04 hindustantimes HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHI h tka leidoscope FRIDAY, DECEMBER 07, 2018

pen&penchant YOUR SHOT POPEYE IS BACK JULES VERNE New videos show what 90 yrs of spinach can do for a guy

Popeye the Sailor, the weathered and quick- IN THE ANIMATED SERIES, POPEYE IS with-his-fists cartoon character, is getting a reboot for a series of animated shorts that pre- BEING RECAST AS A MORE Famous Books miered on Sunday on YouTube. YOUTHFUL, ENVIRONMENTALLY The shorts and a new series of comic strips, Around the World in Eighty which will begin in 2019, were created to cele- RESOURCEFUL FELLOW, WHO LIVES Days, Twenty Thousand brate the character’s 90th birthday next year. Leagues Under the Sea, IN A WASHED-ASHORE HOUSEBOAT, In the animated series, Popeye is being recast Journey to the Center of COLLECTS RAINWATER AND GROWS the Earth. as a more youthful, environmentally resource- ful fellow, who lives in a washed-ashore house- HIS OWN SPINACH. Biographical sketch boat, collects rainwater and grows his own spinach. Are skinny jeans and kale salads far “People know and love characters like The father of science fiction, Jules Verne, was born in behind? Nancy, Alley Oop and Popeye,” Andrew Far- Nantes, France, in 1828. “He’s younger, but you can’t tell how old he ago, curator of the Cartoon Art Museum in San is,” said CJ Kettler, president of King Features, Francisco, wrote in an email. “Their parents, He was the first child of which syndicates the “Popeye” strip. “He’s not grandparents and great-grandparents know Sophie Henriette Allotte de la an old guy, he’s not a young guy; he’s some- these characters.” Fuye and Pierre Verne, a where in between.” He added: “Unlike a long-form story, a comic lawyer who had four more She added, “He’s still tough and fit and resil- strip has about three or four panels to grab a children after the birth of Jules. Verne observed the ient and a champion of the underdog.” reader’s attention. If that reader already knows passage of ships as he lived in The animated series will also make other the characters and the premise of the strip, the a maritime port city. He began updates. A clean-shaven Bluto, for example, is strip’s going to have that much more impact writing short stories and interested in stealing Popeye’s spinach more when you compare it to a new strip with new poetry while studying at a than he is the heart of Olive Oyl, who has cast characters that you’ve never seen before.” boarding school. He then aside the role of damsel in distress. More inde- King Features is trying something different studied law in Paris as his pendent woman now, she helps vanquish Bluto with the new comic strips, which will be pre- father too was a lawyer. n Harshit Chhikara, a student of Kulachi Hansraj Model School, has captured this beautiful picture at Khajjiar, Himachal Pradesh. If you in the first episode. sented online as “Popeye’s Cartoon Club.” They Verne grew interested in have taken photographs of any city hotspots, monuments or fun moments and would like to have them featured in this space, send The 25 two-minute shorts are aimed at a will be drawn by a different artist each week. theatre and literature at this them to [email protected] young audience, having been produced by Wild- The target audience also skews a little older. time. He befriended a group Brain, whose programming network includes The series harks back to a Sunday feature from of writers that included the children’s programme “Yo Gabba Gabba!” 1934 in which Segar gave step-by-step instruc- Alexandre Dumas and his son. The episodes have sound effects but no dia- tions for drawing Popeye and printed artwork After earning his law degree in BOOK END logue, a nod to YouTube’s global reach. from fans. 1849, Verne stayed on in Paris. The shorts will be “as funny here as they will The artists are comic book and comic strip His one-act play Broken be in Bangladesh,” said Neeraj Khemlani, presi- creators including Alex Hallatt, Erica Hender- Straws was performed at dent of Hearst Entertainment and Syndication, son and Tom Neely. In one installment, Roger this time. Confidence and passion can which owns King Features. Langridge reveals the secret of Olive Oyl’s His father wanted him to Popeye, who was created by EC Segar and youthful glow after Popeye discovers her 1919 resume his law career, but made his first appearance as part of the King birth certificate. In another, Lar deSouza has Verne refused his father’s Features strip “Thimble Theatre” on January the “Queer Eye” — like Internet Fancy Guys offer to open a law practice in 17, 1929, is the latest newspaper comic strip visit Popeye for a makeover — and they decide Nantes. He took up a low paid help all of us to reach for stars character to undergo a spit and polish. The he is already on trend. job as secretary of the Théâ- schoolgirl Nancy, who was created in 1933, Jeffrey Brown offers a more classic take on tre-Lyrique and produced began referring to Snapchat in April. And the Popeye’s relationship when Olive Oyl catches plays. Shefali Das And then one day ...She flew into read in her spaceship. She also cave man Alley Oop, whose prehistoric adven- him gazing wistfully at a photograph of her. She Verne married a widow, space”. Here we are very curious exercised inside it. Again, all her tures began in 1932 and whose strip ended in assumes he’s remembering good times, but