from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, he is always fascinated by truly diverse, unrepresented, and heart-warming stories that touch lives.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/books.ramckhatri
Media Contact
Contact Person: Ram Khatri
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/justicegraphicnovel/justice-i-a-civil-war-graphic-novel?ref=clipboard-prelaunch