Shikari Shambu

Shikari Shambu
Promotional art for Shikari Shambu by ACK Media
Publication information
Publisher	Amar Chitra Katha / ACK Media
First appearance	Tinkle
Created by	V B Halbe

Shikari Shambu is a meek, lazy hunter whom the rest of the world perceives as courageous, powerful hunter. He always tries to run away from dangerous animals, but due to some stroke of luck always ends up as a hero.

He is a part of Tinkle comics, published in India.

Concept

Shikari Shambu is a comic about a lackadaisical and cowardly hunter. He is scared of animals but he ends up as an animal catcher in the world's eyes.

Relationships

He lives with his wife Shanti.

Origins

By 1983, Tinkle was already on its way becoming the most popular children’s magazine. Their biggest rival that time was another children magazine named Target, run by Living Media. Unlike Tinkle, Target was more a narrative magazine, with a few pages of comics.

Their flagship character that time was Moochwala by Ajit Ninan, which literally means a ‘man with a moustache’, who was a detective with penetrating eyes and a huge moustache.

Tinkle always wanted to create a character which can stand against Moochwala. Subba Rao, one of the creators at Tinkle, once proposed the idea to the editorial team, to base a character in similarity to a character in the then famous TV Serial, I Love Lucy, where he was described as a boastful but cowardly big game hunter.

Luis Fernandes then worked on producing the first story, which was originally named Shambu, before Subba Rao prefixed Shikari (meaning Hunter, in Hindi) to the name. Some of his editorial team-mates had reservation over the use of the name Shikari, as the Wild-Life Conservation theme was in its prominence. But, the sheer charisma of the name, they and Editor Pai, decided to let it continue. But, contrary to the name, the creators ensured that Shambu never would shoot or kill any animal in any of its episodes. More than that, creators slowly even disassociated him from his trademark hunting gun, after few episodes.

One of the reasons for the popularity of Shikari Shambu, was due to the comical illustrations of the artist, Vasant Halbe. Halbe, who was a freelancer at Tinkle that time, had impressed the editorial team with his earlier works. Once he was confirmed officially as the artist for the series, he showcased his character sketches, of which a drawing of Shikari with his Topi (hat) pulled down over his eyes, caught everyone’s attention. The sketch went on to be the among the flagship character of Tinkle.

Legend

In The Legend of Shikari Shambu(a story in Tinkle Magazine No.573),it was revealed that Shambu,before being called Shikari Shambu, fell on a tiger and knocked him out. It was after this incident that he got the name 'Shikari Shambu'.