Detective Moochwala

Detective Moochhwala is an eponymous Indian magazine comic strip created by the well-known Indian cartoonist Ajit Ninan.^[1] The strip chronicles the adventures of Moochhwala, a fictional detective, and his dog, Pooch, who solve several crimes armed with high-tech equipment and a little chutzpah.

History

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The comic series appeared in an Indian youth magazine Target (part of the India Today Group) between 1979 and 1991. ^[2] The strip was notable for its illustrations, which were remarkably detailed and high quality for the time.

Detective Moochhwala was a staple of children and youngsters in India for a number of years. The comic strip was stopped sometime in 1991, when the magazine underwent a renaissance and transformed itself into a more text-oriented version.

Characters

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The main characters are Moochhwala the detective and his pet dog Pooch. The crime-fighting duo were sometimes referred to in the strip as "Mooch and Pooch", and managed to crack even the most difficult of cases.

Moochhwala in Hindi literally means "man with a moustache". He is depicted as a pot-bellied, stubby-legged man with little hair, and a trademark inverted "V" moustache.

Poonch in Hindi means "tail". Pooch was of indeterminate breed, and possessed above average intelligence for a dog. Pooch is able to talk with other animals by using a device called the "Communico".

Another notable feature of the strip was the names of Police Inspectors who came to clean up at the end of the strip; they always had very apt Hindi-English words.