Chandamama - Collectors Edition | 2008

Long before Comics or Graphic Novels made their foray to India, there were some Indian brands which captivated the mind of young and grown alike.  They were the so called Children Magazines, which succeeded in guiding a whole new generation in the paths of finding our roots, and imparted learning to differentiate between the good’s and the bad’s, in every day of life. 

To name a few of the most popular children magazines from that genre, would be: Tinkle, Balamitra, Gokulam, Champak, Poonthalir, and Ratnabala, which all had a unique set of followers and readers group.

Each of them also excelled in a specific way in which they originate their stories from, which was experienced by young and adult, during a period when what we see in TV media were controlled by state-owned TV channels, and there were not much other things to divert upon.

Even though, they could not match up to the stardom and world-fame which DC & Marvel garnered with their releases, they enjoyed a fan-fare of its own for decades, eventually falling out of reckoning as their younger readers grew, and India witnessed the growth and varieties of other Sports and TV Media.  Now only handful of them are still in publication, having adopted to live with a small number of readership and changing their content to match the modern expectations.

One such Magazine was Chandamama, which followed the stories from Medieval India, which comprised of Kings, Queens, and their bravery and wit.  It was founded on July 1947, by B.Nagi Reddy, who is more famously known as a well known South Indian Film Producer, and the person who owned then Asia’s largest Film Studio, named Vijaya Studios, in Chennai.

The cash-rich backing,and the unique selling point of basing stories based on Indian mythology and folktales, took Chandamama to a wider acceptance and it enjoyed a steady growth in sales, with their magazines being publishing in Multiple Indian Languages (12 + 1 English Edition) concurrently. 

Fellow blogger Venki, recently posted an article about the first ever Ambulimama (Chandamama’s Tamil title) which was released way back in July 1947, even before the Indian Independence.  Those who know to read Tamil, can go to this article, to bring back that nostalgic feeling.

Chandamama went on a uninterrupted publishing run which lasted until 1998, when it was stopped due to some labour disputes.  But, they came back within a year, and continue to publish till this date.

The fame of Chandamama could be exhibited from the fact that Disney, once was looking to acquire it for foraying into Indian Publishing.  Eventhough that ultimately didn't materialize, it was acquired by a Technology Company called Geodisc in 2007, and since has started to concentrate on digitizing its artefacts and old issues of its publication.  This was originally available to be downloaded for free on their corporate website, but now it is only available to be read online at their site.

Instead, Chandamama English Editions have now started giving out a CD containing 12 issues from any of the past years.  It’s a tempting offer for subscribing to the issue, which I have done now.

In the same year 2007, Chandamama also celebrated their 60th Anniversary, and recently have come up with a Collectors Edition - Coffee Book, which takes us back to the inception and various stages of publishing scenarios during the Chandamama's Golden Era.

The Collectors Edition contains some breathtaking artwork from the past and photographs of the publishing house and their erstwhile staff at their prime. Eventhough, Chandamama isn't a much interesting proposition at present, this will be an item the collectors and old fans can possess and cherish to share with the loved ones and nears.

The Books is A4 Format, with waxed papers, in a Neatly Bound package, priced at INR 449/-.  It is currently available on Chandamama's website with a 20% discount, for those who cherish to collect this treasure.

The Inner-Cover contains some facts about the Edition and an history about Chandamama in a snapshot.  The only qualms about this Collector Edition is that it doesn’t talk anything about the creators who contributed stories and artwork for the 60 year old publishing giant, which one would have for sure expected to read about.  Ignoring them completely, at the hour of celebration has taken the sheen out of this edition, for sure.

As with the other children magazines of its period, Chandamama also fell out of reckoning due to the change in taste and choices of young and modern India.  They are still continuing their publishing legacy by maintaining the same number of language editions, albeit with a limited print run. They also have another magazine called Junior Chandamama, aimed specifically for kids. 

Recently, Chandamama have ventured onto Graphic Novels, a field which they never really concentrated in the past, by tying up with the publishers of The 99 Comics series from Middle-East.  Read more about them, in our The 99 exclusive review at Comicology.

