ACK thumbnails and Creation of 'The Fisherman' cover by Comic Crazy

------------------ [Update] A new comic has been posted on ACK blog by CW. Enjoy it. ------------------ Some time ago I had made a post about the fantastic colouring work done by comic crazy for two b/w pages of mandrake sunday strip for MTM. I had wished that he should share some of the experience about his work. Meanwhile he has also designed some covers for the daily strips for MTM. He has send me this information on how he made one of those covers. Just take a look at this fabulous work. He has taken different panels from another mandrake daily strip 'mandrake's marriage' and created this amazing stuff. The explaining graphic itself is a wonderful display of creativity and any art lover would appreciate this. Another master-piece from our 'Digital Perfection'. Isn't it? ------------------------------------------------------- Enjoy few more ACK cover thumbnails.

TPH #037 Bandi Jadugarni - Mandrake (Indrajal Comics #V25N04)

----------------------- [Update, 17 feb 08] CW has sent few pages of diamond digest in which this story was published. I am putting those here. In his own words, "This Indrajal version is having many panels 'edited' due to space/culture compulsions. Starting full 2 pages are almost omitted in this Indrajal version." TPH I am sending you the scans of those 2 pages and of a 'other' page which is worth interesting to read." Thanks. ----------------------- [Update, 12 feb 08] Comic Crazy has designed a wonderful header for ACK blog. It has been put on the blog, take a look at it. Thank you comic crazy for this fantastic gift. ------------------------ The young lads are performing well. The two sharmas won it for India yesterday at Melbourne. First Ishant with very impressive display of fast bowling and then Rohit Sharma with a cool head ensured that India is out of troubled water. A very attractive offer for Ishant from a female Australian cricket blogger here. But Yuvraj is proving to be a liability out there. Not even the shadow of the man he used to be few months ago. Is something distracting him from concentrating? Poor Robin Utthappa didn't get a chance to show his skills in both the previuos matches. He is a man to watch to me. Gautam Gambhir is in good nik, but I still feel there should be one more experienced man like Saurav or Dravid in case something goes wrong. Now the comic. A good story indeed. Read it yourself. Strip No.: D204 Aleena and the Smugglers (Deepwood says its D194), ran for 17 weeks from 29 Sep 1986 to 24 Jan 1987.
Download TPH #037 (32 pages, width 1024px, 8.05 MB) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- < diamond version pages sent by CW > . .

IOB: February 2008

[Update] A new comic is posted at the ACK blog by ICC. Please visit ACKnowledge and enjoy it. ------------------- Latest update is now ready for IOB. i) Includes all IJCs upto 31t January, 2008. ii) Mandrake strips numbers added. iii) Titles of Mandrake stories published as second story added. Suggestions and corrections are welcomed. Enjoy. Download IOB: February 2008 (167 KB) ----------------------------------------------------- Saw this copy of 'Chandamama' at a book-stall and purchased it. Happy to see all the old features intact. Many old stories are republished with same drawing from Chitra and Shankar. Another memory chord struck.

TPH #036 Peshewar Khooni - Phantom (Indrajal Comics #273)

Wanted to post this one on 4th Feb, CWs anniversary, but could not upload to mediafire because of extremely slow connection. But it proved to be a grand occasion with as many as 6 indrajals appearing on blogs in a single day. Wow! This is one from charlton, very unusual phantom story with different but classic artwork. In fact it is hard to identify this phanotom with the one we know. The villains of this story must have appeared in few others. So this looks incomplete without a clear background of those. Anyway, its an indrajal. So enjoy.
Download TPH #036 (8.13 MB)

TPH #035 DisneyToday 9120 + Brilliant Prasoon Joshi

Last sunday I spent one full hour listening to a single song again and again and again. It is the title song of Taare Zameen Par. What a splendid song written by Prasoon Joshi and composed by my favourite trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Rendered with perfection by shankar Mahadevan with able support of Bugs Bhargave, Dominique Cerejo and Vivinenne Pocha. Beautiful poetic lyrics. Is Prasoon Joshi another in the line of Gulzar and Javed Akhtar? Would be early to say that.

(note - only internet explorer displays the hindi fonts correctly)

------------------------- [Edit 02 March 2008] What Mr Javed Akhtar has to say about this song (from an english website) ".....खो न जाएँ ये..तारे ज़मीं पर.. एक बेहद भावनात्मक और प्रभावशाली गीत है। इस गीत की ईमानदारी और सहजता को जिस तरीके से शंकर महादेवन ने अपनी गायिकी में उतारा है वो आपको इसके हर शब्द पर विश्वास करने पर मजबूर करता है। प्रसून ने अपनी सृजनात्मक प्रतिभा का परिचय देते हुए बेमिसाल रूपकों का प्रयोग किया है। गीत के बोल आपको हर रूपक की अलग-अलग विवेचना करने को नहीं कहते पर वे आपके इर्द-गिर्द एक ऍसा माहौल तैयार करते हैं जिससे आप प्यार, कोमलता और दया की इंद्रधनुषी भावनाओं में बहे चले जाते हैं। ये गीत एक धमाके की तरह खत्म नहीं होता ..बस पार्श्व में धीरे धीरे डूबता हुआ विलीन हो जाता है..कुछ इस तरह कि आप इसे सुन तो नहीं रहे होते पर इसकी गूंज दिलो दिमाग में कंपन करती रहती है।...." ------------------------

