Rovolt @ AirIndia Magazine

footprints i big draw

another time New York based comic book writer/editor Ron Marz travels to New Zealand and finds out what the Middle Earth is all about, as illustrator Abhishek Malsuni brings his journey to life, exclusively f or Air India Magazine

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Epical saga We’ve all been to New Zealand. It’s just that many of us are yet to set foot there. After all, most of us are familiar with New Zealand’s starring role as Middle Earth in Kiwi filmmaker Peter Jackson’s epic Lord of the Rings trilogy (and soon, The Hobbit trilogy). We’ve seen the stunning landscapes that seemingly belong to another time, another place. But it’s all New Zealand: Rivers, glaciers, rolling plains, even the volcanic desolation of Mount Doom (in reality, both Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Ruapehu).

I was invited to New Zealand to appear as a guest at comic conventions. I shuttled to New York City, flew to Los Angeles, then overnight for 6550 miles and almost 13 hours to Auckland. By the time I touched down in New Zealand, I’d crossed the international dateline, but I felt as if I’d journeyed to a different world.

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footprints i big draw

Hobbit homes After the first weekend’s convention in Hamilton, my American artist friend, Dave Johnson, and I had a week to explore the North Island.

The first stop was the Hobbiton film set, left intact after filming for The Hobbit, and now open for tourists.

Located on a vast sheep farm in rural Matamata, brightly-painted round doors are nestled into hillsides,

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gardens bloom, half-sized chairs wait for hairy-footed hobbits. There’s nothing to disturb the illusion of stepping into the Shire. No modern buildings in view, no power lines, no sounds other than bird song. It’s as if the inhabitants have just stepped away, leaving the bucolic splendor momentarily deserted. You almost expect Gandalf’s wagon to come clattering up the cart path.

Dark descent Driving south, on what was to us the wrong side of the road, we explored the Waitomo region, known for its vast underground caverns. We signed up for an adventure tour, rather than the usual tourist fare. We abseiled more than 300 feet, leaving the safety of a steel platform bolted into the rock face, and lowering ourselves into the “Lost World” that waited below. We followed an underground river that led us deep into the earth, seeing stunning limestone formations and bioluminescent glow worms that lit up the cavern roofs like starry skies. The way out depended upon climbing a muddy, slick steel ladder 100 feet straight up in the dark.

Even our guide admitted, “this part isn’t any fun.” Not the sort of thing comicbook writers and artists usually do... though I did have a Captain America T-shirt under my coveralls.

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footprints i big draw

Rugby rumble Continuing south, we traversed a diversity of landscapes in a matter of hours: Pine forests, scrubby desert, glacier-carved lakes, thermal hot springs and even the ocean coast. Arriving in Wellington during evening showers, we explored the rain-slicked city streets and ended up in a cozy pub for local beers and

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fish and chips. The next night we attended the professional rugby match at Westpac Stadium, where the yellow-clad Wellington Hurricanes lost to the visiting Christchurch Crusaders. I’m honestly still not clear on all the rules of rugby, but the vibrant atmosphere and chill autumn air reminded me of American football.

Maori memento The second convention took place in Wellington, where I met a Maori artist named Dane Kingi, his face and body covered with traditional tattoos. He’d carved bone pendants as gifts for each of the convention guests, the specific design matched to the individual guest. My pendant was in the shape

of a traditional Maori war club, called a patu. I felt honoured to receive such a beautiful gift. I asked Dane if he had any additional carvings he might be willing to sell, so I could bring them home to my family. He explained he didn’t sell his work, but he would trade with me for my “art.” So we bartered carved bone pendants for a stack of comic books:

Intertwined hearts for my wife, a whale for my daughter. Dane told me I’d been too generous. I told him he’d been too generous. Perfect. Of all of my experiences in New Zealand, that’s the one I’ll remember most. It’s a reminder of why we travel. It’s more than the things we see, or the adventures we have. It’s really about the people we meet.

Ron Marz is the co- creators of Aveon 9 by Rovolt Entertainment. Priced at `180 each, this comic series is inspired from mythical Indian classics and western sci-fi. Marz has been writing comics for two decades, starting his career with Silver Surfer for Marvel. His stints also include Green Lantern for DC Comics, Star Wars for Dark Horse Comics and Witchblade for Top Cow Productions.

Illustrator Abhishek Malsuni is a BFA in Applied arts (Gold Medalist) from College of Arts & Crafts, Lucknow. In 2010, he joined mainstream American comics industry with Top Cow Productions. In 2011, he joined Rovolt Entertainment and now working on The Legends of AVEON 9 series.

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