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On a late check, I found out that this review of Chandamama Collector’s Edition was indeed the 25th Comics Post at Comicology. I am surprised at my own self, that an otherwise sombre, lazy person in me, was able to continue a passion for this long. Let me enjoy my moment of glory, while you can expect some more great posts in the years to come at Comicology.

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Lion Comics #204 - Tex Willer | Aug '08

Prakash Publishers | Price: INR 10 | Pages: 116 | B/W | Size: B6 | Tamil | Laminated/HardCover

After a long time we have back-to-back releases from Prakash Publishers. As promised in last month, Lion #204 surprisingly has landed in the hands of the readers in time. The last time this happened in Lion Comics, was way back in 2005, when Lion #189 and Lion #190, were released on Dec '04 and Jan '05

Kaatril Karaintha Kazhugu [Vanishing Eagle] Part 2 of 3: (காற்றில் கரைந்த கழுகு)

Tex Willer stars in the story titled "Kaatril Karaintha Kazhugu" (காற்றில் கரைந்த கழுகு) , 'Vanishing Eagle'.  It's the 2nd Part to the 3 Part Series, which started with Lion #203. It's the second part to the three part series written by Caludio Nizzi and drawn by Fabio Civitelli. Coverart again is inspired by its original counterpart, again drawn by Caludio Villa, which has been revamped by our own Lion Comics artist, as usual. Tex Willer continues his struggle, escaping from certain death.  He saves a White family by getting into a hand-combat with break-away Navajo group, despite not in a shape to do it, and yet comes out winner with his intellect.  On the other hand, Carson and Kit go in search for Tex Willer, as they come to know of his supposed death news. The story is nicely setup for the concluding part, with Carson & Co. zeroing in on the master-brain behind the chaos.

As per the Editor's Hotline, the next part Yemanin Yellayil, 'At the Footstep of the Demon', the 3rd concluding part to this mini series, will be available sooner.  So, we can expect the next release in the coming months. A preview for that is featured in the back-cover.  It's interesting to see our editor utilizing the back-cover to feature the next issue, as it gives a completeness for those who cherish collecting them. Editor has previewed a Line-up consisting, long- forgotten Agent Corrigan, the evergreen Chick Bill & Co. as the future issues.  Due to the space constraints, we couldn't get a preview of those titles.  Singathin Siru Vayadhil (சிங்கத்தின் சிறு வயதில்), Editors own Flashback, also gets missed out due to this reason. And for those who would like their name to be featured in the upcoming issue, you have a golden chance by booking in advance the XIII Special, as the list of those Early-Birds will be featured in the next Lion Comics edition.

Italian Original: Tex No.476 L'uomo venuto dal fiume (The Man who came from the River)  Jun 2000

Enjoy the Covers, Hotline and a preview of the next issue. As usual, please do leave your comments in the section below.

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1st Year Anniversary & Other Comics News

Today, we celebrate the 1st year anniversary of Comicology.  Even though the blog, was technically in existence as early as 2005, with some stop-start comic posts, this was the day a year ago, when I decided to streamline the blog as a whole, by cluttering off old posts, and starting afresh.  It was a fruit for my long desire to start a blog where we will discuss comics past, present, and possibly future. 

Over the lengthy journey, if this humble initiative had achieved even 5 to 6 regular readers, then I believe the original concept for starting an exclusive comics blog would have achieved its goal. 

Hopefully, we will continue to go from strength to strength through our future posts.  For now, let’s look at few comics news around the globe, to mark our occasion.

#1: Tintin’s Abandoned Cousins Make World Debut in India

COMIC book series created by world-famous Belgian cartoonist Herge is being revived and will soon make a world debut in India.

While Tintin, the intrepid cub reporter created by Herge, acquired iconic status, the antics of the Brussels' street urchins Quick and Flupke remained mostly unknown.  But in November, 100 years after Herge's birth, Quick and Flupke will be rolled out in a 12-volume series of comics for the first time from India, the Indian Express newspaper has reported.

"India will be our testing ground before taking it to other countries," Uday Madhur, managing director of Euro Books told the paper.  Euro Books has been distributing the popular Adventures of Tintin series for the past decade and has now procured the rights of Quick and Flupke.  The cartoon series is about two goofy boys who unintentionally cause trouble, much to the annoyance of their parents and the police.  Quick and Flupke made their debut in 1930 in the short-story format in the Le Petit Vingtieme newspaper, one year after Tintin appeared in the same newspaper.

