Deepak Chopra, world-renowned author and spiritualist and Shekhar Kapur, director of the Oscar nominated ELIZABETH, have joined with Gotham Ent. Group, the leading publisher of comic magazines in South Asia – to announce the launch of Gotham Studios Asia, a new company focused on creating original comic books and character properties for a global audience. Gotham Studios Asia is a partnership between Chopra and Kapur’s media company, Intent and Gotham Ent. Group.

Over the next year, the studio intends to attract more than 150 of India’s most talented artists and writers to create a portfolio of original character properties for comicbook publishing and licensing into movies, animation, toys, videogames and consumer products. The firm intends to produce original content, infused with Indian and Asian mythology, to meet the growing demand of the industry for properties and stories that cater to this emerging global audience.

Deepak said, “As the narrow walls of nationalism come down, and as a new collective humanity, we break through our tribal identities, Asia will become the home of the entertainment, media and business activities of the world. Through the studio, we plan to reinvigorate some of civilization’s greatest mythologies, to tap into the primal energies of India and Asia’s great tradition of storytelling. The Super-Powers of tomorrow will not be defined by their military prowess but by their cultural contribution and we firmly believe our new venture will be at the vanguard of this global, cultural and economic shift.”

“Similar to the phenomenon we have seen with Japanese anime and manga, which has influenced virtually every aspect of popular media today, our mission is to reinvent contemporary Indian popular art and permeate this new style and vision throughout the globe.” said Gotham Ent. Group ceo, Sharad Devarajan. “We are honored to work with Deepak and Shekhar who have pioneered the introduction of Eastern insights to the West. Under their creative guidance, our studio’s comics and characters will foster the imaginations and fuel the inspirations of the next generation of global leaders and thinkers.”

Driving Intent’s involvement will be Gotham Chopra, son of Deepak and accomplished author and filmmaker. “We want the studio to become known as an incubator of ideas and enable us to mine and empower a new generation of storytellers. For those of us who have grown up in the East and the West, this is the perfect fusion and an exciting new platform to express ourselves,” he said.

Shekhar said, “Comics are becoming the new pop art. The new pop communication. The new drug. This is not just comics, but a breathtaking new multi-media format. Comics are the new culture.”

Gotham Studios is working with Marvel Comics to produce the SPIDER-MAN: INDIA comic series. The first issue was successfully released by Marvel in North America last Wednesday. A collector edition is being marketed to non-resident Indians at www.SpidermanIndia.com. Gotham Studios intends to launch their first original comic magazines in 2005.

Gotham Ent. Group is South Asia’s leading provider of international comic magazines, securing publishing licensing relationships with DC Comics, Marvel Comics, King Features, Dark Horse Comics, MAD Magazine and Warner Bros. Worldwide Publishing. Through these arrangements, Gotham has access to more than 10,000 character properties and publishes numerous monthly comic magazine titles including SUPERMAN, BATMAN, SPIDERMAN, THE HULK, X-MEN, TARZAN, CONAN, THE JUSTICE LEAGUE, THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, THE PHANTOM, POPEYE, SCOOBY-DOO, THE FLINTSTONES and WONDER WOMAN.