[Update: 15 December, 2008 10:15 AM] There was some problem with the download link of the Hindi Translated version of this strip. It has been corrected now. You can download it and enjoy the story in Hindi also. Sorry for the trouble. |
Too much of talking about the sub-standard level of post Falkian era stories has already taken place. Here I am presenting another of Graham Nolan Phantom Sunday strip (#S160) The Viking Fortress Mystery.Did you know, Guran is actually a science graduate from one of the finest universities of the world with state of the art equipments and apparatus. Did you ever imagined Phantom is actually dependent on Guran when it comes to take advice on scientific matters, and to supplement it all, Mr. Guran is actually capable of making a mockery of Phantom's lack of knowledge and understandings on few puzzling mysteries. What an absurd stuff.
Though the story has its fine points also but too few and too far apart to fully bind the reader. The graceful and courageous course of action adopted by the Ghost Who Walks with a cool head in the hour of life threatening underwater crisis is definitely inspiring and interesting. The essential idea of the virus attack establishing the ancestry of Phantom is also interesting.
But the high point for me in this post is that I myself have not only translated the complete strip from English into Hindi, but also filled the dialogue balloons in Hindi using Photoshop. This was a tiring effort but challenging and interesting enough to be tried.
As we have talked earlier, the level of hindi translation of Indrajal Comics was superb. On the other hand Diamond Comics was below par in this field. I have tried to retain the style of Indrajal but it is also fully realised that it is really not easy to match those standards. But practice makes a person perfect and hopefully, I'll be doing better next time, if again any.
So, enjoy this one now. Both Hindi and English versions link have been provided. I have improved and also compressed the English version also. So this file only occupies 4.5 MB on your hard-disk while the pages are more bright and colourful.
(27 pages, 1024 px wide, 4.4 MB)
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Or.
(Translated and Lettered in panels by The Phantom Head)
(27 pages, 1024 px wide, 4.5 MB)
You know what? I thought I was one crazy guy when I used to cut out the sunday strips as a schoolboy and paste them on a notebook to keep the full stories for future reading pleasure. I still do the same, only the technology has changed and I am a bit choosy now. Glad to see that there is someone madder than me to even go to the extent of producing a translated version as a 'public service'! You are something!!!
ReplyDeleteA very nice effort to be put on,frankly speaking.Translating and replacing the Hindi baloons with English ones is quite a painstaking job,many cheers to you for such a dedication.
ReplyDeleteNow coming to the quality of post Falk era stories,franky speaking many of times i tried to read these stories and also tried hard to somehow 'like' these stories,but i failed absoloutely....In my opinion none of the post Falk story was able to touch even the shadow of weakest Falk story!!!
The theme,the dialogues,the screenplay nothing was capable of matching any of Phantom standards set by the great Falk.These post Falk stories weren't able to do any sort of justice with the character of Phantom set by Falk mighty pen.
Infact reading these post Falk stories may be just like what a person feels,who for the very first time tastes Desi Tharra,after been going through his entire life along with costly and high quality scotch.
Though later on he may began to like Desi Tharra,if he doesn't check in his flirt with it.
Personally for me i am quite happy to read and re-read the Falk stories again and again rather than comprimising with sub-standard non Falk stories
Great effort, THP! after reading the comments about the love for these strips, i now underdstand the response i have received for printing ofthe dailies!
ReplyDeleteThanks, TPH! Great effort.
ReplyDelete@Tapas: Thanks for the kind words. Yes, it requires a certain amount of craziness for an act of this sort, but I won't mind, as long as I am enjoying this.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you here.
@CW: No question of any comparison with Falk's stories but if I have to select between current sundaily strips and other publications like Moonstone, Fantomen and sort, I would certainly prefer the Graham Nolan and Paul Ryan works over others. I won't mind any of these for a change.
Perfect anology you placed in terms of "Scotch" and "Desi Tharra". :-)
@Sameer/SCT: Falk's original work is matchless and will always be in demand. Good luck for Daily Strip Printing project. Great having you here.
Deb: Thanks friend.
Hey TPH, thanks for the visit and comment on my Chitrakathaa Blog, you guys are doing some real awesome work. I showed some of these Blogs to the legendary Comic Book Artists and they were pretty kicked looking at these stuff..Thanks for blogrolling Chitrakathaa...Spread the word buddy :) and keep in touch. Have many write ups and research documents ready which I'll be posting regularly there...
ReplyDeleteNice work. Thanks for providing strips in Hindi & English.
ReplyDeleteI agree entirely with CW's comments. One has to make an attempt to like post Falk stories.
ReplyDeleteGreat edffort though with Hindi translation.
Ravi Gokhale
Toonfactory:Most welcome. I'll be a regular visitor there at chitrakathaa, that's for sure.
ReplyDeletePrabhat:Thanks, you are Welcome.
Ravi Gothkle:I bet, there is unanimity over this issue among phantom lovers. Thanks for your appreciation of the translation effort. Always feels great to listen from you.
Once I did the same thing when got Indrajal # 4 in English , wrote in Hindi & pasted on panels so that whosoever had a problem in English , could enjoy the comics , it was say around 25 years ago when I was a small kid.
ReplyDeleteA very nice efforts . But once there is a ACk separte blog, all these front covers should be posted there.
I beg to differ with CW 's opinion regarding posting only Lee falk stories . If it were thru , Swedish stories which have been published for more than 1500 would have been not so popular . So what when all Lee Falk stories are over , what we will read ?
And there are so many still comics unposted & unscanned , why not all bloggers make a joint efforts & scan balance Indrajal & post them so that at least all Indrajal can be posted .
Most of people are posting comics scans which have been not scanned by them & they even do not care to give credit to real scanner who is taking all trouble that is why still after 6 years , all Indrajal could not scanned & posted .
Ajay
@Ajay: Thanks for the views. I selected this sunday strip of Nolan for translation work because I thought there was no chance of anyone providing these strips in any other language than english. Almost all Indrajals are available in more than four-five languages So I saw no point in going for translation of any indrajal.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I don't mind reading non-falkian stories sometimes.
And about not crediting the original scanner is something which should be avoided. Being a scanner myself I know the pains and efforts it takes to scan a full comic. Merely posting on blog is 10 times easier thing. Hope we do not face such situation in the coming times.