the Honorine de Viane Morel, in Title: Flying High! to know what inspired her to activities are shown through September, will return in January with an final panel reveals the truth. Popeye thinks, “I 1857. She already had two Author: Geeta Dharmarajan become an astronaut, what visually attractive pictures. emphasis on humour, including an exploration wonder if Olive Oyl would bring me some more daughters. Verne and Hono- Publisher: Katha Books efforts she put in to achieve her The author concludes her of his early middle school years. spinnich.” THE NEW YORK TIMES rine then had a son. Verne goal, what obstacles, if any, she magnificent book with the fol- worked at the stock market Yes, all of us kids can dream of overcame in her pursuit, what lowing three sentences — “Suni and also travelled with his flying high and can make our and how she planned to make her is brave. Just like you! Maybe wife. They went to America, that dream come true — it is the dream come true... The list goes one day you will reach for the France and the British Isles. simple yet very inspirational on and on. There are so many stars too!” It is such an encourag- Verne met several writers such message that author Geeta Dhar- questions that remain unan- ing and inspirational message, as Victor Hugo. Publishers had marajan gives us through her swered. The author should have isn’t it? Yes, if we have self-confi- rejected several of his works marvellous illustration-rich given more details about her to dence, passion and resoluteness, but then he met publisher Pierre Jules Hetzel. The book book aptly titled Flying High. It make this book more interesting we too can reach for the stars. Five Weeks in a Balloon was is an absolute must-read book as and informative. However, these This book has been published published in 1863 to critical it will motivate us to achieve shortcomings notwithstanding, by Katha, a globally recognised acclaim. In 1864, Journey to great heights in our lives. In THE BEST PART OF THE it is a fantastic book. non-profit organisation that has the Centre of the Earth was addition, for Hindi-speaking Thereafter, we do get to know been working in the field of liter- published and in 1865 From readers, this book is available in BOOK IS THAT EACH AND what Suni did in her spaceship. acy since 1988. IMF deputy man- the Earth to the Moon. Its the same language as Udan. EVERY ACT OF HER Sometimes when her spaceship aging director Naoyuki Shino- sequel All Around the Moon The book starts with simple didn’t work, Suni fixed it herself. hara has hailed this organisation was published soon after. enticing sentences like — “Once (AMERICAN ASTRONAUT The best part of the book is that as ‘an educational jewel in Verne and his wife sailed to there was a small girl. Her name SUNITA LY N WILLIAMS) each and every act of her is India’s crown’. several places on their ship was Suni Pandya. Suni had a big shown through a very fabulous named the Saint-Michel. dream. She wanted to fly! She IS SHOWN THROUGH picture. The selection and pre- ABOUT THE AUTHOR These experiences inspired worked very hard to make her A VERY FABULOUS sentation of those photographs Geeta Dharmarajan loves writ- many of his works. dream come true.” These five PICTURE. are really remarkable. ing for children. An author, edu- In 1888, Verne was chosen as sentences cover the first two In course of her 195-day space cator, editor and the executive the councillor of Aimens. He pages of this marvellous 12-page journey, Suni flew between the director of Katha, she received worked in this position for 15 book. What is good — or bad — her life --- about her childhood, clouds. Flying between the the Padma Shri in 2012 for her years and wrote in his leisure about this book is that it contains school days, her passion etc. clouds is really an adventurous work in literature and educa- time. In those days, the cure of only 99 words! Just believe it! It is bad — or inadequate so to thought for all kids. It is really tion. Earlier, Dharmarajan was diabetes was rudimentary and It is good because one can fin- speak — as there are some minor fascinating to see Suni flying the one of the editors of Target, a he died of the ailment on ish it in just a few minutes. The shortcomings in the book as far spaceship all alone. It will magazine for children, and the March 24, 1905. protagonist of the story is Suni as the interests of 10-year-olds inspire all kids to emulate her Pennsylvania Gazette, the Verne had conceived the idea Pandya who is none other than are concerned. The author does bravery. Then readers must magazine of University of of submarines, airplanes and famous American astronaut not give the details of her life that want to know what she did inside Pennsylvania. n Popeye, who was created by EC Segar and made his first appearance as part of the King helicopters before they Sunita Lyn Williams. As she is of we kids are so curious to know. her spaceship. The author again Features strip ‘Thimble Theatre’ on January 17, 1929, is the latest newspaper comic strip were a reality. Indo-Slovenian descent, you will After the first five sentences, the describes all these things in sim- The contributor is a Class 4 student character to undergo a spit and polish GETTY IMAGES be more curious to know about author straightaway writes — ple languages. Suni ate, slept and of DPS, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad

