Comic-al way of life - Yeh mera zindagi :D
"I swear to devote my life to the destruction of piracy, greed, cruelty and injustice and my sons and their sons shall follow me!" --- “The Oath of the Skull”- The phantom(the ghost who walks).
This, no primer for yet another adventure of the Phantom, just a walk down the memory lane, where the characters like walker, accompanied me thro’ the thick and thin of my life.
Bookworm (not worm tail), me was termed when I was in school – but wat I read was actually, kutti kutti stuff that made me all set for bigger things in life (jus jokin). In my second standard, started with a magazine called TINKLE, which I read in shakti anna’s house (rich kid next house).
Tinkle was the door to my fantasy world and character like Shikari shambu with his quirky mooch and unseen eyes, hunting down wild life by sheer lady luck’s grace was my childhood hero, later replaced my detective moochwala of another magazine Target. Lived those years mimicking shikari shambu and running after kaakaas (crows) with my imaginary gun kucchi (stick) and wanted to sport a mooch like that fella, when I grow up and prayed that I won’t be a dumpkoff like suppandi (moronic character in tinkle).
After third standard, dad got transferred to singaraa (charming) Chennai and me the small town boy with all dreams, was totally left awed, looking at the hustle bustle of Chennai. No place neither to scamper and hide, when mom comes to force feed me bitter gourd (pavakkaai) nor to do the shambu’s antics.
I wrote the entrance test and still remember the synonym for servant, for which I wrote – one who helps amma – sort of half Tamil and half English and still managed to get a seat. Small mercies – phew. But my amma was quite amused and was rattling about it to all her relatives. Still can’t figure out why?
First came across an Indrajal comic in my school. My bench mate, anand had this book and we were reading this under the bench and fighting evil along with phantom during a moral science class (do we still have moral classes in school). That act’s karma showed in the report card – me a topper, came a cropper in moral test.
Somehow cajoled my dad and sweet-talked my mom into getting me comics and lived in a world of indrajal comics afta that. From phantom to mandrake, the magician & from extra galaxial Flash Gordon to very Indian bahadur - I went on a trip, good winning over evil, and lived almost in a parallel world - becoz my pals all the time were trotting with bat and a rubber cork ball and me used to play cricket only in weekends. Even in class we used to play BOOKCRICKET - wat fun it used to be.
Bahadur is hamara desh ka phantom, sans mask and purple hazy attire. Very Indian dushum dushumm and always-in kurta and pyjamaas (mera bharat mahaan).
Phantom whistling past the trees and crashing mandibles off the villains and leaving a permanent indurated patch around his ring marks– was my favorite of indrajal and wanted a ring with a skull – but that wish was vehemently shot down by my dad.
Flash Gordon and his bikini clad women were no interest to me. But wanted venomous Ming to have a gruesome end.
When going in school bus, used to dream about doing mandrake’s magic on my teachers, turning their bamboo sticks into something yummy like a cone or a panji mootaai (puffed sweet). Xanadu – the mansion, which evoked awe and admiration, all the time springing up booby traps for trespassers was my dream house and wanted to name my house, if at all I built one.
With all these characters I finished my primary school with ample support from chandamama and Target. Saving da best for last – asterix, tintin and calvin for another - me da scoots.
Couldn’t have imagined a life sans comics. : ))
"It's a magical world, Hobbes ol' buddy!" Calvin exclaims in the last panel. "Let's go exploring!"(last comic strip of calvin and hobbes by bill.w).
This, no primer for yet another adventure of the Phantom, just a walk down the memory lane, where the characters like walker, accompanied me thro’ the thick and thin of my life.
Bookworm (not worm tail), me was termed when I was in school – but wat I read was actually, kutti kutti stuff that made me all set for bigger things in life (jus jokin). In my second standard, started with a magazine called TINKLE, which I read in shakti anna’s house (rich kid next house).
Tinkle was the door to my fantasy world and character like Shikari shambu with his quirky mooch and unseen eyes, hunting down wild life by sheer lady luck’s grace was my childhood hero, later replaced my detective moochwala of another magazine Target. Lived those years mimicking shikari shambu and running after kaakaas (crows) with my imaginary gun kucchi (stick) and wanted to sport a mooch like that fella, when I grow up and prayed that I won’t be a dumpkoff like suppandi (moronic character in tinkle).
