The funnies get a digital makeover on the mobile phone

For fans of Chacha Chaudhary, each morning can be a discovery-that of the most-loved Indian comic hero’s witty ways. After over three decades of entering the world of comics, he is now stepping into the world of mobile phones. With this, the wait of Chacha Chaudhary’s fans will be cut down from one month to mere 24 hours to update themselves about his new adventures.

“It’s important to keep up with technological advancement. Having comics on their phone will enable people to read them even when they are on the move,” says Gulshan Rai, managing director of Diamond Comics (DC). He is currently finalising the details of the tie-up with Vodafone and Spice—the two service providers which will introduce Diamond Comics on mobile phones within a fortnight.

The foray into mobile comic or ‘momic’ industry by DC — established in the ’70s — is an attempt to reach an audience that might not be charmed with leafing through pages but indulges in scrolling the mobile screen. “In the digital age,” Rai insists, “it is essential to tap varied mediums.”

Rai’s belief is shared by several other publishers who are digitising comic strips for mobile phone viewing. “There are over 350

million mobile phone users in India. The aim is to reach out to them,” says Samir Patil, CEO of ACK media. In February, Patil introduced characters from his comics on the mobile phone. Vodafone customers can dial 567607 and browse through Amar Chitra Katha comics on their phone for a monthly fee of Rs 30. The same charge is applicable to download each comic. Games based on mythological characters can be downloaded for Rs 50 and wallpapers of Supandi and Shikari Shambu costs Rs 10 each. “We will add content regularly,” he says.

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