Star Comics: Stories That Inspire

Vandya Bisaria

Star Comics: Stories That Inspire

In the world of comic book publishing, a lot of comic houses became incredibly popular. Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dark Horse Comics etc. could be seen on the shelves of every comic lover. In comparison to these international brands, Indian comic publishers were relatively less affluent. However, that does not mean they were any less capable. They played a major role in introducing international characters to the Indian population. One such example is that of Star Comics.

Image caption: Star Comics; Source: Google Images

Star Comics is an Indian comics publishing magazine which is currently distributed by the India Book House. This publishing house was founded in 1952 in Mumbai and remains an important supplier of books, comics and magazines throughout the country. Star Comics’ sales touched the skies during the 1970s and 1980s as the comic culture in India gained more and more momentum. With increasing interest in foreign characters, Star Comics became very popular. Initially, the brand did not have any Indian characters and was heavily dependent on international characters like Batman, Superman, James Bond 007, Laurel and Hardy etc. All of these characters have special features of their own which continue to fascinate the audience.

Superman, a superhero from the planet Krypton, was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It was published by DC Comics in the USA. Batman, another masked superhero and a vigilante with no superpowers, was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and was also published by DC Comics. These two characters did very well as contemporaries and kept their readers thoroughly entertained. James Bond 007 is an immortal character like the others, who was created by Ian Fleming. The stories of his accomplishments and secret missions when told through both - smart dialogues and vivid pictures left deep impressions in the minds of readers. Laurel and Hardy - who were based on the famous actors Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were also a favourite amongst the Indian population. They were owned by Larry Harmon Pictures Corporation, USA.

Supremo wears a pink coloured body suit with blue boots and a cloth to wrap around the waist, secured with an extravagant belt. He has a gun in his holster and a chakra necklace around his neck. Portrayed this way, Amitabh Bachchan comes across as the perfect vigilante - he wants to do good but he cannot afford the delay caused by law enforcement agencies and the justice system. Thus, he decides to take matters into his own hands and deal with the villain himself. He combats hijackers and saves hostages, removes doppelgangers and differentiates reality from false truths while fighting the occasional alien or two. Supremo also has some helpers, who enable him to bring about important social change. A whale called Sonali, a lion called Sheru and a falcon called Shaheen are all there for him whenever he needs an extra bit of support. All of these characters carry some or the other real or rather reel-life reference from Amitabh’s movies. For example, in one of the stories, he is called ‘an angry young man’. It was through such colourful narratives that Star Comics became a name for every household.

The company also distributed characters like Tarzan and Korak: Son of Tarzan which were created by Edgar Rice Burroughs and published by Kiran Comics in India.

Star Comics has created a name for itself through its characters as well as the quality of content that it delivers. With famous names like Gulzar and big franchises like Marvel and DC supplying their work to Star Comics, it has become a big brand over the years and continues to remain in the mind as well as in the heart of those who love to read comics.

Star Comics had to repeatedly gain the licence to print all these well-known Western titles. Soon the brand came up with a character of its own. The comic publishing house introduced an original Indian character called Supremo who was based on Amitabh Bachchan. He was part of the series called “Adventures of Amitabh Bachchan” which was published in the 1980s. This ten-book series contained different aspects of the actor’s alter ego, skillfully narrated by Gulzar’s capable hands. Some of the scenes from these comics are so impactful that scriptwriters reckon that they could be written into full-fledged scenes for movies. The series itself begins on a very interesting note, with Amitabh Bachchan writing a letter to all the children who would be reading the comic. In the letter, he requests them to not divulge his identity to anyone and help him fight injustice in the world. Each time a disaster happens, he who is generally shooting for a movie, manages to sneak out and wear his Supremo suit. The idea behind Supremo was to create someone who is an all-rounder superhero - somebody as clever as Sherlock Holmes, as strong as Hercules and free from fear and the weight of conscience like Mr Doolittle. While the character borrowed some traits from the Western superheroes, its inherent Indianness was highlighted throughout all of the stories.