The Indrajal-Spectrum Comics Contest was launched by The Times of India in Bombay, India in 1985. The contest was cross-promoted in 2 comic book series published by The Times of India at the time, Indrajal Comics and Spectrum Comics.
The Times Group commenced on the 4th of November, 1838 with it’s first newspaper, ‘Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce’, later becoming the popular ‘The Times of India’ (the largest circulation of any English-language newspaper in the world, with 2.8 million copies).
The media giant changed ownership several times in it’s long history, currently operating under the name of ‘Bennett, Coleman and Company Limited’, with the majority owner being the Sahu Jain family, headquartered in Mumbai, India.
Today, The Times Group continues to grow stronger, not only publishing several newspapers (such as The Times of India, The Economic Times, Mumbai Mirror, etc.), but also operating television channels, service providing websites (including recruitment and real estate) and radio stations.
The Indrajal-Spectrum Comics Contest was initially promoted in Indrajal Comics volume 22, number 49 published on the 8th of December 1985. The full page advertisement features a variety of comic book characters, including the Phantom. It also details the 122 prizes on offer and how to enter the contest.
The prized on offer are:
- 1st Prize – 2 x Holidays to Disneyland for a week including accommodation and flights.
- 2nd Prize – 5 x Color Television Sets.
- 3rd Prize – 3 x Tours to Bangkok, Pattaya and Singapore.
- 4th Prize – 12 x Bicycles.
- 5th Prize – 100 x 2-band transistor radios.
Entry forms were published in 3 Indrajal Comics comic books released on the 15th, 22nd and 29th of December 1985, and also in 2 Spectrum Comics comic books released on the 6th and 31st of December 1985. The front covers of the 3 Indrajal Comics to feature the contest can be seen below.
The Indrajal-Spectrum Comics Contest entry form was published across 3 pages within the comic books, requiring the entrant to complete and cut out the entry form before posting it to the publisher before the 21st of January 1986. These 3 pages can be seen below.
To enter the contest, the entrant was required to answer/complete 2 sections of the entry form:
HOW TO ENTER… AND WIN!
I. Solve the case of the mixed-up Superheroes.
Now the Superheroes have got together to set you a mystery to solve. In the five columns listed in the entry form, you have the heroes. their male/female companions. something that they wear, the place they live and their mode of transport. All you have to do is write out the correct combinations in each case. For example: Phantom: C1 -D2 – B3-C4 – D5
II. What’s Phantom saying to Mandrake?
Two of your favourite Superheroes have just come face-to-face in the entry form. Write, in not more than 10 words, what you think Phantom is saying to Mandrake.
The entry form also contained a section to subscribe to Spectrum Comics, with the first 500 subscribers receiving a ‘free HMV cassette’.
A full page thank you message is published by The Times of India in Indrajal Comics volume 23, number 12 published on the 23rd of March 1986. The publisher notes that an ‘overwhelming participation’ to the contest was received. The Phantom is seen amongst a range of comic book characters, all illustrated in a thank you pose.
Before the winners were announced by The Times of India, a 2 page full color feature is published in the center of Indrajal Comics volume 23, number 33 published on the 17th of August 1986. The publisher notes that over 20,000 entries were received in a variety of languages. A recap of the prized on offer are found in the speech bubble of a variety of comic book characters, with the 1st prize spoken by the Phantom.
Winners of the Indrajal-Spectrum Comics Contest were notified via post. They were also published in 2 Indrajal Comics comic books released on the 31st of August and the 7th of September, 1986, and in 1 Spectrum Comics comic book released in September 1986. The front covers of the 2 Indrajal Comics to feature the winners can be seen below.
Winners of the first 4 prizes are published in Indrajal Comics volume 23, number 35 published on the 31st of August 1986 (front cover seen above left). The 2 page feature lists all the names of the prize winners and also their address. Also noted is that the prizes would be awarded at a ‘gala function’ to be held in Bombay, India in September 1986. An illustration of the Phantom amongst other comic book characters is also seen.
The 100 winners of the 5th prize of a 2-band transistor radios are published in Indrajal Comics volume 23, number 36 published on the 7th of September 1986 (front cover seen above right). The 2 page feature lists the 100 names of the prize winners and also their address, grouped in the spoken language of each entrant. An illustration of the Phantom amongst other comic book characters is also seen.
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