{"id":234706,"date":"2019-09-27T13:44:04","date_gmt":"2019-09-27T08:44:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/?p=234706"},"modified":"2019-09-27T13:45:48","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T08:45:48","slug":"meet-umair-najeeb-khan-and-his-band-of-pakistani-superheroes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/meet-umair-najeeb-khan-and-his-band-of-pakistani-superheroes\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet Umair Najeeb Khan And His Band of Pakistani Superheroes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Just recently, something caught our eyes over Twitter. These Pakistani superheroes piqued our interest and we wanted to know more about how they came to be.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UmairNajeebKhan\/status\/1172760326477111296?s=19<\/p>\n<p>As it turns out these super-powered creations are the brainchild of visual artist, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/UmairNajeebKhan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Umair Najeeb Khan<\/a>. People are already fascinated by his creations and want to know more about him.<\/p>\n<p>ProPakistani recently sat down Umair, and wanted to know more about his creations.<\/p>\n<p>How did this 25-year-old visual artist come to create these superheroes? Read on to find out.<\/p>\n<h3>The Umair Najeeb Khan Story<\/h3>\n<p>Speaking to ProPakistani, Umair reveals that he&#8217;s always had a fascination with superheroes. But he wanted his heroes to be more&#8230; Pakistani and relatable.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of waiting around for someone else to do it, he did exactly that, creating his own stable of Pakistani superheroes independently.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I have always been fascinated by superheroes and I always wanted to see them in Pakistan. Some content along those lines was produced but never really caught the eye. So recently before this unnamed series, I did another personal project based around six ethnicities and their cultures.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UmairNajeebKhan\/status\/1172754305612419072<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center; letter-spacing: 5px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0;\">ALSO READ<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a style=\"font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Raleway ,sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/cfx-comics-is-a-pakistani-comics-company-thats-breaking-new-ground\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CFx Comics Is A Pakistani Comics Company That&#8217;s Breaking New Ground<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>His First Character was Sindhi<\/h3>\n<p>Like many comic fans in the country, he started with a character he wanted to see, <em>Marvi<\/em> and just kept moving on from there.<\/p>\n<p>Marvi is a Sindhi character who&#8217;s a teacher and vigilante. So far we see he&#8217;s really exploring all Pakistani ethnicities and regional cultures with his &#8216;<em>dream team<\/em>&#8216;.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;I loved how well it was received by people and it made me want to do more along those lines and the idea just popped from there. That&#8217;s how I started working on Marvi my first character.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UmairNajeebKhan\/status\/1172179102553595904<\/p>\n<h3>A League of Its Own?<\/h3>\n<p>Now his team has grown to seven members. They are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sofiyan, a Seraiki time traveler, sandman and humanitarian.<\/li>\n<li>Bazira, a Pakhtun hacker and psychic.<\/li>\n<li>Afsoon, a shapeshifter from Gilgit-Baltistan focused on environmental preservation.<\/li>\n<li>The twins Shahvez and Shahnawaz from the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad,\u00a0 who have electrokinetic powers and are polar opposites.<\/li>\n<li>A Baloch swordsman Omran, who is an &#8216;<em>Earth-bender<\/em>&#8216;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Umair didn&#8217;t spill the beans on his characters&#8217; backstories. He is saving that sweet surprise for the comics.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The backstory of each of them will be revealed in the comics. They all got their powers in different ways and we\u2019ll explore that in the story in detail.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UmairNajeebKhan\/status\/1172858395466096646<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UmairNajeebKhan\/status\/1173595547451756545<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UmairNajeebKhan\/status\/1175787087943163906<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UmairNajeebKhan\/status\/1174701102186541057<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/UmairNajeebKhan\/status\/1177259238344790028<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center; letter-spacing: 5px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0;\">ALSO READ<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a style=\"font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Raleway ,sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/this-cute-childrens-book-about-edhi-introduces-kids-to-pakistans-own-hero\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">This Cute Children&#8217;s Book About Edhi Introduces Kids to Pakistan&#8217;s Own Hero [Updated]<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>These are some pretty badass characters so far. We understand Umair&#8217;s drive for cultural representation, but what else do his characters have to offer?