“Graphic novels are huge in the US, Japan and Europe. In India, we have witnessed the growing popularity of the Tintin series, which we distribute,” says Uday Mathur, managing director of EuroBooks that has brought out the series. He adds that with the growth in the retail-books market, India is ready for graphic novels. Many international titles are coming out. After the success of Biggles, the fictional adventurer

created by W.E. Johns, EuroBooks has brought out Spirou, Quick and Flupke, Phantom and Agatha Christie’s titles as well.

The series has been a result of collaborations between the company and foreign designers. While Quick and Flupke and Spirou have a simpler, 2-D, comic-book look, the artwork has become sharper and superior now and is differently styled. The Hardy Boys series has been illustrated by Daniel Rendon, while the Nancy Drew series has been worked on by Daniel Vaughan Ross. The plot of some of the mysteries has been updated to suit the modern reader’s sensibilities. While the boys are tech-savvy, Drew finds herself pursuing a case in India. Harry Potter might have cast a spell on children’s fiction worldwide, but the old and faithful teenage detectives are back for the good fight.