I belong to the field of art, cartoons, comics, advertising and animation etc.
I grew up with cartoon characters, and believe me, they still live with me.
Knowing they do not exist and to still live with them is a very interesting state.
There was a time when I used to imagine myself living with these characters. I was just not ready to come out of my own imaginative world (I was all of 8).
While playing with me, one day my father asked me to stand on a 6” wall. I climbed up and stood on it. He then asked me to jump so he could catch me in the air. I jumped and was horrified as I saw him pull his hands back. I fell on the ground.
Thankfully, there was a heap of sand and I escaped unhurt.
I looked at my father in disbelief as I was shocked and started crying.
My father gave me chocolates and told me “Beta, I want you to enjoy the comics, but always remember, make friends in the real world too. If the Superman is for real, why he did not come to rescue you?Or Spiderman, for that matter? What happened to him? If you make friends in the real world, chances are at least someone will come to help you if you are in a crisis.
That's when my father introduced me to the real world.
The point was well understood at that tender age. I realised if they are not for real, even I can create such characters. At the age of 16 I had my first cartoon column published in a newspaper. I had the joy of creating a cartoon character on my own. My father emerged as a winner.
Now, as a father myself, I realise how tough it is to introduce your kids to reality without hurting their innocent beliefs.
