My friends David and Sarita gave me this recently for no other reason than that they knew I would love it! And I do. I really really do.
Here are some detail pictures of my very favorite panels.
This one is a masterpiece of understatement:
All that blood on the floor reminds me of this sign in Kodaicanal:
Gruesome! but hilarious. And speaking of dogs:
Ha! That’s why I drink it!
I love the “bag of bad deeds” and the skeletor demon figure. Okay, and the crying people.
It’s the Best.Present.Ever.
LOL :) Totally hilarious! I want one for my home-bar :) Where’d they get it from?
I am so wildly jealous, you can’t even believe it. :)
^ Quite reminiscent of my childhood Bengali text books. Typical Desi illustration, past and present.
It’s really cool, isn’t it? The graphics seem to have survived about 50 years, at least.
Does the “bag of misdeeds” include this poster? If yes, I am signing up for alcohol now. :-D
LOL! Wonderful indeed! I wish I had your friends. This post also inspires me to proceed apace to my Drunk Off project.
“A drunkard cannot work hard.” So the drawback there is what? Truly a fantastic gift.
All: Yes I have wonderful friends who know me all too well and fortunately don’t hesitate to make fun of me. They found this treasure in a shop in western Massachusetts (the Berkshires) and said that there were several others about things like exercise, smoking, eating properly…but that this was the funniest (and also the most appropriate for me, sadly). The graphics look ca. 1950s to me too, they remind me of filmstrips I had to sit through in health class (although this is infinitely more wonderful). And that fantastic short film from the 30s or 40s called “Reefer Madness.”
Ok, my eyes are not what they used to be, but what exactly is in that bag of bad deeds? I’m looking for some ideas here…
The only object I can make out is a bottle with XXX on it :-) The rest of it is just a mess. Bad deeds!
David and Sarita are clearly the best friends in the history of history.
I will let them know that :-)
You know, I really think we have v similar tastes. I love the 1st image (the man with the stick beating his wife) and the last one of the skeleton the best- :D This poster is SO much fun!
Ha ha! Maybe we just like to see people cry :-)
AWESOME!!!!!
But what’s with the dog on the bottle label in the scene with the snake? If they’re going with broad stereotypes, shouldn’t the dog be on the good side? Maybe crying along with the wife and kids?
~r
i can`t read the other ones… :( it’s too small.
i have something similar on a book. “the perfect boy”.
Ramsu: Yes, it’s the only flaw in it. Gemma was insulted.
anja: I know, basically they all repeat the same thing, “Drunkard spoils health and home” “Drunkard…falls in the bad company and loses all his earnings in vices” etc.
If my “bag of bad deeds” includes every bottle of wine I’ve ever drunk, it IS going to be hard to catch up with those flaming bartenders in the other world…
Well I’ll be right there bringing up the rear with you. Very heavy bag of bad deeds!
Ramsu & Memsaab: Unfortunately, it’s quite rare to see a South Asian with a pet dog because (modern and “Westernized” or not) it’s seen as lower-class – you certainly won’t see many upper/middle-class/high-caste Desi families with cats or dogs in South Asia and elsewhere. Being called a “dog” (or kuta/kuti, kuku, etc) is probably more insulting to a Deshi than to any other person.
…I like doggies though (even though I think they’ve been made too dependent on human beings).
Too funny. Thanks for sharing, Memsaab. That skeletor-like character looks too much like Dhalsim from Street Fighter the video game (vice versa, actually). And I’m with you and Ramsu about the dog. As always, bechaare kutte badnaam hain (poor dogs are given a bad name). Now, if *this* dog were named after an actor, I’d be offended ;)
Maybe we could be treated to a follow-up post with examples of this stereotype employed in Hindi cinema? They often make for interesting characters, na? From Circuit in Munnabhai to the ubiquitous abusive husband/father, and everyone in between.
Anonymous: That was no doubt true when this poster was made, although from what I’ve seen in India at least attitudes towards pets are changing pretty rapidly. And unfortunately since we have overrun the planet and are using up all its resources, most animals have become dependent on us to some extent.
theBollywoodFan: I have no idea about anything connected to video games :-D I am woefully ignorant (and shall continue to be so, I do not need another hobby!)…I think you should write the follow-up post, it’s a good idea!
ohhh gawsh, you r soooo lucky, if only devdas and amitabh read it they would never die!
I don’t know, Rum, it’s hanging on my wall but I’m still drinking my wine every evening! :-P
MemsaabStory 