Stamp of a Writer: 
Bertrand Russell

There are two motives for reading a book; one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it. 

DIVERSION

The Indian Identity Crisis

If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, then the proof of existence of every law-abiding Indian citizen is in his or her Birth Certificate, Ration Card (public distribution system), Passport, Driving Licence, Bank Passbook, Provident Fund Account, Voter Card, Form 16 (income certficate), PAN Card (income tax permanent account number), IT Return, Know Your Customer (compliance for mutual fund), and now Unique Identification Card (national identity card). A dozen ways Government of India ensures we lead an uncomplicated, stress-free and ulcer-preventive life. Not satisfied, it insists on one more, the Death Certificate, to ensure we exist even when we are no longer around! In the interim there will be many more. Brave it out, folks!

SUPERHERO AND HIS SIDEKICK

Mandrake and Lothar

The magic of comics

“An entire magazine devoted to comics! Who’s going to read it?” Friends and colleagues were sceptical that an intellectual magazine which went far beyond the scope of its tagline ‘Mindspace for Men’ could sell on a childhood passion, one that most men usually outgrow by the time they walk into their first job and out of their first marriage—comics.

And yet, Gentleman magazine, last published by Express Publications (Madurai) Ltd until 2001, turned the February 2000 issue on its head by dedicating 60-odd pages to comics and comic strips, and little else. Titled Inner World of Comics, it was, and probably is, the only magazine in the world to do so.

The criticism, mild as it was, seemed justified. After all Gentleman wrote extensively on such cerebral topics as books, music, art, cinema, food, and poetry among other heady addictions. Well-known writers and critics worked on cover themes with a lot of fun and passion, be it science fiction, essential listening, horror stories or underrated movies.

But why comics? No particular reason except that two comic-book fans who were passionate about comics (and I believe still are) decided it was time Gentleman got its own speech bubble, and a big one too.

The believe-it-or-not issue was put together by senior journalist and then editor Premnath Nair and this blog writer with handsome contributions from noted writers and poets like Adil Jussawalla, Farrukh Dhondy, Boman Desai, Rafique Baghdadi, Pradeep Sebastian, Devangshu Datta, Ajoy Alexander, and yes, the late Anant Pai, the father of Indian comics and creator of the fabled Amar Chitra Katha (Immortal Picture Stories).

Inner World of Comics was a veritable who’s who of the comic book universe beginning with The Yellow Kid, the first-ever comic strip. Almost no one was left out, at least not intentionally, and all the major league comic book characters were in.

Come to think of it, there was more to Inner World of Comics. In some way we rekindled our long-forgotten inner world too.

As writer-columnist Farrukh Dhondy concluded in his article Childhood Pleasures, “Books were longer to squeeze satisfaction out of. Films were still not accessible. Coca-Cola was unaffordable, chewing gum was forbidden, making eyes at the dhobi’s girl was the closest one got to sex, and TV hadn’t come to India. There was playing with the dog, Dara’s Meccano set, marbles, throwing stones at tamarind trees, reading comics…”

Of Kids, Outlaws and Rangers

First Issue: 1955

The Rawhide Kid
The Rawhide Kid (Johnny Bart), created by Stan Lee and Bob Brown, is arguably the most popular of Western cowboy heroes in a comic book, with The Lone Ranger close behind. Published by Marvel, The Rawhide Kid bears close resemblance to Oliver Strange's Wild West character Sudden (James Green)—fast guns wanted for crimes they never committed. Like Sudden, the Kid fights injustice wherever he goes.

Jesse James

First Issue: 1990

The legendary Jesse James was an outlaw—a murderer and a robber—in real life. He was only 35 when Robert Ford, a gang member, shot him from behind in 1882. Ironically, over the next 100 years and more, Jesse James became a "hero" in both film and television, with a line of Hollywood actors taking turns to play the dreaded outlaw. In 1990, AC Comics published its first Jesse James comic book. According to Wikipedia, in 1969, artist Morris and writer René Goscinny (co-creator of Asterix) had Lucky Luke confronting Jesse James, in what appeared to be a parody of the famous gunslinger.

First Issue: 1949

The Durango Kid

American actor Charles Starrett gave a face and a name to The Durango Kid, the Western hero, who ruled the silver screen for several years—starring in as many as 70 films. The comics came much later, in 1949, when Magazine Enterprises approached Columbia Pictures about publishing a Durango Kid comic book that used scenes from the film series. The Durango Kid, whose real name is Bill Lowry, is a ranch owner out to avenge his father's cold-blooded murder.

First Issue: 1957

Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid, like Jesse James, too existed, as William Henry McCarty, Henry Antrim and William H. Bonney, but lived fewer years than Jesse. He killed many by the time he died at the young age of 22. Unlike in real life, Billy is portrayed as the outlaw who stood for justice in his namesake comic book published by Charlton Comics from 1957 through 1983.

First Issue: 1944

The Cisco Kid
Here's another well-known gunman who is no paragon of virtue. The Cisco Kid, a fictional Western character created by O. Henry in a 1907 short story, is a 25-year-old outlaw who works the Texas-Mexico border region. He is believed to have killed some 20 people. Baily Publishing first published Cisco Kid Comics in 1944 but it was Dell Comics that made him still more notorious from 1950 through 1958.

First Issue: 1948

The Lone Ranger 

The Lone Ranger comic book was preceded by radio, television and film series by a good number of years, before Western Publishing and Dell Comics jointly published the first comic about the popular masked Texas Ranger and his white stallion, Hi-Yo Silver, in 1948. It lasted 145 issues, until July 1962. Later, in 1964, Western Publishing launched Gold Key Comics that brought out more Lone Ranger comics till 1977. The Lone Ranger is the cowboy incarnation of Zorro.

JUKE BOX

What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong 

Listen to the late American jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Daniel Armstrong's What A Wonderful World (1968) and you will find all your problems melting away—even if it's just for 2.21 minutes. A feel-good sentimental song that will cheer you up in troubled times.

SCENE STEALERS

Cast Away (2000)

"You wouldn't have a match by any chance would you?"

'We might just make it, Wilson!'

Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) to Wilson (Volleyball): We might just make it. Did that thought ever cross your brain? Well, regardless, I would rather take my chance out there on the ocean, than to stay here and die on this shithole island spending the rest of my life talking to a god damn volleyball.

In Cast Away (2000), directed by Robert Zemeckis, FedEx executive Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) is marooned on a remote tropical island following a plane crash. He survives four years in complete isolation with only Wilson the Volleyball for company, before returning to civilisation and to a girl who isn't his anymore. Chuck Noland calling Robinson Crusoe...do you read me?