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Hindustan Times
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Simon Lamouret: 'I wish we had more narratives with an Eastern gaze on the West'
What do you love most about the graphic novel as a literary form? Graphic novelist Simon Lamouret (Courtesy the subject) There is more to a graphic novel than simply combining words and pictures. Creating a language that lies within the interaction between text and image is what I love most. There are so many ways of doing this, and there are multiple layers of complexity. I am really interested in this as a reader as well as a practitioner. I tend to look at each of my books — whether it is Bangalore, The Alcazar, or L'homme Miroir — as an opportunity to experiment and play with this language. I approach comics not as a form of cinema translated on paper but as a literary form with its unique possibilities. Do you use the words 'comic book' and 'graphic novel' interchangeably? (laughs) I know why you are asking me this question. There are some people who are very touchy about the term that is used. I think that is just an expression of their vanity. For me, it is pretty much the same thing labelled differently. Usually, people like to refer to my books as graphic novels because of their format, size, length and number of pages. ₹199; Available at Which graphic novelists do you look up to? As a child growing up in the early 1990s, I read French and Belgian comic books. In my teenage years, when I began to think seriously about what I would like to do in terms of my education and my career, I discovered new ways to draw and tell stories beyond the boxes that comic books had been restricted to. The medium was no longer addressing only kids or never-growing adults. It was also for adults interested in social issues, intimacy and philosophy. I look up to people like David B, Marjane Satrapi, Joe Sacco and Chris Ware. When I hear the word 'novel', fiction is what comes to mind. But works of graphic non-fiction are also called graphic novels these days. I get my inspiration from real life, so my non-fiction is also personal in a way. I like to blur these classifications and categories. In The Alcazar, for example, I tell the story of migrant workers toiling on a construction site in Bangalore. Their job is to build a residential complex on an empty plot. The book addresses social facts but I have built it up almost like fiction in the sense that I do not interfere as a researcher in the story. I do not represent myself. I tell the story using the facts that I observed, and the data that I collected on the field. Two of your books are set in India. How did that happen? Soon after my education in France, I moved to Bangalore and taught at a design school from 2013 to 2018. Being in India was a great opportunity to see things from a different perspective. When you live somewhere, your interaction with a place and the people is different from how it would be as a traveller just passing by. Initially, I thought that I would be there for a year. That turned into two, and eventually I ended up staying for five years. I was in my early twenties, and was just starting to master the skills to produce something publishable. Since I was in India, my environment provided the material that I worked with. I think of my book Bangalore as a travelogue because it is about my discovery of India. It is a portrait of the city through its public spaces. The gaze is more external. The Alcazar does not look at the city as a whole. It focuses on a tiny plot of land, and the people who work there. While telling stories of the construction workers, what kind of ethical questions came up for you? When people from the West come to formerly colonized nations, there is an anxiety around how people might perceive their work, and some degree of caution about not exoticising locals. Is this something that you dealt with? Bangalore was my first book. I was young and there was an urge to produce something, so I was thinking more about my right to represent as an artist. You could say that there was some kind of entitlement there. I had a genuine appetite for capturing the city. Through the process of making that book, I started asking myself more questions. That process continued after the book was published in France, and I began to listen to reactions and receive feedback. Only parts of it were published in a magazine in India. With time, I got more interested in post-colonial issues and also read Edward Said's book Orientalism. That helped me understand the political and intellectual discourse, and also know where I stood. I do not believe that people who come from the West should not be able to talk about the East, or that men should not portray female characters. How things are done matters. It just comes down to that. I also wish we had more narratives with an Eastern gaze on the West. Besides, there are stories that are out there to grab. If there were already a lot of stories representing construction workers, maybe I wouldn't have felt the need to document them in The Alcazar. I felt that there was a gap to be filled as most Indians in my surroundings did not know much about construction workers, who seemed to live in a world kept completely apart. I was quite vigilant in terms of doing things the right way, not silencing anyone, and not speaking on behalf of anyone. I was trying to be a voice porter or a voice carrier. I got an Indian friend with a background in ethnography to help me with documentation. Other friends helped with interpretation and translation. We talked a lot about the right questions to ask workers, and how to portray them. I also shared my storyboard and sketches with the workers and collected their feedback when I was in India. When I moved back to France, and was finishing my work on The Alcazar, I stayed in touch over phone calls and WhatsApp. I did not want it to be read only by French people, so I was thrilled when Comix India came on board to publish the Indian edition. When we had a launch in Bangalore, Mehboob and Rafiq, who are two of the main characters in the book were on stage with me and they had the opportunity to represent themselves and interact with mostly upper class Bangaloreans. Why don't we have more books about construction workers? Is the lack of knowledge about their lives related to divides around religion and caste in India? Yes, I mean that could be one of the factors. But it could also be a question of just forgetting the mundane because it is right in front of our nose and we do not see it anymore. Construction sites are everywhere in India because cities are developing rapidly. Initially, I wanted to do a case study on different construction sites and build a more objective picture but then I gave up on that. For me, it came down to being a book about certain characters. They are human beings with struggles determined by their profession and class but their life has more than that. Construction work is only a part of their identity. Many of them come to the city because there is a lack of opportunities in villages. They build houses from scratch for other people but they do not have permanent housing. By the time they are 40 years old, their bodies become weak from the physical labour. Their goal is to invest the little money they