Wr

it
er(
s)

N.
M.Mohan

Ar
ti
st(
s)

Pr
adeepSat
he

M.Mohandas

Thy
agar
ajan

Thef
ormert
it
lel
ogooft
heMay
avi
comi
cs.Ar
twor
kbyPr
adeepSat
he. August 1980

May av i
,theprotagoni stintheseries, i
salitt
ledev il
,whohel pstokeepthef orestsafef r
om
vil
lai
nsanddar kwi zar ds.Mostoft hest or
iesrevolv earoundhowadar kwizardKut t
usanand
hiscadr eofwi zardsai m atcapturingMay avi,butf ai
l wi
thdrasti
cconsequences.May av it
akes
placei nasecludedf orestinKerala.Itisnotexact lyknownwhent hestorytakesplace.Int he
l
ocal languageMal ayal am Mayavitranslat
esasi l
l
usi oni
st.Asthet ar
getaudienceisy oung, t
he
storytakest helibert
yt odrawaf antasywor ld,i
nwhi chwizards,demonsandot herstrange
creaturesexist.Howev er
,despi
tet hesimpl i
cit
yandsl apsti
ckcomedy ,Mayav ibecameoneof
themostwi delyr eadchi l
dren'
scomi csinMal ayalam language.

Char
act
ers

May
avi
,ar
twor
kbyM.Mohandas

Mayav i
,agoodi mp, i
sthemai ncharacteroft hest or
y .Mayaviwasaslaveoft hewi t
chDagi ni,
andshewasv erycr ueltohim.Twoki ds,RajuandRadhahel pstheimpescapef r
om t hebottl
e
i
nwhi chhewaskept .Thankfult
othechi l
dren, May avi deci
dedtohelpthem for everfrom the
cl
utchesofev il
f orces.Daginipl
edgedt otaker ev
engeont hechil
drenandr e-captureMay av
i.
Thecomi cspictureshi m stay
ingal
onei naf or estwithoutanynotablefamily.May avi i
sloathed
bytheev i
lcreaturesandv i
l
lai
nsofthef orest.Robber swhoof tentakerefugei nthef orestto
hi
dear ebroughtt olightbyMay avi
.

Apartf
rom thepowerofi
nvi
sibi
l
ity
,May avii
snotknowntopossessanymagicalpowers,but
deri
vesthem fr
om hi
sredwand.Thishandicaphasbeenoneofthepr
ominentvulner
abil
i
ties
thatar
eoftenexpl
oit
edbythedarkwizardswhot r
ytocapt
urehi
m.Oncehiswandi slost
, hi
s
i
mpcharacter
isti
cscommandhimtobeenslavedi
nagl
assbot
tl
ebyt
heonewhohol
dshi
s
wand.Mayavihasahobbyofsl
eepi
ngundertr
ees.

Raj
uandRadha

Raj
uandRadhasummoni
ngMay
avi
bychant
ing

t
hemant
ra,
"Oam hr
eem kut
ichat
haa"
.

RajuandRadhaaresi
blingswi
thbenefi
tsofMayavi
.Thechil
drenar
edepict
edasroamingabout
i
nt hefor
est
.Theybef
riendMayaviaf
terhel
pinghi
mt oescapefr
om thewit
chDagi
ni,
whohad
enslav
edhiminabott
le.

Thechildr
enar eoft
enimpri
sonedbyKuttusanandDaginii
nabidtolureMayav
iandther
eby
tr
aphim.Anot hercommonst or
yli
nei
sonei nwhichthechi
ldr
enoverheart
hepl
anni
ngor
executi
onofsomedast ardl
ycri
me.Insuchsituat
ionst
hechil
drensummonMay avi
usingthe
spell
"Om hreem kuti
chat
haa".

Kut
tusan

Daki ni
eshusband( 1st2outof4)Adar kwizardwhol ivesinahollowt reetrunkinthesame
forest,Kutt
usani soneofthemainvill
ainsinthecomi c.Thest or
yli
nedepi ctscaptur
ingMayavi
ast hesolepur poseofKutt
usan'
sli
fe.Heof tengoesoutoft heway ,befri
endingbeastsand
otherdanger ousdarkcreat
uresi
nor dertosatisfyhi
sai m.Howev er,hisclumsinessinhandl
ing
mat ter
sr el
atedtomagic,event
uall
yleadshi mi nt
otrouble.Hisstupi
dityandst ubbornnessi
sa
frequentsour ceofhumorinthecomi c.

Daki
ni
Daki
ni,awit
ch,appearedi
ntheseri
eswellbeforeKutt
usan,i
soneoft hecloseaidesof
Kutt
usan.However,despi
tebei
ngawitch,
shei soft
endepictedastakingaratherrepul
siv
e
appr
oachtoKut t
usan'swi
zardr
y.Shei
snot edasmuchf orhercowardiceasforhernoodlehai
r.

