Indrajal Comics
| Indrajal Comics | |
 First issue  Hindi | |
| Country/language: |  India / English, ++
|
|---|---|
| Publishing company: | Bennet, Coleman & Co |
| Publishing years: | 1964 - 1990 |
| Issues: | 803 |
| Format: | 17 × 23.5 cm, color |
Issue overview
"Indrajal Comics" started as a comic devoted to "The Phantom", but from issue 33 the series started to alternated between various characters like: "Mandrake the Magician", "Flash Gordon", "Rip Kirby", "Phil Corrigan", "Buz Sawyer", "Mike Nomad", "Kerry Drake", "Garth" and "Bahadur" by Aabid Surti.
A total of 803 issues of Indrajal Comics were published, ceasing in April of 1990. Issues 123 and 124 were never published due to an industrial strike.
Regular series
1964 - issues 1 to 10
The first issue of Indrajal Comics was published in March 1964. The series was a monthly publication and a total of 10 issues were published this year. All the issues were devoted to the Phantom and were published in the three languages: English, Hindi and Marathi.
1965 - issues 11 to 22
In 1965, 12 issues were published, all dedicated to the Phantom. In addition to the language versions English, Hindi and Marathi, this edition was also printed in Gujarati and Tamil. The numbering follows the language variants so that in English, Hindi and Marathi they are numbered 11 to 22 while for the other languages they are numbered from 1 to 12.
1966 - issues 23 to 34
In 1966, 12 issues were published, all dedicated to the Phantom except for issue 33. In addition to the language versions English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and Tamil this edition was also printed in Bengali. The numbering follows the language variants so that in English, Hindi and Marathi they are numbered 23 to 34 while in Gujarati and Tamil they are numbered from 13 to 24 - and in Bengali 1 to 12.
The number of pages was increased from 28 pages to 32 from issue 29.
1967 - issues 35 to 56
In 1967, 22 issues were published, and eight issues contain Mandrake stories made for the King Comics series from 1967. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali.
Issues with Mandrake
1968 - issues 57 to 76
In 1968, 20 issues were published, and seven issues contain Mandrake stories made for the King Comics series from 1967. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali.
Issues with Mandrake
1969 - issues 77 to 100
In 1969, 24 issues were published, and six issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali.
Issues with Mandrake
1970 - issues 101 to 124
In 1969, 24 issues was to be published, but issues 123 and 124 were never published due to an industrial strike. Only one issue contain a Mandrake story. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali.
Issues with Mandrake
1971 - issues 125 to 148
In 1971, 24 issues were published, and seven issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali.
Issues with Mandrake
1972 - issues 149 to 172
In 1972, 24 issues were published, and eight issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali.
Issues with Mandrake
1973 - issues 173 to 196
In 1973, 24 issues were published, and eight issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali.
Issues with Mandrake
1974 - issues 197 to 220
In 1974, 24 issues were published, and five issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali.
Issues with Mandrake
1975 - issues 221 to 244
In 1975, 24 issues were published, and four issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali.
Issues with Mandrake
1976 - issues 245 to 268
In 1976, 24 issues were published, and six issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the three languages: English, Hindi and Bengali. Could be some also in Marathi, Gujarati and Tamil?
Issues with Mandrake
1977 - issues 269 to 292
In 1977, 24 issues were published, and five issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the three languages: English, Hindi and Bengali.
In 1977, an Arabic version was also started. Only a few of these are known today, but issues 8, 9, 11, 12, 15 and 18 featuring the Phantom and correspond to the English edition: 283, 285, 287, 291, 297 and 301. Issue 8 was released in October and since the other known issues indicate a monthly publication, the first Arabic issue was probably published in March. It is unknown whether all of these eighteen (or more) issues were all devoted to the Phantom or whether other characters were also part of this series.
Issues with Mandrake
1978 - issues 293 to 316
In 1978, 25 issues were published, and four issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the three languages: English, Hindi and Bengali.
In addition, there was also an Arabic version, probably only featuring issues with the Phantom.
Issues with Mandrake
1979 - issues 317 to 340
In 1979, 24 issues were published, and nine issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the three languages: English, Hindi and Bengali.
In addition, there was also an Arabic version, probably only featuring issues with the Phantom. The last known Arabic number is #38 from April 1, 1980 corresponding to the English edition #336 from October.
Issues with Mandrake
1980 - issues 341 to 364
In 1980, 24 issues were published, and seven issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the three languages: English, Hindi and Bengali. A Kannada version was added from issue 349 and a Tamil version was added from issue 354.
Issues with Mandrake
1981 - issues 365 to 393
In 1981, 29 issues were published, and four issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam (added from issue 381).
This year was the start of the Indrajal club. In retrospect, the main purpose of the club was to initially increase the number of subscribers for each language variant to 10,000 subscribers. Those who managed to recruit friends and family to also become subscribers were enticed with free gifts.
The magazine became weekly from November 1, issue 385.
Issues with Mandrake
Indrajal Club
The club is first mentioned in issue 377 from July 1, 1981, where it offers 50,000 free gifts to subscribers - new and those who renewed their subscription. The 50,000 gifts were to be distributed to the first 10,000 subscribers in the five different languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada and Tamil. The campaign was to end on August 31st (or when the 10,000 subscriber language limit was reached) and detail of the free gifts was to be announced in the issues of August 1 and 15.
