My journey with Tamil comics - 3

The comics collection started during 12th std holidays. Its was surprising to see my reading habbit came back to comics after 12 . It was like a cycle like comics - crime novels - romance - russian lit- tamil lit - eng lit- again comics. Seeing now I think it was lucky I got that spark- due to which I was able to collect some old comics.


My Engg college opening was delayed after 12th std. I again had a chance to read comics. I started to search for old comics. I had a chance to visit almost 80 % percent of old book shops in chennai with my cycle. It was great days.


Just to share some snaps. My main source was one old book shop (think its name was Raman ) in Usman road - T Nagar. Every third day I will go there I will get one or other tamil comics for 1 or 2 rupees. It was very less than cover price. My target was Lion, Muthu & Rani. I didn't buy other local comics - a lot were available during that time - I ignored them. Today I didnot find that shop.


One more in the same road comes in right hand side (Usman Road) when we are going from T.Nagar busstand to saidapet. Few I got from there also. Then I got some from Moor market, Choolaimedu, Triplicane & many more places.

One place I used to search was in Avadi, nearly 20 Km from my home. It was near the Avadi bridge opp to a theater. Got a few old comics from that shop. Its crazy to think now, about travel such long in cycle in search of comics.


One thing I noticed is the shop owners tell price seeing outside cover. If its binded ( some library binds comics ) the price will be more or else half rate of cover value. Even big library such as Easwari followed same rule.


Many small library will not sell comics. We have to pay half price of book to take & read. When we return they will give back half of what we have give.


I was able to collect some 100 odd comics during that 4 months. As my target was mainstream comics, I totally ignored local comics. Now I regret that - I would have many snaps of comics history.

It was pleasant days seeing many shop owners some greedy , some ignorant, some arrogant. I have noticed only the moor market sellers were aware about the value of comics. It was difficult to bargain with those guys.

My journey with Tamil comics - 2

After a gap ( longgg... ) sharing some more memory flowers with comics ..

During initial school days the comics was helpful to read Tamil lanuage properly. Surely its good way for kids to learn a language.

In Ambai I got introduced to many other comics. Mainly I remember Kasthuri chitra kathai. It was in two colors & it was written by Tamil authors. I still admire the effort to bring in color while other major comics were still in B&W.
Archie - robot in lion & tiger in rani comics were my fav. heros during that time. Mainly the tiger & Henry with new inventions was a real attraction.

We moved to chennai. I had a chance befriend with a paper shop. I used to read the comics in shop itself and return back. Will visit daily for one or other comics. I had chance to read many comics during that days. Apart from lion & rani Mehta comics was attraction during that time - Mid 80's.

The children books were introduced during this time. Some are Rathnabala, Balamitra, Poonthalir, Gokulam & ambulimama. Poonthalir was the best of this lot. It had everything comics, story GK etc.. The Rathnabala was my next fav. But I find a few info in net about rathnabala.

My second home was a public library. Got a chance to many children books & magazines those days. I liked the Thumbi series in Dinamani kathir weekly. The Siruvar malar was another comics source. Initally it had a very good collection of variety comics.

After 8 th std my reading habbit changed to crime novels. Didnot pay much attention to comics during that time. Searched & read Rajeshkumar , Subha, P.Prabhakar etc..

That reading is another big story .Not to touch here.
Till that time I didnot have any comics collection.

will continue ...