ABSTRACT
In the media landscape, the most common and most referenced examples of augmented reality (AR) in daily life are Snapchat filters and the Pokémon Go craze of 2016. Priya’s Shakti is the first comic in the series, and brings readers from all backgrounds into the life of Priya, who survives a rape and fights back. The creators teamed up for a second edition, Priya’s Mirror, which premiered in 2016. It is based on acid-attack survivors and co-written by Indian feminist Parmita Vohra. For Priya’s Mirror, one of the AR activations allows the viewer to take a selfie with a mask on—like the mask one of the women who were the victim of an acid attack had to wear. There are many challenges with augmented reality—especially when creating for an audience that may not be familiar with the medium. In many cases, AR is designed for the phone, but Roberts sees the phone as a bridge.