But with the success of Tintin and publishing some 310 gags of Quick and Flupke, Herge decided to devote his time to the adventures of Tintin and his clever white terrier, Snowy.  Source: indianexpress.com & theage.com.au

Comicology’s Call: We have reviewed Euro Books previous comics releases over here at Comicology. But this release is a big letdown for the company. Even though, I agree that Quick & Flupke have a classic touch to them, by the mere fact of being the brainchild of TinTin’s creator, they lack the punch to garner the interest of an enthusiastic comic collector.  The artwork is a big let-down, and the 2 page comic stories dont add credits to the series.  No wonder, why Herge decided to concentrate on TinTin alone.

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#2: Virgin Comics is Closed

After rumours began swirling late last week, Publisher’s Weekly now confirms that Virgin Comics has closed. The SoHo offices have been shut down, the staff let go and principals Sharad Devarajan, Gotham Chopra and Lance Leiberman have not returned attempts by the media to get details.

Virgin Comics has issued the following statement:

"Virgin Comics announced today that it will be reorganizing its operations and closing its New York office to consolidate in an LA base. The Company is currently working with management to restructure the business and will release its future plans in the next few weeks.”

Sharad Devarajan, CEO, said, 'We remain excited about the business and partnerships we have built through Virgin Comics and are working towards a restructuring that properly takes the business forward. The decision to scale down the New York operations and concentrate on core activities is due to the current macro-economic downturn and is in no way a reflection on the dedicated and valuable employees we have had the privilege to work with.' "

Gotham Entertainment, based in Bangalore, is expected to remain in operation.

Virgin Comics is another in a long line of start-ups that have failed to succeed in either the direct sales comic book market or crossover to mass market readers.  Their Shakti line was not dissimilar to CrossGen’s own universe while their Director’s Cut imprint seemed modeled on Tekno Comics’ model of using Big Name people to bring in curious readers.  The lack of a successful marketing campaign and inability to get readers excited about the material contributed to the line’s failure.  Source: comicmix.com

Comicology’s Call: It’s sad that we have to cover a news about a comic company’s closing doors, during our 1st year anniversary post, and that too about one which had its roots in India.  Virgin had all the ingredients to be a successful comics venture, with their initial focus on creating comics based on Indian mythology, and taking it to global audience with a mix of next-gen artwork and plot.  But like many other good start-ups, they drifted from their original concept, and what we see is that it has lead them to their ultimate fate.

We are yet to hear the re-launch of Gotham Comics Indian editions, and this news doesn’t put all the good signs on that effort.  Even though the final statement saying that Gotham Comics at Bangalore will continue to function, adds some hope to otherwise shoddy saga.  Let’s stay hopeful.

UPDATE (11/08): It seems the management of the company was bought over by the Indians who started the business in association with Virgin Comics.  The new company is now called Liquid Comics, and it seems their current focus is only on holding with the movie rights which were discussed during Virgin’s association.  So, them into Comics now looks a distant future, which means its officially a closure of Gotham Comics. 

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I guess its more than what we hoped to cover in our 1st year Anniversary post, as we saw an equal share of good and bad news altogether. 

Let’s hope our dream project Comicology grows better and stronger, with more ardent comics fans (Comikers, as we term them over here) will start becoming more and more interactive with their comment contribution in future posts.  I am staying confident, let’s see what the future holds, while we move on with this amazing journey.

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Muthu Comics #309 - Nick Raider | Jul '08

Prakash Publishers | Price: INR 10 | Pages: 100 | B/W | Size: B6 | Tamil | Laminated/HardCover 

Muthu #309: Sithiramum Kolluthadi (சித்திரமும் கொல்லுதடி) [The Picture that Kills]

Muthu #309 featuring Nick Raider, aka., Detective Robin (as he is christened in Tamil Comics), titled "Sithiram Kolluthadi" (சித்திரமும் கொல்லுதடி) has closely followed the Lion release this month, which is an encouraging sign from the Prakash Publishers. Nick Raider Stories are known for their plot-work, coupled with eye-catching artwork.  This issue doesn't disappoint us on that account.  Mr. Vijayan should be credited for choosing the title for the stories, which he weaves around the main plot of the storyline. The story revolves around the murder of a Prom-Queen, and the mysteries surrounding it.   Nick and his partner gets down in finding the real killer, on the way interrogating different persons involved with the life of the deceased, and their link to the incident.  With the help of the Physically challenged kid next door, and his extraordinary skill in drawing the future, Nick successfully nabs the culprit.  As usual, the killer at the end turns out to be an unexpected person, as it is common on the Nick Raider / Detective Robin stories. The exchanges of Nick and his ever-angry chief sums up the humour part to the storyline.