In the issues 379 and 380 it is listed what these free gifts are and how one can earn them. The new subscriber would receive a membership number and a book containing the Indrajal Comics issues 1-100. If the subscriber also name a friend or relative as a new subscriber, he would be able to receive a book containing the Indrajal Comics issues 101-200 or a book with issues 201-300. If 2 friends or relatives the free gift was an Indrajal T-shirt or an Indrajal leather wallet and a booklet containing 100 stories published in Indrajal Comics. With 5 names the gift was an Indrajal Torch, and 10 names a Smily Camera, and 25 names and the free gift was a Luna camera.
The goal of 10,000 subscribers for each of the five different languages Indrajal Comics was published in was not achieved during August and the campaign was extended to September 30th (issue 382).
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issues 1-100 -
issues 101-200
The magazine became weekly from November 1, and the club now offered a free gift to those who recruited 10 or 25 new subscribers (Smily or Luna camera). The advertising campaign continued for some time into 1982.
1982 - issues 394 to 443
In 1982, 50 issues were published, and eight issues contain edited Mandrake newspaper stories. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam.
The series was released weekly, but the weeks of March 7 and 21 were skipped.
Issues with Mandrake
Indrajal Club
The advertising campaign with Smily or Luna camera as free gift continued for some time into 1982 and in November a new Indrajal Club campaign appeared. This time the free gift for recruting a new subscriber is a wall calendar for the year 1983 illustrated with a drawing of the Phantom. By recruting two new subscribers, one could also get a magnetic sticker with the Phantom.
1983 - vol. 20 - issues 1 to 52
In 1983 the numbering changed from the ongoing numbering to year and issue. So issue 444 became Vol. 20 #1. This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam.
Issues with Mandrake
Free Gift
The 1983 calendar was offered as a free gift to those who renewed their subscription before the end of March 1983.
1984 - vol. 21 - issues 1 to 53
This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam.
Issues with Mandrake
1985 - vol. 22 - issues 1 to 52
This volume is published in the six languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam.
Issues with Mandrake
1986 - vol. 23 - issues 1 to 52
This volume is published in the seven languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi.
Issues with Mandrake
1987 - vol. 24 - issues 1 to 52
This volume is published in the seven languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi.
Issues with Mandrake
1988 - vol. 25 issues 1 to 52
This volume is published in the four languages: English, Hindi, Bengali and Marathi.
Issues with Mandrake
Free Gift
An volume with 12 issues of Indrajal Comics was offered as a free gift to those who became subscribers for a year, limited to the first 1200 subscribers.
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Album -
Album
language variant
Note: This may be the wrong album for this promotion, as it is specified that this album is only offered in English.
1989 - vol. 26 - issues 1 to 41
This volume is published in the four languages: English, Hindi, Bengali and Marathi. The series changed from being published weekly to twice a month from issue 32.
Issues with Mandrake
1990 - vol. 27 - issues 1 to 8
This volume is published in the four languages: English, Hindi, Bengali and Marathi.
The series ended with issue 8, without giving any explanation on the inside.
Issues with Mandrake
Supplement
Tattoo transfer sheet
These tattoo images are taken from ten characters who appeared in Indrajal Comics: The Phantom, Mandrake, Flash Gordon, Badur, Mike Nomad, Buz Sawyer, Garth, Kerry Drake, Rip Kirby and Lothar.
This tattoo transfer sheet is not mentioned in any of the issues of Indrajal Comics and its origin is uncertain.
Buz Sawyer, Kerry Drake and Mike Nomad were characters that appeared in Indrajal Comics in 1981: July, August and October. So this tattoo transfer sheet may originate from the Indrajal Comics Club subscription campaign that year, as a free gift.
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tattoos
Serie advertisement
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Publisher advertising for souscription orders
Covers Galleries
- Issues with covers in English can be viewed here.
- Issues with covers in Hindi can be viewed here.
- Issues with covers in Bengali can be viewed here.
| Mandrake publications in India
| |
|---|---|
| Series | |
| One-shots | |
| Anthologies |
Comic World • Comic Digest • Indrajal Comics • Mandrake • Muthu Comics • Rani Comics • Regal Comics |
| As back-up title | |
| Publishers |
Bennet, Coleman & Co. • Diamond Comics • Egmont Imagination • Prakash Publishers • ThinaThanthi • Vidyarthi Mithram |
| Mandrake publications by country | |
| Europe |
Austria • Belgium • Bulgaria • Croatia • Denmark • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Iceland • Italy • Ireland • Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Serbia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • Turkey • United Kingdom • Yugoslavia |
| Americas |
Argentina • Bahamas • Brazil • Canada • Chile • Colombia • Costa Rica • Cuba • Dominican Republic • Guatemala • Honduras • Jamaica • Mexico • Panama • El Salvador • Uruguay • USA • Venezuela |
| Other |
Angola • Australia • French Polynesia • Hong Kong • India • Indonesia • Israel • Lebanon • Malaysia • New Zealand • Papua New Guinea • Philippines • Singapore • South Africa • UAE |