A few days back, I happened to chance upon a new issue of Tinkle – which as most of us would remember, was an essential part of our growing up days. I greedily lapped it up, more in nostalgia than excitement, and realized that ‘Uncle Pai’ was still going strong, and ‘Suppandi’ had managed to incorporate Microsoft Windows in his jokes.
So it seems that the magazines we grew up with have changed with the times, in Dylan’s words. But have they lost their appeal? Is the excitement of reading about princes, dragons, mythical worlds, gods, adventurers and daredevils too childish to even think about now? Does growing up mean we cannot be fascinated by these magazines, yet again?
One of the first magazines for children, Chandamama, apparently thinks otherwise. Published in July 1947, it continues with its multi-lingual editions up to this day. It was surprising to read how Chandamama refused to advertise in its pages. Brilliantly colored illustrations, marked with tales that tell tales about the heritage and culture of
To be reminded of one’s childhood is a haunting feeling. A friend reminisced the time when she would be eagerly waiting for the new issue of the monthly Gokulam, and the elation she felt on receiving a new magazine in her name.
Children’s magazines aren’t a dying breed today, as we may think, surprisingly. Tinkle continues to rule the roost in the English language, while Chandamama and Champak vie for vernacular language readerships. Most magazines follow a simple thread – richly colored sketches of characters, stories with morals, no shades of grey in the hero, and informative pieces about
These magazines are essentially that – a mine of information, morality and character-building. However, it will be highly unfair if one takes away the fun factor – the biggest draw. Target, another magazine that subsided with the advent of cable television and cartoon channels, made puzzle solving an exciting adventure. Owned by the India Today Group, it stopped publishing in 1993 to make way for Teens Today, a drab attempt at cashing in on Target’s popularity. In those days, we didn’t care about lifestyles or fashion. We wanted adventure, intrigue, fun, information. We wanted to be know-it-alls.
An email from another friend spoke about the days when children had no iPods, multi-channel cable networks, hand-held gaming devices or wireless connectivity. Reading the issue of Tinkle took me back to those days – though I must confess I had a few luxuries to boast of. It seems children’s magazines will never lose their charm, though the magazine itself may die of profitability issues.