Wel
l i
ntoherol
dage,
sheteamsupwit
hKuttusanwi
ththeai
m ofcapt
uri
ngMay av
i.Sheand
Kut
tusanalsonev
erl
eav
eoutachancetocatchRaj
uandRadha,whotheyknowtobefri
endsof
Mayavi
.

However
, Daki
niisatantri
cdeitydescribedasafemaleembodimentofenli
ghtenedenergy.I
n
t
heTibetanlanguage,dakinii
srenderedkhandromawhichmeans' shewhotraver
sesthesky'or
'
shewhomov esinspace'.Sometimest hetermist
ransl
atedpoet
icall
yas'
skydancer'or'
sky
wal
ker'
.Anowl issomet i
messeenwi t hDakini
.

Lut
tappi

Lut
tapi
transpor
ti
ngKut
tusanand

Daki
nionhi
sSpear
,thekunt
am

Lutt
appi, i
sacute,i
nnocentdev ilbear
inganuncannyr esemblancetoHotSt uf
ftheLi tt
leDevi
l,
whowor ksasanaideofKut tusan.Oneoft hepri
mar ysourcesofhumori nthecomi c,Lut
tappi
i
snot edf orhi
scheekinessandcowar di
ce.Hisst
upidit
yandov erexcitednessof t
enl ands
ever
yonei ntr
oubl
e.Luttappi
ownst hekuntam,amagi calspearthatcanbepr opelledinfli
ght
(aki
nt oflyi
ngbroomsusedi nwi tchcr
aft)
.MannedbyLut t
appi,t
hekunt am servesasa
convenientmodeoft r
ansportf orLutt
appi'
scomr ades–Daki niandKut tusan.

Lut
tappistayswit
hKut tusanathishomeinthetreetr
unk.Despi
tebei
ngav er
yresourceful
aide,
Lut
tappiisn'
tal
way satgoodt ermswit
hKut t
usanandDakini,
who,onthei
rpart,
takeli
ttl
eeffor
t
i
nhidingthei
rdisl
ike.Luttappii
soft
enportr
ayedasdoingallt
hehouseworkforKutt
usan.Hei s
al
soof t
enshownasgr umbl i
ngandcursi
ngunderhisbreat
h.
v
ikr
amanandMut
hu

Mut
huandVi
kramani
nti
midat
ingLot
tul
odukku

andGul
gul
umal
uint
ogi
vi
ngov
ert
hei
rinv
ent
ions

Vikr
amanandMut t
uaretwonot ori
ouscri
minal
satlargeandwant edbyt hel
ocalpolice.The
comicspicturest
hem asusi ngthefor
estasahideoutafterbr
eakingoutofjail
.Vi
kramanand
Muthuar efri
endsofKuttusan.However,t
hei
rfri
endshipisstr
ictl
ylimit
edtothemut ualbenefi
ts
theygainoutofit
.VikramanandMut t
uareneverport
rayedashav ingagrudgeagainstMay avi
.
Howev er,
theyoftenassi
stKut t
usanandDakinii
nordertocapt ur
ehi m.

Vi
kramanandMut t
u'spri
maryaimi
stoprocur
easmuchwealt
handpowerast
heycan.
However
,al
lthei
rplansaref
oil
edbyMayavi
,whoi
susual
l
yalert
edbyRaj
uandRadha.

Lot
tul
odukkuandGul
gul
umal

Lottul
odukkuandGulgulumalaretwoev i
lscient
istswhoi nv
entnewgadget sandi deasto
destroytheworl
d.Theyareafrai
dofVi kramanandMut tu,whostealtheiri
nventi
onsanduse
thesetoolsf
orthei
rpurposessuchasr obbingt hebankandbr eaki
ngi nt
opeople'shouses.But
VikramanandMut t
hualway sgetint
ot roubleusingthosegadgets.Theirenemiesar eRaj
uand
Radha, andt
heyarealwayslooki
ngf orachancet okil
lthem.

Put
tal
u

Uncl
eofLut t
appi,unl
i
keLuttappi
,heisdarkgreyincol
our.Hei
smuchbi
ggeri
nsizet
han
Lut
tappi.Kut
tusanandDakinigotoPuttal
u'sdentosteal
manychar
msandpoti
onstotr
ap
Mayavi,
buttheygettrappedinPutt
alu'
str
apinstead.

Ev
ery
bodyi
saf
rai
dofPut
tal
u,butPut
tal
udoesnothav
ever
ysi
gni
fi
cantr
olei
nMay
avi
.He
enjoy
ssleepi
nganddon'
twantLut
tapi
towanderwi
thKut
tusanandDaki
ni.Put
tal
u'
snamei
s
creat
edbyreadi
ngLutt
appi
'
snamebackwards.

Dr
ess-
codechange

Someoft hechar
actersint
heseries,i
ncludingMayaviandLuttappi
,under
wentamaj ordress-
codechangein2011af t
ercomplaint
sf r
om severalpar
entsregardi
ngtheinappropr
iateclothi
ng.
Accordingt
otheedit
orofthemagazi ne,thechangeswereintendedtomaket hecharacters
acceptabl
eforr
eadersofallage.