Kochiite Neil George embraces comics to explain the world of brand management

Indian graphic narratives have evolved beyond mythology and folklore
Neil George
Neil George

Indian graphic narratives have evolved beyond mythology and folklore. From Malik Sajad’s brutal retelling of Kashmir’s insurgency crisis in Munna to Saurav Mohapatra’s crime-noir showcase Mumbai Confidential, recent graphic novels have shattered the notions of panelised storytelling. Yet, the latest self-published title to create a buzz amongst sequential art aficionados isn’t penned by Orijit Sen or Appupen, it’s crafted by the managing director of Nivea India, Neil George.

“Seven years ago, I decided to tell people what really happens when you enter into the brand management industry via a book titled Building The Perfect Beast. After realising that I’m no ‘writer’, I opted for the engaging visual medium of comics to portray the trials and tribulations of working in marketing and communications,” begins Neil, whose globetrotting career spans over two decades.

Outside the boardroom

Building The Perfect Beast
Building The Perfect Beast

With over 400 anime-based illustrations by Kolkata’s XongBros spread over 154-pages, this book follows the lives of five new marketing interns tasked with creating the ultimate brand strategy while working in a London agency. Yet, this book doesn’t just provide brand-building advice or cater to MBA newbies and FMCG veterans. Neil explains that the dark art style and fantasy elements used (think dream sequences) will also appeal to the average comic book reader.

While the 45-year-old Kochiite admits that certain real-life influences—like ‘how to deal with the death of a boss in a dog-eat-dog world’—do seep into some of the pages, the core concept is inspired by Dante’s Purgatorio. “The real takeaway here is: watch out! Everyone starts in this industry as ‘innocent bunnies’. But, over time, they indulge in the ‘seven deadly sins’ and end up becoming the ‘perfect beast’,” shares the London Business School graduate, who is already working on the next title in this series.

Paperback at `1,700
Details: amazon.in

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