Indrajal Comics

Indrajal Comics was a long-running Indian comic-book series launched in March 1964 by Bennet, Coleman & Co. Ltd., the publisher associated with The Times of India. It began during a period when imported and syndicated newspaper comic strips, especially Lee Falk’s The Phantom, had developed a substantial readership in India. The series adapted and reprinted internationally syndicated material for Indian audiences, while also incorporating locally produced content and, later, an Indian superhero character. The first 32 issues concentrated on The Phantom. The series subsequently broadened its catalogue through a rotating selection of King Features and other syndicated properties. These included Lee Falk’s Mandrake and Rip Kirby, Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon, Roy Crane’s Buz Sawyer, Allen Saunders’ Mike Nomad and Kerry Drake, and Steve Dowling’s Garth. In December 1976, Indrajal also began publishing Bahadur, an Indian hero created by Aabid Surti. Although The Phantom remained the title’s most prominent recurring feature and appeared in more than half of the issues, the broader character roster helped the publication sustain a regular periodical format. The publication changed frequency and format several times. It initially appeared monthly, with the earliest issues using a compact 16-page format. The first ten issues devoted 16 pages to The Phantom and filled the remainder with general-knowledge material and other features. The page count expanded to 20–24 pages for the following issues, and the series adopted a standard 32-page format from issue 29. It became fortnightly from issue 35, dated 1 January 1967, and later moved to weekly publication from issue 385 in November 1981. From issue 789, dated 20 August 1989, it returned to a fortnightly schedule with 36 pages. Indrajal was distributed in multiple Indian languages. English, Hindi and Marathi editions were available from the beginning, while Gujarati and Tamil editions followed in 1965 and Bengali editions began in January 1966. Publication records also identify Malayalam and Kannada editions. The regional editions were not always numbered in the same way as the original English sequence, making issue histories and collector catalogues a specialized area of interest. The series was designed for accessible mass-market reading rather than as a premium graphic-novel line. Its main stories were accompanied by humour strips, short features, general-knowledge articles, historical material and items such as Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Advertisements occupied reserved pages and promoted a mixture of Indian consumer brands, financial services and products aimed at children and families. The presentation was distinctive for its painted covers, especially the early covers by B. Govind, which are highly regarded by Indian Phantom collectors. The books became full-colour publications from issue 8; the Phantom’s costume was initially coloured blue in the first ten issues before changing to the more familiar purple. Because the material was localized for Indian publication, names and place references were sometimes altered. The reprinted stories were also edited and censored, including the removal of some romantic scenes. These adaptations reflected contemporary publishing norms and an effort to make syndicated material suitable for the intended readership. The series ultimately produced 803 published issues, with issues 123 and 124 reportedly not printed because of industrial strike action. The final issue was number 805, published on 16 April 1990, in the series’ 27th year. Indrajal Comics is now defunct as a periodical, but its extensive run, multilingual distribution, character library, cover art and role in popularizing international comic-strip heroes in India have made it a notable object of Indian comics history and collecting.

Indrajal Comics emerged in India in March 1964 under Bennet, Coleman & Co. Ltd., the publishing company behind The Times of India. Its creation was closely connected to the popularity of The Phantom newspaper strip in India. Anant Pai and others assembled and edited Phantom material for comic-book publication, giving readers a locally distributed edition of a character already familiar through syndicated print media. The early publication was compact and strongly Phantom-centred. The first ten issues used 16 pages for the Phantom story and allocated the remaining pages to general knowledge and related material. The next nineteen issues expanded to between 20 and 24 pages, and issue 29 established a conventional 32-page format. Issue 35, dated 1 January 1967, marked a shift from monthly to fortnightly publication. Around the same period, Indrajal expanded its character selection. Mandrake first appeared in issue 46, and later issues included a broad range of syndicated adventure and detective characters, such as Flash Gordon, Rip Kirby, Buz Sawyer, Mike Nomad, Kerry Drake and Garth. The series was adapted for the Indian market in both language and presentation. English, Hindi and Marathi editions were issued from the beginning. Gujarati and Tamil editions were introduced in 1965, and Bengali followed in January 1966; cataloguing sources also record Malayalam and Kannada versions. Numbering could differ between language editions, with regional versions sometimes beginning their own sequences. Stories were edited for length and local suitability. Place names and character references could be changed, and some romantic or otherwise sensitive scenes were removed. This made Indrajal less a simple facsimile reprint than a domestically packaged and editorially mediated version of syndicated comics. The physical identity of the series developed alongside its editorial expansion. The first approximately fifty covers were painted by B. Govind, whose artwork has become particularly valued among Indian Phantom collectors. The books became full-colour productions from issue 8. The Phantom was coloured blue in the first ten issues before the series adopted the more familiar purple costume. Later, a distinctive Indrajal banner was introduced on the front cover. Supplementary content included newspaper humour strips, short stories, educational snippets, ancient-world history and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Advertising pages carried consumer and family-oriented promotions, including advertisements for Indian food, beverage, bicycle, confectionery and banking brands. Although international characters dominated the catalogue, the title also supported Indian comics creation. In December 1976, it began publishing Bahadur, created by Aabid Surti. Bahadur gave the line an Indian protagonist and broadened its cultural connection beyond imported or internationally syndicated properties. Nevertheless, The Phantom remained the core of the publication, appearing in more than half of the overall issue run. Indrajal underwent another significant production change in the 1980s. Issue 385, dated 1–7 November 1981, inaugurated a weekly schedule. A yearly subscription was available at the time, and the publication continued to use individual issue numbering until early 1983, when volume-and-number conventions were introduced. The series later reverted to fortnightly publication from issue 789, dated 20 August 1989, with 36 pages per issue. The complete run is generally counted as 803 published issues, although the numbering reached 805 because issues 123 and 124 were reportedly not printed during an industrial strike. The final issue, number 805, appeared on 16 April 1990 under the title “Dara: The Jaws of Treachery.” Indrajal Comics therefore ended after nearly twenty-seven years. Its legacy rests on its scale, multilingual reach, role in introducing and sustaining international comic-strip characters for Indian readers, support for Bahadur, and distinctive cover and production history. It remains significant to Indian comics scholarship and collecting despite no longer operating as an active publication.

