Meet the Sheroes - Sreejita Biswas

Don't let the name take you aback! StripTease is an interesting venture that provides a platform for artists interested in the comics culture across India. Besides being a co-founder for this interesting e-mag, today's Shero - Sreejita Biswas is also a copywriter and columnist and dabbles in several other forms of work too, 

This is her story,

How did the idea of Striptease the Mag come about and what is the end objective of the venture?

I have loved comics for as long as I can remember. As I was growing up, unlike a lot of people, I gradually understood that comics and graphic novels are an excellent medium of storytelling. Over the years, I also realised that there are people out there who love this world as much as I do and more importantly, there are people out there who want to know more about comics. It was a little more than a couple of years ago when I decided to do something about it- I started a platform where comic book lovers were welcome to talk about their views, share their experiences about it in general. I also wanted to be able to give Indian artists who make comics but don’t get published a platform to showcase their work.

The objective of StripTease the Mag is to simply spread awareness about comics and publish digital comics– absolutely free for the consumer. These days social popularity and corresponding ‘metrics’ – as opposed to the quality of content – play a significant role in determining success and driving public perception. Thanks to this incestuous cycle of survival of the ‘viral-est’, most worthwhile Indian comics don’t get due recognition. All we want to do is tell the world about these comics and tell people in India about comics from all over the world beyond the usual saga of Hollywood’s superhero blockbusters.

What do you do professionally besides managing your e-magazine?

I am a writer. I am currently working with an advertising agency as a senior copywriter and I am a columnist with a Bangalore-based newspaper. I also take photographs once in a while for some publications.

What marketing tips help you gain a larger readership base?

We believe it is more relevant and important to focus on content and quality. In general, identify your target audience based on the content and cater to them.

Do you plan to have other e-based ventures in the future, if yes, can you tell us about them?

We in fact have a few lined up. Firstly, we are launching an anthology, our first one, by the end of this year. The anthology will feature short comics from independent creators and publishing houses and will be made available online.

The second thing we are planning to do, on popular fan demand, is start a merchandise store. We have some excellent artists working with us, so I can guarantee that no one will be disappointed by the things we put up for sale. One of the important reasons for us to start the store is to help some animal aid organizations in the country. We will be donating a part of the revenue from each product sold to such organizations.

Thirdly, we have started a collaborative Sci-Fi webcomic project called Tau about an alien. Though the comic has one writer, it has artists from all over India collaborating and bringing to life the different chapters in their own characteristic styles.

Lastly, we have also undertaken the responsibility of creating a comic about the History of Comics, focussing on the Indian comic industry. We should be releasing the first few pages of this comic soon!

 What would you say are the top 3 things every entrepreneur should have to succeed in their line?

A sense of humour, imagination and a small group of supportive friends who aren’t scared to slap sense into you when the need arises.