NMNH-PACE ESSAY CONTEST Winning entries on the topic — Nature protects only if she is protected

SENIOR CATEGORY, ,“We are in the midst of a mass extinction, take care of nature and save it from the SECOND PRIZE an event not seen since the disappear- rapid destruction. As well all know that ance of dinosaurs 65 million years ago” a plant and animal species have become but we stopped to ponder. It seems that extinct as a result of disturbance in The sky broke like an egg into the full we are so engrossed in materialistic nature. sunset, the water caught fire, the sea once short-term economic gain but we need to But some people do not know how to it casts to spell holds one in its not of won- focus on what is really at stake. One of the preserve nature. Some children think der forever. most shocking facts is that we have lost that they are too young to help preserve In nature nothing is perfect and every- 80% of our forests. There is a garbage nature. I too thought the same. So, after thing is perfect, even if trees are con- island floating in our oceans the size of discussing it with my parents I have come torted, bent weird ways they are still India, Mexico and Europe combined with some ways which I want to share beautiful. mainly comprising plastic. with all. I have reduced wastage at my A wise man once said, “There is a We have used 50% more of our natural end. Instead of 4, I now use only 2 pencils pleasure in the pathless woods, There is resources that the Earth can provide. We to write my assignments. I have reduced a rapture on the lonely shore, There is need 1.5 Earths that we don’t have to feed the use of erasers and sharpeners. I have society, where none intrudes, By the deep our current population. stopped tearing pages from my notebook. Sea, and music in its roar: I love not Man “Nature protects only if she is pro- These are the simplest ways that we as the less, but Nature more”. According to tected.” Nature has been providing , pro- students can do to conserve nature. We me wilderness is not a luxury but a neces- tecting and delighting us for millions of have read about pollution and global sity of human spirit. Some walk in the years but what have we given in return , warming. Also natural calamities like rain others get wet. global warming , climate change and floods and earthquakes are becoming fre- Most world live in a disillusioned environmental degradation. There is quent. So, we must choose carefully world blatantly ignoring the startling urgent need of us to mend our ways and between comfort and survival. revelations being made about amount of return balance to nature, only then will Slowly but steadily we are realising I strongly believe that it is our respon- natural resources available to us. nature will recover from this terrible the cost of nature and trying to take steps JUNIOR C ATEGORY, the river, But suddenly I saw something sibility to save and care for Mother According to the world watch Institute condition. in the right direction. For example Bhu- SECOND PRIZE that made me upset. I saw used plastic Nature. Conservation is one of the most impor- tan, France, Norway some of the pioneers water bottles, packets of chips and other We should pay it back for the kind gifts NATURE HAS BEEN PROVIDING , tant aspects of ecology and is a dire need in conservation. If in India 1.3 billion waste materials lying here and there of life. If we contribute bit by bit, we will PROTECTING AND DELIGHTING in these dismal times. Its most important individuals undertake an oath to do their A famous author said, “Just living is not even in the hills. This forced me to think surely stop destruction and can make our aspect is awareness. Let people know, part in starting a global initiative then I enough... one must have sunshine, free- about our Mother Nature. Ever won- dear Mother Nature smile forever. In this US FOR MILLIONS OF YEARS share your opinion via wide spectrum of am fairly confident that day not be far dom, and a little flower.” dered why we call it Mother Nature? It is way no one will ever miss sunshine, free- BUT WHAT HAVE WE GIVEN IN social media. when we will reduce our carbon footprint I belong to a family of nature lovers. because just like a mother the nature pro- dom and flowers. Every gesture counts. Large organisa- and make Earth a better place for future My mother loves greenery, my father vides food, water and good health to all RETURN , GLOBAL WARMING , tion should use hydel power, solar power, generation. enjoys going on treks and I am fond of of us. Varchasva CLIMATE CHANGE AND renewable. Follow the 3R’s. Don’t make “NURTURE NATURE PRESERVE beaches. We like to travel to places with Humans depend on nature for all their Class 5, wastage a habit. We should use activities THE FUTURE! ” natural beauty. Our Last visit was to needs. The nature gives us water, food, New Era Public ENVIRONMENTAL causing environmental friendly prod- Laavya Malhotra Jibhi. A beautiful small village in Hima- plants and land to stay. It helps us to stay School, Mayapuri DEGRADATION. ucts. Strict legislation should be enforced Class 8 B, chal Pradesh. It was a wonderful trip. I healthy and heals us from many danger- (More winning essays to be to eradicate mischief makers. DPS Mathura Road was enjoying the mountains, trees and ous diseases. So it is truly important to featured in the coming days)

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