After third standard, dad got transferred to singaraa (charming) Chennai and me the small town boy with all dreams, was totally left awed, looking at the hustle bustle of Chennai. No place neither to scamper and hide, when mom comes to force feed me bitter gourd (pavakkaai) nor to do the shambu’s antics.
I wrote the entrance test and still remember the synonym for servant, for which I wrote – one who helps amma – sort of half Tamil and half English and still managed to get a seat. Small mercies – phew. But my amma was quite amused and was rattling about it to all her relatives. Still can’t figure out why?
First came across an Indrajal comic in my school. My bench mate, anand had this book and we were reading this under the bench and fighting evil along with phantom during a moral science class (do we still have moral classes in school). That act’s karma showed in the report card – me a topper, came a cropper in moral test.
Somehow cajoled my dad and sweet-talked my mom into getting me comics and lived in a world of indrajal comics afta that. From phantom to mandrake, the magician & from extra galaxial Flash Gordon to very Indian bahadur - I went on a trip, good winning over evil, and lived almost in a parallel world - becoz my pals all the time were trotting with bat and a rubber cork ball and me used to play cricket only in weekends. Even in class we used to play BOOKCRICKET - wat fun it used to be.
Bahadur is hamara desh ka phantom, sans mask and purple hazy attire. Very Indian dushum dushumm and always-in kurta and pyjamaas (mera bharat mahaan).
Phantom whistling past the trees and crashing mandibles off the villains and leaving a permanent indurated patch around his ring marks– was my favorite of indrajal and wanted a ring with a skull – but that wish was vehemently shot down by my dad.
Flash Gordon and his bikini clad women were no interest to me. But wanted venomous Ming to have a gruesome end.
When going in school bus, used to dream about doing mandrake’s magic on my teachers, turning their bamboo sticks into something yummy like a cone or a panji mootaai (puffed sweet). Xanadu – the mansion, which evoked awe and admiration, all the time springing up booby traps for trespassers was my dream house and wanted to name my house, if at all I built one.
With all these characters I finished my primary school with ample support from chandamama and Target. Saving da best for last – asterix, tintin and calvin for another - me da scoots.
Couldn’t have imagined a life sans comics. : ))
"It's a magical world, Hobbes ol' buddy!" Calvin exclaims in the last panel. "Let's go exploring!"(last comic strip of calvin and hobbes by bill.w).
posted by interfer--on at 2/12/2006 04:13:00 AM
8 Comments:
Do you have some kind of a machine that types for you? If you possess some kind of a machine that would also read, interpret, comprehend, shorten and tell me the gist of your blog in one line, let me know. :| Sigh!
Inter..Donald Duck and his Uncle Scrooge, Asterix,Obelix and Getafix and the magic potion - (Wish u docs mix up some magic potion for oldies like me to get rid of HBP etc:))) ). Cant forget these comedians :))
anushka,
Ye still into comics :O *koff koff*. Calvin n hobbes are gr8, wont tire out at all :). Meez born on July 18th... wats the catch in July 19th??
Anon,
Actually je da machine, became pretty mechanical these days - high time i use da neural matter encased in calcium compound. Thanx for droppin by. If i put all in one line - i would be writing quotes not blogs ;))
Shpriya,
If docs give magic potion n solve all chronic maladies - then how will da physicians mint money ;))).. how do you think all those physicians are in palatial homes ;)).... all credits to CRF, IHD, DM, HTN et al :P.......but we surgeons are still scratching a livin' n pretty cool about it too ;))... cant do nething neways :P
Inter da chellams...finally!!! adengappa a blogspot spot of blog!! welcome da dude!!
:-o you saving asterix obelix for later-a?? :-o why o why??
Cheri...enna all wrapping up childhood tripping on comics and going down amnesia lane? sounds like you have begun the process of saying tata-buh-bye to bachelorhood, I mean boyhood...:-) nedathu maams!!
Love
Chay Penn
By thi by...Anon here not samjho-fying...tchah paavam!! must teach your unique lingo da maams!!
Interfer
Remember those Indrajal comics. You may want to to read those.
Punds
vinny konjam bc............... athan ..... kandippa update panren
Man, I was an Indrajal junkie...and I have that last strip on my wall...as a poster...it is amazing...
where r u?
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