manage to save and start a small business that does not require much physical work. ₹1200; Comix India How different are the lives of construction workers in India and France? One of the key differences is that, unlike India, construction workers in France — who come from Portugal and Eastern Europe — do not live on construction sites. The vast majority of migrants have a rented house to go to. From a storytelling point of view, it was interesting to see how the lines between the personal and the professional got blurred because all my characters in The Alcazar lived where they worked. They almost did not exit the site. This might be one of the reasons behind why they were misunderstood by the rest of society. Did any of your conversations with them happen over meals? Yes, I ate with them. When I had to go away for a few months, we had a little celebratory dinner. We also had tea a few times. We could not have long conversations because I could not bother them so much during their working hours. I had been granted permission to observe them and talk when they were free. There was more time to talk during evenings and on Sundays. I told the contractor that I was an architecture student on an internship, and was interested in learning about building techniques. I don't think that I would have been given permission if he knew that I was interested in the lives of the construction workers. Even observing how people moved, looked at each other, and interacted, gave me so much non-verbal information about them, which I could use later to build up my characters. LISTEN: BOOKS & AUTHORS PODCAST WITH SIMON LAMOURET Tell us about your new books L'homme miroir and In the Land of the Lama. L'homme miroir is about a workaholic single mother from the city who moves to the countryside with her son when a property comes up for sale. She has to get rid of the objects that belonged to the previous owner. While going through them, this woman, her son and her parents begin to form their impressions of him. What they see in him shows who they are. It was a great pleasure to collaborate with Pema Wangchuk Dorjee — a journalist based in Sikkim — on In the Land of the Lama. This comic book is set in the late 1960s along Sikkim's frontier with Tibet. It draws inspiration from the story of Sepoy Harbhajan Singh. He was an Indian Army soldier who passed away in 1968 because of the harsh terrain and extreme weather but he continues to live on through myths and legends that have grown around him. Chintan Girish Modi is a journalist, educator and literary critic. He is @chintanwriting on Instagram and X.
Indianapolis Star
30-07-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Court docs: Ex-IMPD officer abused two children years before retiring from the force
Editor's note: This article contains descriptions of child abuse. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the Indiana Department of Child Services' Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-800-5556. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All adults are mandated reporters in Indiana. A former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer once commended for his work with crime victims now stands accused of sexually abusing two young girls, according to court documents. David B. McDaniel, 54, faces two counts of child molestation and a third count of attempting to molest a child under the age of 14. The investigation began earlier this month when two 17-year-old girls told their families and McDaniel's ex-wife that they both had been abused by McDaniel multiple times, beginning when they were about eight and nine years old. Both girls reported that they were first abused by McDaniel while on out-of-state trips with him in Florida and Tennessee. They told police they discussed the assaults with one another, but never told an adult. Each girl also described being awoken by sexual assaults during the night while staying at McDaniel's house. McDaniel was a member of IMPD between 1995 and March 2024, and had been on the force for more than 20 years when the alleged abuse began in 2016. In 2022, McDaniel was honored with a plaque from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana for his "outstanding commitment to serving crime victims and pursuing excellence in victim services." The ceremony was held in connection with National Crime Victims' Rights Week, a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. IMPD declined to comment except to confirm that McDaniel is a former officer. After retiring from IMPD last year, McDaniel worked as a police officer at Ascension St. Vincent. The health system did not respond to a request for comment. IndyStar has requested McDaniel's personnel file from IMPD. Ex-IMPD David McDaniel: Retired IMPD officer arrested for allegedly molesting a child McDaniel was on vacation with his brother in Florida when the ISP investigation began, detectives wrote. One of the victim's parents received a text message from McDaniel imploring them to help his family "because they are embarrassed about what happened and afraid to lose their dad." In another message, McDaniel said that "if I end this now, (then) hopefully it doesn't come out publicly" and would at least save the victims and his family humiliation. "(There's) nothing I can do or say that will change or fix this so I have to figure out what's the best way to minimize (the) impact," the message read in part. McDaniel's brother told police on July 12 that he believed McDaniel would take his own life, but that he was trying to talk him into turning himself in and doing the right thing. Court documents don't specify where McDaniel was over the next 10 days, but on July 22 he was arrested by Indiana State Police during a traffic stop in New Palestine. A document titled "The Last Will & Testament of David Brian McDaniel" could be clearly seen on the front passenger's seat, investigators noted. McDaniel is being held in the Hancock County Jail. His initial hearing was scheduled for July 30 at 1 p.m. On July 22, IMPD officer Nicholas Cauley was arrested after investigators say he used police resources to stalk and harass his ex-wife. Four IMPD officers were charged with sex crimes last year. One of the defendants, Paul Humphrey, pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual misconduct with a minor on July 14. He's accused of abusing a 15-year-old girl in January 2024. The three other cases remain pending. In September 2024, Kamal Bola, an officer of six years, was arrested in Hendricks County and charged with public voyeurism, three counts of child molesting, and one count of committing the crime of deadly force or being armed with a deadly weapon. In August 2024, Javed Richards, an officer of 12 years who worked in internal affairs, was charged with 13 counts of child exploitation and one count of possession of child pornography after detectives discovered Richards was allegedly uploading and downloading material sexually exploiting children on the internet. In April 2024, Lateral officer Myron Howard, who was with the department for one year, was charged with rape, criminal confinement, official misconduct, making an unlawful proposition, public indecency and public nudity. He's accused of sexually assaulting two women in two separate situations after they had called 911 for help.
