Comics in sepia

In the 1950s, we grew up in the entertaining company of the Phantom, the legendary nemesis of evil-doers, and Jiggs of 8216;Bringing Up Fat...

In the 1950s, we grew up in the entertaining company of the Phantom, the legendary nemesis of evil-doers, and Jiggs of 8216;Bringing Up Father8217; fame 8212; the henpecked but resilient husband who delights in outwitting Maggie, his shrewish wife.

These ever-popular comics captivated us children so much that we often squabbled for the right to read them first, snatching them from each other and sometimes tearing them in the process, much to the annoyance of our elders who also eagerly awaited their turn. The Phantom8217;s exploits and Jiggs8217; escapades unfailingly appealed to the young and old alike.

During our holidays in Munnar, relaxation meant lounging lazily in bed with a stack of comics, devouring fistfuls of groundnuts and the adventures of our heroes. That we were reading these for the umpteenth time didn8217;t really matter 8212; the colourful treat never palled for adventure-hungry and fun loving boys.

Needless to say, we were 8216;authorities8217; on our heroes. We could rattle off the names of their creators. We were familiar with the Phantom8217;s sidekicks 8212; Guran, his straw-skirted factotum, the pygmy Bandar tribe feared for their deadly poison-tipped arrows, the martial Wambesi warriors, Wolf, his fearsome hound and Hero, his dependable mount. The Phantom8217;s ability to smack his 8216;mark8217; on the jaws of miscreants wowed us. And his shooting skills were phenomenal.

We also knew that absolutely nothing could keep the bibulous Jiggs away from Dinty8217;s bar 8212; not even wife Maggie8217;s vicious accuracy with a rolling pin! And Jiggs was uncommonly resourceful 8212; with countless tricks up his sleeve to fool her. Not to be outdone, Maggie too was wily, sorely taxing Jiggs8217; patience 8212; and purse, by splurging on fashionable clothes and jewellery. Of course, Jiggs also had to contend with Bimmy, his dim-witted and parasitic brother-in-law who is quite a trencherman. Not to mention Maggie8217;s literally wired-together poodle!

By all accounts, the dapper, cigar-chomping Jiggs with his flair for repartee and the formidable Phantom bent on stamping out evil have stood the test of time, entertaining the young and old alike even today. I, for one, never miss reading them.