Today we’d like to introduce you to Param Bhattacharyya.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in a Bengali Indian family in New York. I was eventually accepted into and attended Mcgill University which is known primarily as a science school. The expectations were the usual; science or law school. However, deep down, I knew that art was my passion. Initially, my parents were totally against it.
Eventually, I had a long tough discussion, my parents relented and I went to art school in New York. I then graduated, worked as a web designer, and then moved to Vancouver where I did a one year course in 3D animation.
Towards the end of the course, my classmates and I started to look for work. One day while I was applying for work, a friend of mine suggested I apply to a company in Bangalore, India. I initially couldn’t understand why I would apply there. I had never visited Bangalore or South India, and they spoke a language that I didn’t speak. (I speak Bangla.) He told me that I should apply anyway. I did so and I got a response! They wanted me to manage a team of artists for a video game company!
So a few months later, with no knowledge of the language or the area, I left for India! I ended up staying there for five years. I started a punk band, started a video game meetup group, traveled all over India, and eventually started my own business. While that happened, I got engaged to a dancer who was originally from New York and had moved to India for her career. We eventually both decided to move back to New York.
When I moved back to New York, I had made a shift and was focusing on my traditional art skills. I realized that my foundations in art were quite poor and the instruction I was looking for simply wasn’t in New York. However, it was in Los Angeles. I didn’t know anyone who lived there so I simply packed my suitcase, found a couch for rent in an old college dorm and moved. I had originally planned to move to LA with my fiance but we broke up.
I stayed on in Los Angels, continued to hone my art skills, found the art instruction I was looking for and get those critical 10,000 hours in. I’m actually currently in Cal State Long Beach. I’m finishing getting my teacher’s credentials to pay the bills while I keep honing my craft. I’ve also picked up photography as a side project, and I’m currently working towards the big picture goal of making an independent comic series about Bengalis, generational trauma and singing in a punk band!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Haha, well, there were a lot of challenges. My move to LA was definitely a plunge into the deep end of the pool.
I think one of the funniest and most trying aspects of living in LA was my first year there, but to be more specific, it was the roommates that I lived with.
The first roommate that I lived with had a tendency to leave pubic hair all over the house. It was disgusting! One day, I was horrified to find it on the kitchen counter. I eventually started calling him the pube fairy and proceeded to move into a new house with a new roommate.
The second roommate owned a dog, but she never cleaned up after him. On top of that, she was actually renting out the house illegally and stole my deposit money! I had to take her to court to get the money back and then I moved yet again!
This time I moved to Korea town, where I lived with two roommates. The first was a perpetually angry actress who hated humanity. The second was an obsessive compulsive musician who actually recorded me sleeping to prove that I was snoring. My car was eventually broken into, and I realized that our house was a haven for the gang MS-13! I left there very quickly afterwards.
I then moved to Simi Valley which I thought would be safer and calmer. My new roommate was also obsessive compulsive and one day took me into the kitchen where he told me to utilize “light scanning techniques” while wiping the kitchen counter. I moved out soon after.
I eventually moved into Inglewood with NO ROOMMATES, where I found peace and quiet. I then moved to Long Beach and while it was definitely a nightmarish situation, I can’t lie that it was also kind of funny. Kind of.
Please tell us about Winter Studios.
My plan has been to create an independent comic studio named Winter Studios that is environmental, completely open and fair to all races, religions, sexualities, political beliefs and that is both ethical and profitable. Although I’m still getting my 10000 hours in, my focus for the comics will be very much on the things that I’ve seen and experienced in my own life. The emphasis would be on South Asian generational trauma, punk rock, alienation, independence, rebellion, abuse, a sense of humor and ultimately self-fulfillment and self-enlightenment. I’m not sure that any of these issues have really been explored. I have absolutely no interest in making material that shows the South Indian experience in terms of Hollywood/American stereotypes, Bollywood dance numbers, Apu, or any other demeaning generalizations. We have the power to control our own narrative, and through this comic studio, I plan to do so.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Definitely, it would be riding my bike down the hill of my neighborhood when I lived in West Orange, New Jersey. I remember the wind in my hair and in my face and the thrill of speed. It was an amazing rush.
Pricing:
- Unless otherwise mentioned most of my sketches are 50$.
- Photos are 100$.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paramb7/
Image Credit:
All Drawings and Photos by Param Bhattacharyya Copyright 2020
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