‘Maayan’ comic series blends Kerala folklore with fantasy adventure

Published 27 July 2026 · local

Set in 15th-century Calicut, the protagonists of the Maayan comic series are an unlikely duo: Raman, an apprentice to the royal poet, forced to flee

Set in 15th-century Calicut, the protagonists of the Maayan comic series are an unlikely duo: Raman, an apprentice to the royal poet, forced to flee the palace, and Maari, a gifted Kalari warrior who belongs to a group of wizards known as Maayans. Their treacherous journey as they navigate hidden forces, the reality behind the identity of Maari and how he became a wizard, form the core of Maayan, named after a group of sorcerer-warriors, said to live during the rule of the Kalabhra dynasty, which controlled parts of South India from the third to the sixth century. Launched by Carmond Infinity, a Kochi-based studio, and produced by Rijas Sulaiman Nalakath, Maayan is created by Visakh PK and Ananthakrishnan TU. The former is also a co-writer of the series with Visakh VM. Maayan’s first edition was released at the Kochi Comic Con in February by actress Anarkali Marikar and its fifth issue came out recently. Visakh, also the creative director of Carmond Infinity, says, “We were looking to create something rooted in Kerala folklore and culture for a long time.

We observed how a character like Odiyan (a shape-shifting figure from the rural Kerala folklore) has been explored so much recently. So, we wanted to present something new that is rooted in the State’s history. At the same time, we wanted to explore ideas like witchcraft and martial arts, which have a universal appeal,” he says. After pitching the idea to Rijas in December 2025, the creators distributed a few samples of their work to the creators of the iconic manga series Crayon Shin Chan and One Piece, at the Animators Guild India Fest in Mumbai. “They enjoyed the books and their encouragement gave us the confidence to move forward with the project,” says Visakh. Having sold over 2000 copies of the comics till date, the creators, credit its success to the series’ foundation in Kerala folklore. “We were inspired by how Japanese anime has successfully adapted several of their legends into stories,” says Visakh. Caramond Infinity had created the comic series, Captain Raaj, last year, in collaboration with Kerala-based production house, Weekend Blockbusters, known for producing the Malayalam movies Bangalore Days, Minnal Murali, RDX etc.

“However, instead of a second issue, we are working on an animated series for that character,” says Visakh. He also explains the importance of rural representation while creating comics and superhero stories. “People are used to superheroes in urban settings. How will a Superman in Kochi be any different from the one that is already there? But when you think of Chaathan (the Malayali equivalent of goblin), there is an excitement to it. A film like Minnal Murali worked because of a story in an unfamiliar backdrop,” says Visakh. The team also believes that the popularity of films such as Minnal Murali and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra has proved that there are takers for the type of content they are creating. “Both Basil (Joseph) and Dominic (Arun) showed the courage to create such characters. Our next step is to create a film or a series. We are already in discussion with producers and film directors, whom we want to onboard as creative producers.” Asked about the dearth of comics from Kerala, Visakh says, “We come across a lot of independent creators at events like Comic Con or Indie Comix Fest.