HYDERABAD: For the past 40 years Tinkle of Amar Chitra Katha Pvt Ltd, with its bouquet of comics strips has entertained young and old alike. Now, in a partnership with POGO it brings the comic book version of its the animated show ‘Titoo-Har Jawaab Ka Sawaal Hu’. Titoo, is a witty eight-year-old school boy who indulges in a bit of mischief but ends up winning hearts all around. The digital comic adaptation of the show was launched recently. Children and parents can access and read the fortnightly comic on the Tinkle app, Amar Chitra Katha app, and Magzter app. Preeti Vyas, President and CEO, Amar Chitra Katha Pvt Ltd, and Abhishek Dutta, South Asia Network Head for Cartoon Network and POGO share what’s in store. Excerpts:
How’s this comic faring with children during these times of pandemic?
Titoo’s comic has been received very well by our readers as he is very relatable, with a lot of kids writing in about how they love burgers just as much as Titoo does. During the pandemic, we gave access to Tinkle app by offering a 30-day, no-conditions, free access to all readers of all ages, new and old, from India and abroad.
Many adults have grown up reading Tinkle, what’s in store for them?
Adult readers, who grew up reading Tinkle, right from its first issue 40 years ago, continue to enjoy fresh adventures from their favourite characters like Suppandi, Shambu and Tantri but with contemporary twists keeping in mind the relevance for today’s generation and context. The stories were fun, but they also subtly inculcated some strong values and taught us right from wrong, without being too preachy. Titoo is the perfect addition to our roster, because his adventures are also fun for the whole family. Some of the upcoming storylines feature Titoo learning the value of honesty much to his mom’s joy, how he and his brother give their parents a break on a Sunday by doing all the chores, and so on. So, even though he is a naughty little boy, there is still a strong moral messaging.
Other than Titoo which other comic strips can we expect?
We keep coming out with fresh stories around our characters. In addition to Suppandi, Shambu and Tantri we have the hugely popular Defective Detectives, Wingstar, NOIS (boarding school series) and Yog Yoddhas. We are also always open to collaborating with external characters like Titoo for limited edition/guest comic stories. They keep the surprise and freshness quotient alive for our readers and we do have some interesting ones like Bandev ( based on the movie Haathi Mere Saathi with Rana Dagubatti) coming to Tinkle soon.
Isn’t it unfair to represent a plump child as a burger and give him a name like Golu? [Many can argue the same for puerile innocence but it leads to bullying in schools and among kids.]
To address this query, it is important to set the context. In a particular comic strip, Titoo, our protagonist, is famished and looking for food. He’s seeing food everywhere and in everyone including his elder brother! Further, to boost the relatability factor of our show, we’ve picked common Indian household names for all our characters. Case in point - Titoo or Golu. Many kids are fondly addressed by these names. The names aren’t intended to be disrespectful or mean-spirited, but more about how family members would have loving pet names and phrases for each other.