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A Graphic Novel Where History Meets Fear, Memory and Collective Belief

A Mild Case of Mass Hysteria is a 176-page black-and-white graphic novel created by Ritwick Roy and Riddhi Trivedi, with a story by Singaporean writer Felix Cheong, and published by Penguin Random House Southeast Asia.

Set in 1960s Singapore and inspired by a true incident, the story explores what happens when fear moves beyond the individual and becomes a shared experience. It is a story about memory, identity and the mysterious power of collective belief.

Our biggest creative challenge was to make a historical story feel immediate and cinematic without losing its sense of time and place. The visual language therefore became an essential part of the storytelling.

Ritwick Roy and Riddhi Trivedi developed the artwork as a fully black-and-white visual narrative, using dramatic lighting, deep shadows, expressive characters, environmental details and cinematic framing to create atmosphere and psychological tension. The absence of colour became a deliberate storytelling device—allowing light, darkness and contrast to mirror the characters' growing uncertainty and fear.

Rather than simply illustrating the script, the artwork was developed to direct the reader's eye, control rhythm and build suspense from panel to panel. Moments of silence, close-ups, negative space and changing perspectives became as important as dialogue.

At its heart, the project is also a story of creative collaboration across borders. An Indian creative team and a Singaporean writer came together to reinterpret a fascinating chapter of Singapore's history through the language of contemporary graphic storytelling.

A Mild Case of Mass Hysteria is ultimately an exploration of how stories, memories and fears can travel from one person to another—and how, sometimes, an entire community can begin to believe in the same mystery.

Credits
Creators / Visual Artists: Ritwick Roy & Riddhi Trivedi
Writer: Felix Cheong
Publisher: Penguin Random House Southeast Asia
Format: 176-page Graphic Novel
Medium: Black & White Sequential Art
Setting: Singapore, 1960s
Genre: Historical / Mystery / Psychological Drama