George Mathan (Appupen)

Book: Halahala

Emerging Voice

Appupen is the creator ofhe legendary Halahala multiverse — a rich, evolving world that has produced a series of cult graphic novels since 2009, including Moonward, Aspyrus, Legends of Halahala, and The Snake and the Lotus. His 2023 graphic novel Dream Machine, co-authored with AI scientist Laurent Daudet, was published internationally in English, French, and German. His latest work, Vaadivaasal with Perumal Murugan (2025), has been released in six languages: Tamil, English, Bangla, Telugu, Malayalam, and Marathi.

A pioneering voice in Indian graphic storytelling, Appupen is also the mind behind the superhero–political satire series Rashtraman and Dystopian Times, which appear regularly on digital and print platforms including Frontline. He is currently working on a new Halahala book and a screenplay for a feature film.

Appupen has been an artist-in-residence at La Maison des Auteurs, Angoulême, France. He is the founder and co-editor of Brainded India, a platform dedicated to experimental comics and visual culture.