memories. Shikari Shambu, Suppandi and the rest used to be our favourite characters. I still remember how mom used to hold up the comics with a condition to finish our evening tiffin and homework. She could have blackmailed us to jump of the roof and we would have easily done that too.
This reminded me how my parents had inculcated the habit of reading in us. I clearly remember the newspaperwala supplying us with a regular dose of tamil magazines, comics & other general magazines along with the newspaper. My dad used to always encourage us to spend at least 10 minutes sifting through the morning paper and that has become such a habit that my morning cuppa coffee is not completely enjoyed without the newspaper. As we grew the comics gave way CSR (Competition Success Reviews) and then slowly to Readers Digest, which I yet enjoy immensely. 
Am not sure how many are aware of this Russian children's monthly called "Misha". My dad had taken a three year subscription of Misha and I still have all the 36 books. Each copy of Misha would be delivered in the name of 'Svetlana', which used to thrill me no end. Just as Misha, there used to be a science mag called "Sputnik". Suddenly I realised the conversation around the coffee table had paused and all were looking at me puzzled. Comics and children magazines teach values in a way that nobody else can and every child should get a fair chance of enjoying them.
Though there are online editions for most of these comics I am not sure how the pleasure of turning page after page, carrying them stealthily to school or hiding the magazine from your little sister, can ever be replciated. Now before I break into another reverie, thank you Amar Chitra Katha, Tinkle, Champak, Chandamama, Gokulam and host of other books that made my childhood so so very pleasant and happy.
Oh BTW while Tantri the Mantri is still plotting ways to kill the king and Kalia, the crow & Doob Doob the crocodile are still at loggerheads, Suppandi seems to have given way to Little Suppandi.
6 comments:
100% agreed! I still remember those comic books.. in fact we went to Dandeli couple of months back and during the journey, we bought bunch of "chacha chaudhary" comics and almost everyone read it!
Our childhood was very different and yeah, these video games and online stuff can never replace that priceless joy we had...
Thanks Svetlana for writing this post.
Cheers
I didn't should check out the changes and the lack of it!
Mihir: Yes, how could I forget chacha choudary...and Saboo (the giant) right? And as much as I have enjoyed Archies & Tintins.
Gops: Thanks for visiting my blog. Do check out and take a trip down memory lane :)
Oh how I wish you'd scan and share with all us Misha lovers those precious 36 issues in your possession so we can share the bounty with the next generation as well! Please try and do so - it is a sincere request from one Misha lover to another.
Oh, how wonderful it would be if you could scan all 36 precious copies of Misha in your possession and share them with the rest of us. We'd love to have the opportunity to bring the same joy into our kids' lives as our parents did for us when they bought us the magazine. Shame the magazine is no longer printed and copies are so hard to come by, so please, as one Misha lover to another, can you share what you have with us and our kids? You'd have our eternal gratitude and blessings.
Hey,
I am so glad to have found someone who remembers the old magic of tinkle and the wonderful MISHA, I must confess , I am jealous as well. I envy the experience of actually feeling the glossy pages as you take a trip around the world through the stories. Would you be interested in scanning these copies for us deprived fans of that golden era of USSR books?
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