Groo-vy!

Ever heard of Sergio Aragones? No? Well… here's a short bio. Once upon a time, there was a small boy born in the Spain. But because of the Spanish Civil War (called so because it happened in… you guessed it - Spain!) his family moved to Mexico. The boy grew up drawing cartoons (what else is a kid supposed to do in school anyway) and by age 17, was selling his work professionally. Then, in 1962, having accumulated a fortune of $20, he came to New York… where he ended up working for Mad magazine and, unlike dead heroes, is alive and kicking (or drawing, at least). Among other features, he also did the "Marginal Thinking" cartoons which are printed on the page margins.

But no, this article isn't about him… or about Mad. Its about Groo! Who? Groo the Wanderer! The roaming barbarian, who's as dangerous as a "stampede of cattle… and almost as smart". The quoted description is the most accurate one I've heard. Set in medieval times, the cartoons follow the adventures of a well-intentioned barbarian who always leaves behind a stream of destruction and mayhem. Usually, he's not aware of what he's done. Yet, entire cities and even civilizations have fallen to this one-man demolition squad. But this is no fumbling warrior who wins battles by sheer luck. As a spoof on Conan the Barbarbarian, Groo is a good fighter. And even he knows it. With a battle cry of 'Now Groo does what Groo does best', he has single-handedly taken on entire armies.

So far, Aragones has come out with 12 Groo books. The comedy apart, they can be collected if only for the detail in the frames. Aragones takes inspiration from National Geographic photos for his landscapes, and a single frame can have nearly a hundred characters. Apart from Groo, there is a great selection of other characters who make repeat appearances in the series as well. This includes Rufferto, Groo's dog; Captain Ahax, whose ship always sinks by virtue of Groo coming aboard; a pair of witches who keep trying to cast spells on him and several other memorable characters.

Getting your hands on one of these masterpieces, however, isn't easy. Not all bookstores will have them, and even if they do, it'll probably be lost under a huge pile of comics since not too many people know about them. The good news is that you can order them online from Indiaplaza (www.indiaplaza.in). They may be slightly on the expensive side, but they're worth every penny.