No More a Child's Play

We all adore comics, even the lesser owls (of course, the ‘wise’ British owl, I didn’t mean the Indian connotation) whose childhood was spent on streets and tree tops will also agree (pun was not intended). I was particularly very fond of the girl who left behind spots on anything she touched. It used to be an insert in the very up market Richie rich. Was it Archie’s or Richie rich? I used to be big fan of Archies and secretly of her. It was amusing for me. Everywhere she went she left spots and more spots. Polka dots. Circles and more circles, if you look too deep, you slide down, into the wonderland where Alice had her English tea party. Tea reminds me of the delicious description of snacks by Enid Blyton. Jam and scones, chocolate marshmallows, even if I hadn’t tasted a single thing till my graduation, it was mouthwatering!


Its cynical how these fun targeted tiny characters play with our emotions. Vanity fair, was a series of dramatized fairytales on DD; I was pretty awestruck with the laces and flounces and the fair handsome princes, but I found my solace in literature icons (much more fun to read and add your own fantasies to them) like Tom sawyer, Black Beauty, Moby Dick and Huckleberry Finn to serve my boyish side… I know I was pretending. I still remember my snapshot, hair falling on my eyes, a scrumpy bob cut flattering flared trousers and blue check shirt. It was the best shield when I stood nowhere near the ‘oh so petite’ pretty dames who lived in the world of Hello Kitty and Barbie dolls. Devoid of today’s Hannah Montana (HM), it was Betty and Veronica who introduced me to a teenager’s world.

There would be so many more that I grew up with; trying to find my own identity in those characters. Such is the sweetness of those fantasies that reality is difficult to digest. Those tiny characters were moulded after much thought. May be the 19th century characters were moulded to suit the prevalent customs, language and reader’s profile but the contemporary gold diggers corrupted it further for personal gains. The immediate realization of a new target buyer came across. Soon they guided to new consumerism and were index to the social stature. Brands took away the romance and it became more important to know which brand of cereal does Popeye eat? Or which lip gloss does Miley (from HM fame) uses? Brand is the superhero now.