Narayan Debnath

Narayan Debnath was born on November 25, 1925, in Shibpur, Howrah. His family hailed from Bikrampur but later migrated to Howrah, India. He was a well-known comic writer, artist, and illustrator. He was very much loved during his time as a writer and was famously called "the grandfather of Bengali comics". He received a D. Litt. degree from the University of Calcutta; he is the first and only writer to have received this honor. He also received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India, in the year 2021.

He was very interested in visual arts from a very young age, he said in his interview, published by Laalmati Publication in Narayan Debnath Comics Samagra. Debnath studied fine arts at the Indian Art College for five years. After graduating from the Indian Art College, he worked as a freelance cartoonist. In 1962, he created the comic strip Handa Bhonda for the children's magazine Shuktar, which was much loved by children. Bantul the Great (1965) and Nonte Phonte (1969) by Bahadur Beral are considered to be the most famous strips in Bengali. Debnath's comics were known for their humor, adventure, and social commentary; he used his works to promote and spread awareness about social issues.

His work and dedication have won him many awards, namely the Padma Shri, the Bangla Academy Award, and the Ananda Puraskar. His Handa Bhonda comics series completed its continuous 53 years of running. Debnath died on January 18, 2022, at the age of 96. His work is an inspiration to aspiring writers in the industry. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Bengali comics, and his work has helped to make comics a popular medium of expression in Bengal.