<\/p>\n<p>Umair says that all his characters are tackling social problems, be it about breaking stereotypes to environmental conservation.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-18t94o4 css-1dbjc4n r-1loqt21 r-eqz5dr r-l4nmg1\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"false\" data-focusable=\"true\" data-testid=\"messageEntry\">\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-1qfoi16 r-1nwbi2h\">\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-sdzlij r-j66t93 r-zso239 r-eu2yb4\">&#8220;The series is basically for representation and inclusiveness. Pakistan has a very unique culture, and cultural diversity that usually does not get highlighted or if it does it isn\u2019t enough. I want to bring that to the forefront with these and produce new content, of course.&#8221;<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>The way these characters are created is that they all represent a regional culture. Then they all have a human skill and avatar that is relatable. They all come from every walks of life. So Umair really put a lot of thought into a broad definition of inclusivity.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>In the end, these superheroes are Pakistani heroes fighting for a better Pakistan.<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-sdzlij r-j66t93 r-zso239 r-eu2yb4\">&#8220;There are 3 layers to all the characters I\u2019m working on. They all come from different cities and ethnicities &#8211; representing the cultures. They all will look very different from each other &#8230; You\u2019ll see people from all races of life and in all shapes and sizes. That&#8217;s the inclusiveness I want to show. And finally, the third layer is all of them being Pakistanis are fighting for Pakistan.&#8221;<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div>\n<div>It helps that any woman in Pakistan can look up to Marvi, a school teacher, and fight for a social cause. A man can look at Afsoon, and strive for the protection of Pakistan&#8217;s fauna and environment.<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-18t94o4 css-1dbjc4n r-1loqt21 r-eqz5dr r-l4nmg1\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"false\" data-focusable=\"true\" data-testid=\"messageEntry\">\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-1qfoi16 r-1nwbi2h\">\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-sdzlij r-j66t93 r-zso239 r-eu2yb4\">&#8220;In all of this I want people to see themselves, and my intention is not to limit people to just their (the characters) backgrounds or city &#8230; I want Afsoon\u2019s character to start a conversation about environment and animal hunting, especially Markhors.&#8221;<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center; letter-spacing: 5px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0;\">ALSO READ<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a style=\"font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600; font-family: Raleway ,sans-serif;\" href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/shehr-e-tabassum-is-pakistans-first-cyberpunk-film\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shehr-e-Tabassum is Pakistan&#8217;s First Cyberpunk Film<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-18t94o4 css-1dbjc4n r-1loqt21 r-eqz5dr r-l4nmg1\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"false\" data-focusable=\"true\" data-testid=\"messageEntry\">\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-1qfoi16 r-1nwbi2h\">\n<blockquote>\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-sdzlij r-j66t93 r-zso239 r-eu2yb4\"><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>After Comics, Where Do These Pakistani Superheroes Go From Here?<\/h3>\n<p>Given how amazing this Pakistani superheroes&#8217; dream team is, we&#8217;d definitely love to see them on screen.<\/p>\n<p>Umair revealed that he&#8217;s open to that idea. While he&#8217;s dedicated to the comics for now, if given the opportunity he will adapt the story to an animated screenplay.<\/p>\n<p>This idea may not be as far-fetched as we think because the man&#8217;s an animator as well. In fact, he planned some animated avatars of the characters before we even brought this up.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;It\u2019s initially going to be comics, but if an animated adaption does come up then why not. I am an animator myself and from what I have planned to do so far, there will be some animated elements going hand in hand with the comics.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The film or series adaptation doesn&#8217;t necessarily have to be animated, it can be a live-action adaptation.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;For now its going to be a comic which will show origins of the characters and of the team coming together. But eventually I do want it to be adapted into an animated or live action film\/show. I want to present this to a larger audience and represent Pakistan internationally too.