A tale about the masculine ego

The Pig Flip has to be read at least three times. To start, turn the pages quickly and savor the narrative. Secondly, as graphic novels need, focus on the drawings since they enhance the narrative by providing the reader with more information beyond what is written in the text. Thirdly, and this is maybe what sets the work apart from others, is how well the narrative and pictures complement each other to tell a tale that is distinctly Keralan. The result is a work that has been acclaimed as a major turning point in Indian graphic novels.

The narrative is not new; its fundamental theme is gambling addiction. Every night, Babychan, the main character, can’t resist sneaking out to an abandoned island to play the famous card game “panni malarthu” (also known as “pig-flip”) with other miscreants.

Likely, you are surrounded with characters that are similar to them. Readers are cautioned not to write off Babychan as a social outcast just yet, however. We see redeemable characteristics in Joshy behind his draftsmanship. We are aware that the dangers that seem to be attached to him are only incidental.

Additionally, the graphics of games don’t allude to perversity or wastefulness, in contrast to conventional images of gambling. The features of the sanctuary of darkness punctured by golden light, the fading candle, the foul smell of rotten cashews, unanswered prayers, and the great yearning for a good hand are interestingly symbolic of spiritual depths.

Early on, it also becomes clear that Joshy’s art exhibits a rebellion by deviating from convention. The way that one frame flows into the next, both physically and metaphysically, to provide the viewer with a continuous experience, may be the greatest way to convey this.

A tree in one frame, for instance, branches out to provide a canopy in another. To depict the chaotic condition of a character’s thoughts, water ripples linger over the face in a frame beneath.

Notable is how each frame seems unique and new. Each presents an alternative viewpoint. It seems as if a cinematographer is adjusting their lens and narrating the narrative in ways that the reader never would have thought possible.

Given that Joshy tells TNIE he was first exposed to graphic novels rather late in his career, it’s possible that his lack of familiarity with the standard has contributed to his success. Nonetheless, there are several examples of his extensive color expertise throughout the piece.

In addition to telling the tale, the colors are essential to creating the picture of a picture-perfect town. A frame with an aerial view of the island stands out in particular. Joshy appears to have captured the ferocity of the downpour with ease, using a sprinkling of yellow and green.

To resume the tale, we are then introduced to Babychan’s better half, Paulikutty, who silently puts up with her husband’s insolent behavior with the cards. His mother, on the other hand, is not nearly so, berating him for living a carefree lifestyle.

A brief flashback shows us a young Babychan receiving the same kind of abuse from his father. The older stated of his kid, “He belongs in a pigsty.”

Joshy’s draftsmanship shines through here once again. The father’s name is followed by a single, compartmented drawing of a conventional armchair and a hand resting on its handle.

The father is at one end of the verandah, while the mother and her daughters cluster at the far end, the boy between them, staring away as they talk about his life. This allows us to quickly assess the social dynamics of the home and our assumptions are instantly validated.

The rigorous English grammar was dropped by K K Muralidharan, the English translation specialist, so that the conversations read more like “Malayalam.” Furthermore, the wording used is somewhat sparing. Additionally, the conversation bubbles blend smoothly with the backdrop without drawing attention to themselves.

Despite his earlier pledge to stop gambling, Babychan finds it difficult, as one would expect. Even more so when Money-Thommi in particular, one of the local goons, lures him in. It’s amazing how well a character’s name captures their peculiarities. Parts of them, Joshy says TNIE, are based on faces he has seen or observes in his life and surroundings. These eccentricities are also reflected in their caricatures, and even in a crowded setting, it is easy to identify each character.

The plot is really straightforward: Paulikutty and his mother come up with a plan to send Babychan to the hills to reside with his in-laws for a time when his gambling reaches its peak and it becomes obvious that Money-Thommi would take his belongings. Here, Tommy, Paulikutty’s brother, is shown to us. He is a get-things-done kind of person who raised pigs to make life simpler for himself and his family. It’s also advised that Babychan establish a pig farm.

Even if our main character is horrified by the concept, we see the same golden light, reminiscent of a cathedral, enveloping him as morning approaches, suggesting that something significant is about to happen. Babychan’s pig farm is finished after two pages, and the accompanying image fills one whole page.

This is intriguing since there seems to be a “hurriedness” to the pages that describe the moments when his gambling issue went out of control. There are never any white areas or even places to contemplate, which may be a reflection of Babychan’s mental condition.

But as we all know, addiction is a difficult condition to overcome. Our protagonist soon finds himself reverting to his previous behaviors due to backhanded accusations from Paulikutty about how she has “tamed” the husband, his mother’s increasing admiration of Tommy (which causes Babychan to be disregarded), and his father’s remarks that he belongs in a pigsty.

But this time, Tommy, who had invested days and money to change his brother-in-law, sets him on fire. In this tale of the masculine ego, Babychan is finally humbled by the subsequent struggle between the two.

This is not where the narrative ends. On the pages it does, anyhow. However, it’s unclear whether Babychan will alter his behavior. There are indications that he may. But how can we know for sure? The drawings also have a “slippery-ness” about them, similar to this ambiguity. Joshy tells TNIE, “I wanted the readers to fill in the blanks.”

The Pig Flip is an amazing work that teaches us not only how to write a decent tale and produce a graphic book, but also a lot about gambling and Kerala surroundings. A must-have in every artist’s house and a must-read.

KEY POINT

Take a close look at how Joshy depicts emotions using hands and legs—which are said to be the hardest to draw—such as the silent descent of Paulikutty’s hand on her husband, the mother’s worried fist, the father’s slack hand resting on the armchair, Money-Thommi putting a leg on the verandah to suggest he means “business,” and the flick of the wrist to extinguish the lamp.