News story with Valiant and Dinesh

[arghh!]

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 095401.cms



Deepak Chitnis

WASHINGTON: Just what does it take to calmly walk up to the makers of Batman and Spiderman and challenge them for a storyboard war? Well, as Dinesh Shamdasani and Jason Kothari would tell you, the turf of war being Comic Books-to-Celluloid Stars Inc, most of what it takes for mission improbable is just sheer passion and the right people to bon you.

The two Indian Americans, both in their early thirties, hope their New York-based Valiant Comics will make a Phantom fist-sized dent in the comic book industry, four-fifths of which is just two players: Marvel and DC Comics. Marvel, whose major characters joined forces onscreen this summer for The Avengers, currently the third highest-grossing film in history; and DC Comics, whose roster includes Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman.

The Shamdasani-Kothari project is being cheer-leaded by its chairman Peter Cuneo, the man widely credited with turning around Marvel from bankruptcy to super stardom. Valiant, founded in 1988, after many rounds of ups and downs, filed for bankruptcy in 2005. Two years later, two students - Kothari at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and Shamdasani at USC School of Cinema-Television - managed to convince a handful of other investors and bought it for a few hundred thousand dollars.

Both Shamdasani and Kothari are confident that Valiant can compete at the same level as its two larger rivals. "Within the industry, the Valiant characters are very, very popular," says Shamdasani. "We were at the recent San Diego Comic-Con 2012 - the flagship event for global comic book industry - it was amazing to see the turnout, the passion for some of our characters¦ That's the base we're building from."

Valiant has sold 80 million comic books since the early 90s, and its legacy library is next only to the Big Two.

Unlike Marvel and DC, which feature largely Caucasian heroes, Valiant's lineup has a touch of diversity to it, something that could prove to be a strength now that social networking is bringing together countless countries and cultures. "One of the reasons Valiant is so successful is because it is expanding to ethnicities," says Shamdasani. "Valiant has a very prominent biracial character, a very prominent Asian character. Now we are adding Indian to the mix as well."

[Aram]

Wait what? Adding Indian?!? Is this the first hint at a new character?! Hope so!

[BugsySig]

Wait what? Adding Indian?!? Is this the first hint at a new character?! Hope so!

Darpon?

[greg]

Yep, Darpan.

The only other self-activated Harbinger.
(Toyo, Pete, Darpan)

[MoonChild]

And Hidden Moon? Or is he Native American?

[greg]

Native Americans use the "descriptive, figurative" names. Hidden Moon, Sitting Bull, Dances With Wolves, etc.

[MoonChild]

Yep, Darpan.

The only other self-activated Harbinger.
(Toyo, Pete, Darpan)

I liked the alpha omega aspect of Toyo and Pete made sense that there were only 2 self-activated: 1 good one bad but that's how I interpreted the original run, this is something new and Darpan in the hands of Dysart is just fine by me

[MoonChild]

Native Americans use the "descriptive, figurative" names. Hidden Moon, Sitting Bull, Dances With Wolves, etc.

Which is what made me think he may be native

[MarkRoseHFX]

Yep, Darpan.

The only other self-activated Harbinger.
(Toyo, Pete, Darpan)

What about Bloodshot?

[BugsySig]

Yep, Darpan.

The only other self-activated Harbinger.
(Toyo, Pete, Darpan)

What about Bloodshot?

And Archer?

[MarrowMan]

Wait what? Adding Indian?!? Is this the first hint at a new character?! Hope so!

Darpan is Indian

edit - NM Greg is still pretty quick, even while he is sick

Channeled a bit of Bullhorn with that statement.

[drmirage]

Darpan is East Indian, Archer is Kansan and Turok is Native American (wait.. VEI doensn't own the rights of Turok)

[Rubiks-Q-Bert]

Darpan is East Indian, Archer is Kansan and Turok is Native American (wait.. VEI doensn't own the rights of Turok)

Kansan?

[drmirage]

Archer is Kansan.... From Kansas.

Like saying... Canada... Canadian... America... American...

Darpan is East Indian, Archer is Kansan and Turok is Native American (wait.. VEI doensn't own the rights of Turok)

Kansan?

[Rubiks-Q-Bert]

Archer is Kansan.... From Kansas.

Like saying... Canada... Canadian... America... American...

That's what I thought. I'm a Kansan!

[drmirage]

OMG BBQ!!! Kansan! Bumped into Archer lately? For realz?

[Chiclo]

Darpan is East Indian, Archer is Kansan and Turok is Native American (wait.. VEI doensn't own the rights of Turok)

Turok is from Kansas too, just before Kansas took on its current cultural identity.

[greg]

I'm also Kansan... the BETTER kind... ARKansan.

[arghh!]

We have Arkansas City is that what you mean? Of course they say it R-Kansas like the river

[Rubiks-Q-Bert]

I'm also Kansan... the BETTER kind... ARKansan.

Kansas = Country

Arkansas = Redneck hillbilly

Which one should I shoose.

Kidding of course. Used to go to a summer camp there when I was a kid and went vacationing there several times. Got some beautiful areas out there. Hot Springs was awesome.

[Aram]

Go Razerbacks!