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>More About Umair Najeeb Khan<\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">The 25-year-old visual artist from Karachi is currently based in Islamabad.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">Umair&#8217;s been doing commissioned works of visual art for a while now. The visual artist and animator usually designs for films, both local and foreign. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">He has created publicity designs for <strong><em>Chupan Chupai<\/em><\/strong>, <strong><em>Pinky Memsaab<\/em><\/strong>, <strong><em>Kataksha, <\/em><\/strong>and <strong><em>Tevar<\/em><\/strong>. Umair also takes up animation projects. Recently he released an animated music video called <strong><em>Jhoomta Raha<\/em><\/strong> for Assad Hasanain&#8217;s song.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<div data-mode=\"normal\" data-oembed=\"1\" data-provider=\"youtube\" id=\"arve-youtube-e1fh0r6xz2m\" style=\"max-width:662px;\" class=\"arve\">\n\t<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n\t\t<div style=\"aspect-ratio:331\/186\" class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:56.193353%\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<iframe allow=\"accelerometer &#039;none&#039;;autoplay &#039;none&#039;;bluetooth &#039;none&#039;;browsing-topics &#039;none&#039;;camera &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-read &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-write;display-capture &#039;none&#039;;encrypted-media &#039;none&#039;;gamepad &#039;none&#039;;geolocation &#039;none&#039;;gyroscope &#039;none&#039;;hid &#039;none&#039;;identity-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;idle-detection &#039;none&#039;;keyboard-map &#039;none&#039;;local-fonts;magnetometer &#039;none&#039;;microphone &#039;none&#039;;midi &#039;none&#039;;otp-credentials &#039;none&#039;;payment &#039;none&#039;;picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create &#039;none&#039;;publickey-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;screen-wake-lock &#039;none&#039;;serial &#039;none&#039;;summarizer &#039;none&#039;;sync-xhr;usb &#039;none&#039;;web-share;window-management &#039;none&#039;;xr-spatial-tracking &#039;none&#039;;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" credentialless data-arve=\"arve-youtube-e1fh0r6xz2m\" data-lenis-prevent=\"\" data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/E1Fh0r6xZ2M?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"372\" loading=\"lazy\" name=\"\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/E1Fh0r6xZ2M?feature=oembed&#038;iv_load_policy=3&#038;modestbranding=1&#038;rel=0&#038;autohide=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autoplay=0\" title=\"\" width=\"662\"><\/iframe>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">He&#8217;s even illustrated for a couple of children\u2019s books as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>We wish Umair all the best, and can&#8217;t wait for his newest creations to feature in their own comic book.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Just recently, something caught our eyes over Twitter. These Pakistani superheroes piqued our interest and we wanted to know more about how they came to be.  As it turns out these super-powered creations are the brainchild of visual artist, Umair Najeeb Khan. People are already fascinated by his creations and want to know more about him. ProPakistani recently sat [&hellip;] <a class=\"g1-link g1-link-more\" href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/meet-umair-najeeb-khan-and-his-band-of-pakistani-superheroes\/\">More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":53,"featured_media":234842,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1298,2199,1291],"tags":[],"adace-sponsor":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-234706","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-culture","8":"category-featured","9":"category-social-media"},"wps_subtitle":"They are as Pakistani as it gets!","img_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Pakistani-superheroes-364x205.jpg",364,205,true],"medium":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Pakistani-superheroes-758x424.jpg",758,424,true],"full":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Pakistani-superheroes.jpg",1000,560,false]},"author_name":"Ummara Sheraz","categories_name":["Culture","Featured","Social Media"],"title_text":"Meet Umair Najeeb Khan And His Band of Pakistani Superheroes","related_stories":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts?filter&per_page=4&categories=1298,2199,1291&exclude=234706","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/53"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234706"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234706\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234706"},{"taxonomy":"adace-sponsor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/adace-sponsor?post=234706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}