The Guardian
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
It's grand theft AI and UK ministers are behind it. Oppose this robbery of people's creativity
We are father and son: one has written 16 musicals and counting, the other cofounded The Other Songs, a leading independent record and publishing company. Our work has employed thousands globally, nurturing the next generation of talent. Copyright is the foundation that protects this, and all creative work: from music, theatre and literature to film and art. Copyright ensures creators retain control and are fairly compensated. It underpins the creative economy. Put simply, it allows artists and creatives to make a living. Endless studies have shown what a benefit that creativity – music, theatre, dance, art, film, TV, the list is endless – has on the rest of society. Yet, today, the UK government is proposing changes that would strip creators of this protection. Under the data (use and access) bill, AI companies would be allowed to take works, past and future, and use them as training data without consent or payment. These models digest vast amounts of human-created content and then generate imitations, bypassing the rights of the original creators. The government's proposed 'opt-out' system – the idea that they will always be in a position to preemptively reserve their rights – is a sham. It is technically impossible for artists to opt out. The government's consultation ends today, but we should be clear: this is not regulation, it is a free pass for AI to exploit creativity without consequence. AI can replicate patterns, but it does not create. If left unregulated, it will not just be a creative crisis, but an economic failure in the making. AI will flood the market with machine-generated imitations, undercutting human creativity and destroying industries that drive jobs, tourism and Britain's cultural identity. The creative industry on which we all thrive in myriad ways will stumble and falter. The government claims weakening copyright law will attract AI investment, and that it is offering 'a copyright regime that provides creators with real control, transparency, and helps them license their content', but there is no evidence to support this. Global AI firms will extract UK intellectual property while continuing their operations elsewhere, leaving British creators at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, responsible AI companies such as Adobe and DeepMind already license content, proving that regulation and innovation can coexist. The solution is clear. Beeban Kidron's amendments to the bill would introduce safeguards, ensuring AI firms seek permission and pay for the content they use. The alternative is, as she told the House of Lords last month, that we continue the 'delusion that the UK's best interest and economic future aligns with those of Silicon Valley'. Copyright protections are not a barrier to AI innovation; they are the foundation that allows creators to produce the high-quality work AI depends on. Without strong copyright laws, human creativity will be devalued and displaced by machines. Do we want our children to discover the next David Bowie, or David BowAI? We stand at a pivotal juncture. The streaming era has already diminished the value of songwriters to the extent that many struggle to make a living. Streaming revenue allocates about 15% to songwriters, while record labels and artists receive 55%, and streaming services claim 30%. Moreover, songwriters are not compensated upfront for their used songs by artists and labels, unlike in TV, film and theatre where there is an option for their works. Consequently, relying solely on 15% is an insurmountable challenge. Now, the UK risks making an even greater error. In 1710, Britain introduced the world's first copyright law, the Statute of Anne, setting the global standard for protecting creators. Until then, authors found the copyright to their work belonged to the printers of that work. Self-publishing was effectively illegal, but the statute gave writers the ability to own their own creations. This was right and now seems obvious. It is extraordinary that more than 300 years later this government is planning to dismantle those protections. Labour claims to represent working people. Creative artists are working people, and their work is of untold value economically, socially and, of course, culturally. An AI machine is not a person. It is time to step up and protect the people at the heart of the UK's unrivalled creative economy. If these efforts fail, we will all suffer. Andrew Lloyd Webber is a composer. Alastair Webber is a record label founder
USA Today
31-01-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Have you lost your moral compass?
Have you lost your moral compass? | Letter I would like you to take a moment and think about the more than 140 police officers that were injured in the attack on the U.S. Capitol by the pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6, 2021. According to the Department of Justice, 'injuries included cracked ribs, traumatic brain injuries, smashed spinal discs and a heart attack. In several cases, officers have said they're still coping with post-traumatic stress from the hours-long violent assault.' If this is not disturbing enough, at least four law enforcement officers who responded to the attack later died by suicide. Now, take a moment to recall the extensive damage to the Capitol Building: broken windows, vandalized offices, and damaged historical artifacts. Close your eyes, those images will come back to you. The total cost of the damage was estimated to be around $2.88 million. After spending a year researching and writing a book about Trump, I came to the realization that Trump has never had a moral compass — a set of beliefs or values that help guide ethical decisions, judgments, and behaviors. However, nothing prepared me for his most heinous act, the pardoning of the Jan. 6 I think it is pretty safe to say, if an individual finds Trump's pardoning of those convicted 'patriotic,' he/she is devoid of a moral compass. David B. McCoy, Massillon
