CFx Comics: Animating for a cause one issue at a time
The medium of animation is being used to highlight social issues in Pakistan
By Maleeha Mengal
A group of Pakistani illustration designers and conceptual comic artists have come together to use their art to produce comics and animated videos for a local audience with the purpose of addressing issues that challenge the society they live in.
CFx Comics is working on communication messaging through comics and animations focusing on social issues.
Speaking to Dunya News, Hammad Anwar, Project Manager at CFx Comics, explains how the team ventured into the world of comics and later, in animation. “We always wanted to explore the medium of comics to send a message to Pakistani children. We were pitching ideas to people. This was an ongoing planning phase and then the APS incident happened” he says. “In early 2015 we started our CFx comics.
”CFx Comics became one of the first pioneers in Pakistan for their creative comic book writing in Urdu and English. Within one year of their launch, they released three comics, Haider, Pasbaan and Khiladi. “We believed that if you want to give a social message, comics are a good way to go about it,” says Anwar.
Khiladi is one of their first three comics that was published in 2015
To end all barriers and in order to make it easily available to children, they introduced their comics on mobile apps.
“After working on comics, we realised that animation is another medium that we can utilise to spread the word on social issues. Instead of uploading a 10-page comic on an issue, why not do the same in a one-minute animation?”
Aazadi Ki Keemat was their first creation. This short video was released on August 14 last year. The theme of the video was to focus on gender equality and freedom from oppression using historical symbolism from the 1947 Partition.
Video courtesy: CFx Comics
CFx Comics have collaborated with prominent non-governmental organisations. Anwar explains the process of how they write a script for a particular issue. During their project with the WWF, he shares they wanted them to work on two topics: pollution and earth hour. For pollution, the the team came up with a script where they wrote a storyline that focused on Indus River Dolphin and the effects of pollution. “Once the organisation gives a positive feedback on the script, CFx Comics starts working on the animation and voiceover.”
“Through visuals we can get the creative freedom to animate something. That’s our play field, where we can illustrate and animate things based on the script,” says Anwar while commenting on the freedom they can exercise when it comes to designing and script writing. “For example, if the dolphin is cute you will feel affiliated with that animal and its story…things like these develop your interest and affection towards it.”
Video courtesy: CFx Comics
The most important thing about animation is the script that needs to be concise owing to time constraints, something which does not pose a hurdle in comics. And the same goes for the message the animation aims to focus on.
Yahya Ehsan, Creative Director and Co Founder CFx Comics, working on illustrations for the videos
Once the script is finalised it is sent to the voice over artists and art team where they draw the theme which is called illustration. Illustrations are rough draft of black and white drawings; after it is approved colors are added. This moves to the animation department where effects are added like a moving bike, or the breeze effect. Voiceovers are the last part where it’s added along with the background music.While working on serious social issues, Anwar says the team usually animates using real life stories with strong visuals.
Nadir Khan, Senior Artist CFx Comics, working on the illustrations and coloring on the animated video
“It is indeed a bit of a challenge, time precision and how to keep the audience engaged for the first 30 seconds,” he adds. The real life stories they have so far worked on include issues relating to the transgender community, child abuse, disability, and internal displacement.
While most of their work is their own initiative to address social issues, they have also collaborated with many NGOs to animate more videos that focus on diverse topics.
Local organisation, LSU (Lahore Students Union), and CFx Comics collaborated to create animated videos on identified social issues such as, transgender rights, food wastage, education, disabled people and child abuse. Anwar elaborates, “As a society we need more awareness and understanding of such social issues. These organisations are working on it, but in general every one of us needs to be aware of our social issues.”
On a lighter note Anwar says if he gets the means to produce an animated film, he’d love to make a series or a film based on their comics. “Cricket is our passion and one of our comics is based on it. If I get a chance I’d love to make one on that. And of course Haider, a comic based on our heroes.”
Art Team at CFx Comics
CFx Comics and its members are passionate about making animations on social issues. “So far animation has been fun and we don’t feel it’s being forced down upon us,” he says. “Visual communications have an everlasting impact on us. We can reach out to millions of people if this kind of work keeps continuing. If one person watches this short video, he/she can aware others about it…it’s cyclic.”
For CFx Comics, acknowledging the problem is the first step, which is where they use their skills. Finding solution comes next.
