Meet The Telugu Man Who Created Some Of India's Very First Comics!

“Bujjai” a word that connects many memories for a typical telugu guy and it is quite a familiar brand among all comic lovers. But, the man behind these creations is lesser known than his works. “Devulapalli Subbaraya Sastri” is the Man behind these brilliant master pieces’s and is often referred to as the “Father of Indian Comics” by many. Here’s a piece remembering his works and also a walk down the memory lane to make you feel nostalgia. Devulapalli Subbaraya Sastri also known as Bujjai was a self taught illustrator, writer, artist and creator of the famous comic series “Panchathantra” is the same man who carried the legacy of legendary poet Devulapalli Krishna Sastri. The fact that he grew up to create the desi version on characters like Calvin and hobbes, Denis- the menace without any formal education or orthodox training. And much earlier than any self proclaimed legendary comics from the west. Here are a few images from his creations:

In a write up to Scroll his son Krishna Sastri defines how his father created beautiful pieces “Watching my father draw is like witnessing a daily magic show from the dress circle. It starts with a crisp, blank, machine-trimmed page 11” x 14”. Father divides it into three equal rectangles drawn one below the other, leaving margins all around and in between. Then he pencils into the boxes the text of the story that is floating about in his head. Oval bubbles with a pointed tail directed towards the speaker encompass speech, and cloud-shaped bubbles with steadily shrinking circles below them indicate thoughts. Even-toothed starbursts surround Indianized sound effects, Dham for “Crash” and Bhal for “Splash”. The modern day tech gen might never relish how amazing our childhood was with these small yet beautiful cartoons and illustrations in newspapers. Gone are the days when a small column or image that featured used to make our day/week. Content & Image Source: This piece on Scroll.in by Devulapalli Krishnasastri.