So Damn Cute

Sanjay Patel’s Little India.

December 1, 2005

Photo: Seng Chen

Hear ye hipsters, hear ye grandparents, hear ye kids, prepare to be charmed and inspired by Sanjay Patel’s Little India, a comic that can only be described as amazingly, cheek-pinchingly, squeal-inducingly cute. Inspired by Indian miniature painting and influenced by a retro-chic illustration style, this is a who’s who of the Hindu pantheon. Each image is labeled with pertinent attributes (sword, sari, etc.) and given a neat little bio.

Patel, a character developer at Pixar, was born in England and raised in Los Angeles, but has never been to India. At the suggestion of his wife, Manisha, he named the company “ghee happy” because, much like clarified butter, he takes Hindu imagery and boils it down to its essence. But most importantly, Patel is a nice guy who is self publishing this 50-page full color book. Buy it, ogle the pages, and just try not to smile.

Stickers, shirts and posters available in select stores or online at gheehappy.com.

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