	देखो इन्हें ये हैं ओस की बूँदें पत्तों की गोद में आस्मां से कूदें अंगडाई लें फिर करवट बदलकर नाज़ुक से मोती हंस दें फिसलकर खो ना जाएँ ये तारे ज़मीं पर ये तो हैं सर्दी में धूप की किरणें उतरें जो आँगन को सुनहरा सा करने मन के अंधेरों को रोशन सा कर दें ठिठुरती हथेली की रंगत बदल दें खो ना जाएँ ये तारे ज़मीं पर
जैसे आंखों की डिबिया में निंदिया और निंदिया में मीठा सा सपना और सपने में मिल जाये फरिश्ता सा कोई जैसे रंगों भरी पिचकारी जैसे तितलियाँ फूलों की क्यारी जैसे बिना मतलब का प्यारा रिश्ता हो कोई ये तो आशा की लहर है ये तो उम्मीद की सहर है खुशियों की नहर है खो ना जाएँ ये तारे ज़मीं पर
	देखो रातों के सीने पे ये तो झिलमिल किसी लौ से उगे हैं ये तो अम्बुआ की खुशबू है बागों से बह चले जैसे कांच में चूड़ी के टुकड़े जैसे खिले - खिले फूलों के मुखड़े जैसे बंसी कोई बजाये पेड़ों के तले ये तो झोंके हैं पवन के हैं ये घुंघरू जीवन के ये तो सुर हैं चमन के खो ना जाएँ ये तारे ज़मीं पर
मोहल्ले की रौनक गलियां हैं जैसे खिलने की जिद पर कलियाँ हैं जैसे मुठ्ठी में मौसम की जैसे हवाएं ये हैं बुजुर्गों के दिल की दुआएं खो ना जाएँ ये तारे ज़मीं पर कभी बातें जैसे दादी नानी कभी छलकें जैसे मम मम पानी कभी बन जाएँ भोले सवालों की झड़ी सन्नाटे में हंसी के जैसे सूने होठों पे खुशी के जैसे ये तो नूर है बरसे गर तेरी किस्मत हो बड़ी जैसे झील में लहराये चन्दा जैसे भीड़ में अपने का कन्धा जैसे मनमौजी नदिया झाग उडाये कुछ कहे जैसे बैठे बैठे मीठी सी झपकी जैसे प्यार की dheemi सी थपकी जैसे कानों में सरगम हरदम बजती ही रहे जैसे बरखा उडाती है बुंदिया...... खो ना जाएँ ये तारे ज़मीं पर

------------------------------------------ Another Disney Today from 1991. Download TPH #035 (8.86 MB)

TPH #034 Sikandar Mahan Ka Pyala, part-2 (Diamond Phantom-30)

Another update: indrajal covers. english from icc and hindi from cw. thanks friends. ---------------------------------------

-----

[Update 27 January, 2008, 11 AM IST]

http://ack-india.blogspot.com/ Opening: Monday, 28 January, 2008 at 8 PM IST A joint effort by CW, ICC and TPH

-----

------------------------------------------- Warm Republic day wishes to all indians. -------------------------------------------

The second part of this interesting story is presented here.

What a nice ending for all, Phantom, his lady and Aruna. Interesting the way this magician got the Maharaja with her magic potion. Observe the two having a drink and thereafter she is accompanying him everywhere (even sitting on the same elephant.)

Another thing. Towards the end of the story when 3rd phantom brings his wife to his jungle land, they are seen passing through the planes near The Phantom Head. But this was built by Joonkar in the times of 8th phantom (#S125). So they developed the idea between #S122 and #S125.

Strip: #S122, Indrajal: V23N17~18.

Download TPH #034 (6.93 MB)

TPH #033 Sikandar Mahan Ka Pyala, part-1 (Diamond Phantom-30)

Update: Covers of Indrajal version have been provided by ICC and CW. ICC: English cover, CW: Hindi cover Thanks to both of them. ---------------------------------------- This is again a long story spread over 62 pages, not easy to scan and photoshop at a single go. So I have divided it in two parts. This is the first part. Second is coming very shortly. Original Strip: Sunday #122 Alexander's Diamond Cup (26 Aug 1984 to 17 Feb 1985). Indrajal Appearance: V23N17~18 The Third Phantom's Bride (Apr-May 1986) Download TPH #033 (8.09 MB)