In Comics Time Editor acknowledges that the last edition of Muthu #308, indeed carried the Old Cover Art of Johny Nero, despite the issue featuring the John Steel exploits.  Remember that you read about it first on Comicology. :) The next Muthu Edition will see the back of Martin Mystery.  I always liked the science and magic mixed story plots of his, something unique among the other stars.  A Visual treat to one's imagination.  That makes "Ponnil Oru Pinam", an eagerly awaited edition. Back Cover carries the Teaser to XIII Special, which should take the accolades for the longest thought project ever made by Prakash Publishers.  Hopefully that should be out by the end of this year.

Editor's ComicsTime

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CineBook – Clifton #1-5 | 2008

Price: INR 195 | Color | Pages: 50 | Size: A4 | Laminated/HardCover
Our first set review about CineBook’s Lucky Luke series is now followed by another Comic character, named Clifton, which is another product from the famed Franco-Belgian Genre. The main character of this series is "Colonel Sir Harold Wilberforce Clifton", who is a former MI5 Agent, the UK Secret Service, and the plot revolves around his humorous exploits.  The character was originally created by Raymond Macherot in 1959, through the famous Tintin Comics Magazine.  The initial stories were penned and drawn by Macherot himself, until he was replaced by Turk and Bob De Groot  who took the series to stardom.  It had a regular run until 1995, when it was canceled.
Clifton #1: My Dear Wilkinson ISBN: 1-905460-06-6 | Published: 2005	Clifton #2: The Laughing Thief ISBN: 1-905460-07-4 | | Published: 2005
Turk & De Groot	Turk & De Groot

Clifton sports a complete English Gentlemen Attires, and most often seen with his trademark Smoking Pipe, and his trusty red MG T, which all mangles up in his adventures one way or other.  De Groot and Turk did exemplary work even on the minute details like the reaction of pet cats, the expressions on the character faces, the witty dialogues in between the frames, which all keeps you intrigued to the plot.   There are around 20+ original editions of Clifton available, so Cinebook has tapped onto a long series, which will only be lengthened with the attempt by De Groot to reboot the series by launching two new editions post 2003.  Both of which are printed by Cinebook already, titled as Jade and Black Moon.
Clifton #3: 7 Days To Die ISBN: 1-905460-08-2 | Published: 2006	Clifton #4: Black Moon ISBN: 1-905460-30-4 | Published: 2007
Turk & De Groot	Roderigue & De Groot
The Print, Translation, and Packaging is in line with the Cinebook's Quality Standard, for which they are known for.  Overall, a must have for all the Franco-Belgian Comic Genre Fans.
Clifton #5: Jade ISBN: 1-905460-52-6 | Published: 2008	Clifton #5: BackCover Lists all titles released by CineBook
Roderigue & De Groot	Also features Advt. of Clifton #6

Eventhough Clifton is a new character to much of Indian Comics Fans, those who follow Lion/Muthu Comics from South India (publishes Euro-Franco Genre for Tamil Speaking States), would remember that they once published stories featuring Clifton, where he was christened "Comedy Colonel (காமெடி கர்னல்)". He was featured in one single issue, which was published under the Mini-Lion brand, in its issue #30, titled as Comedy Colonel.  The translation and Art was considered A-Class when it was released, but surprisingly since the cancellation of Mini Lion, it was never mentioned or featured again in their Lion brand, which brought back some famous stories which were earlier published in Mini Lion, like Chick Bill, and Lucky Luke.  That will remain a mystery.

But nevertheless, we have Cinebook to thank for bringing these titles to India, which makes us to eagerly look forward for the future titles featuring Clifton.

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