• 1990

  Publication ends

  [1]Indrajal Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  Issue 805, published on 16 April, was the final Indrajal Comics issue.

• 1989

  Fortnightly schedule restored

  [1]Indrajal Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  Issue 789 returned the series to fortnightly publication with 36 pages.

• 1983

  Volume numbering introduced

  [1]Indrajal Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  The editors moved from uninterrupted issue numbering to a volume-and-number format.

• 1981

  Weekly publication begins

  [1]Indrajal Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  Issue 385 initiated a weekly schedule.

• 1976

  Bahadur added to the catalogue

  [1]Indrajal Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  Indrajal began publishing Bahadur, an Indian hero created by Aabid Surti.

• 1967

  Fortnightly schedule begins

  [1]Indrajal Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  Issue 35 marked the transition from monthly to fortnightly publication.

• 1966

  Bengali edition begins

  [1]Indrajal Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  A Bengali version began publication in January, extending the series’ multilingual distribution.

• 1965

  Gujarati and Tamil editions introduced

  [1]Indrajal Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  Regional-language editions in Gujarati and Tamil were added to the publication programme.

• 1964

  Series launched

  [1]Indrajal Comicsen.wikipedia.org

  Bennet, Coleman & Co. launched Indrajal Comics in March, initially publishing The Phantom and issuing the title in English, Hindi and Marathi.

A mass-market Indian comics periodical that localized internationally syndicated adventure characters for readers across multiple Indian languages, while adding educational, humour and Indian-created material.

• Syndicated adventure comic · 1964

  The Phantom

  The Phantom was the foundation of Indrajal Comics and occupied the first 32 issues. It remained the title’s dominant recurring feature, appearing in more than half of the overall run. The stories were edited and sometimes localized for Indian publication, while the character’s presentation evolved from blue colouring in the earliest issues to the traditional purple costume. Early Phantom issues also established the series’ combination of adventure narrative, supplementary information and mass-market cover design.

• Syndicated adventure comic · 1967

  Mandrake

  Mandrake was one of the principal characters added as Indrajal expanded beyond its initial Phantom emphasis. His first recorded appearance in the series was issue 46, published in July 1967. The character formed part of the rotating international adventure catalogue that allowed Indrajal to offer variety while retaining a consistent periodical format.

• Indian adventure comic · 1976

  Bahadur

  Bahadur was an Indian comic hero created by Aabid Surti and added to Indrajal Comics in December 1976. Its inclusion distinguished the title from a purely reprint-based publication by giving the catalogue a locally created protagonist. Bahadur represented the series’ effort to combine internationally syndicated properties with Indian comics material.

• Syndicated comics

  Other syndicated features

  The catalogue also included Flash Gordon, Rip Kirby, Buz Sawyer, Mike Nomad, Kerry Drake and Garth. These features covered science fiction, adventure and detective genres and rotated through the publication over its long run. Their presence gave Indrajal a broad international comics identity beyond its flagship Phantom stories.

• Educational and humour content · 1964

  Supplementary features

  Indrajal issues commonly contained material beyond the principal adventure story. Backup content included humour strips, short stories, general-knowledge items, ancient-world history and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. These features helped fill the early compact formats and positioned the publication as a broader children’s and family periodical rather than a single-strip reprint alone.

• 1990

  Cancel the seriesOther

  Background

  Indrajal had reached its 27th year and had produced a large multilingual issue run.

  Action taken

  The publisher ended the series with issue 805, dated 16 April 1990.

  Aftermath

  Indrajal became a defunct publication, while its back catalogue continued to attract collectors and historical interest.

  Source

• 1989

  Return to fortnightly publicationStrategy

  Background

  After several years of weekly publication, the series changed its release rhythm near the end of its run.

  Action taken

  From issue 789 on 20 August 1989, Indrajal returned to a fortnightly schedule and used 36-page issues.

  Aftermath

  The revised schedule preceded the series’ cancellation in 1990.

  Source

• 1981

  Adopt weekly publicationStrategy

  Background

  Indrajal had maintained a substantial readership and a recurring catalogue of syndicated stories.

  Action taken

  Issue 385, dated 1–7 November 1981, began a weekly release schedule.

  Aftermath

  The series temporarily increased its publication frequency before later returning to a fortnightly schedule.

  Source

• 1976

  Add Bahadur to the lineProduct launch

  Background

  Indrajal’s catalogue was primarily composed of internationally syndicated properties.

  Action taken

  The publisher introduced Bahadur, an Indian hero created by Aabid Surti, in December 1976.

  Aftermath

  The title gained a locally created character alongside its established international adventure properties.

  Source

• 1967

  Move from monthly to fortnightly publicationStrategy

  Background

  The series had expanded its character roster and standardized its page format after the early compact issues.

  Action taken

  Beginning with issue 35 on 1 January 1967, Indrajal was published twice a month.

  Aftermath

  The change established a higher-frequency publishing model that continued for much of the title’s history.

  Source

1. 1Indrajal Comicsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Indrajal Comics at the Grand Comics Databasecomics.org
3. 3Indrajal Comics at Inducksinducks.org